Elizabeth Anstice Baker

Elizabeth Anstice Baker (24 September 1849 – 16 October 1914) was an Australian writer, philanthropist, and social reformer. Born into an Anglican family, she converted to Roman Catholicism and wrote a book about her religious journey, entitled A Modern Pilgrim's Progress. The book was widely read in Catholic circles and was translated into French. She received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal from Pope Pius X in 1902, becoming the first Australian woman to be honored with this medal.

Baker was active in supporting charitable causes, both in Australia and in England. With her mother, Isabelle Baker, she established the first Catholic hospital in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. A women's rights activist, she participated in the suffrage movement in Australia and England, and was a member of the Catholic Women's League. She also organized a mobile church ministry in England and Wales, known as a motor church, to serve the needs of both Catholics and non-Catholics in rural areas.

Early life and family

Elizabeth Anstice Baker, known as "Bessie", was born on 24 September 1849. According to newspaper articles at the time of her death, she was born in England; she later emigrated to Australia with her family at the age of 15. However, the Australian Dictionary of Biography lists her birthplace as Magill, a suburb of Adelaide, in South Australia. Elizabeth was the sixth child.

Baker's father was a successful pastoralist who became quite wealthy through his business dealings. After spending years in Van Diemen's Land, he moved to South Australia where he was a leading figure in society. Among other business and civil endeavors, he helped to establish the South Australia Chamber of Commerce, and served as its first chair. He entered politics in the 1850s, serving on the South Australia Legislative Council and briefly serving as the South Australian premier. He died in 1872, and was given a state funeral.

Elizabeth's childhood was shaped by being raised in an affluent and socially active family. She had private schooling at home, and was tutored by Anglican clergyman, as was typical of well-to-do families at that time. Elizabeth was highly intelligent and an avid reader. Baker read widely in theology and philosophy, seeking to find a firm foundation that she could rely on. She was particularly concerned with reconciling a modern view of science with religious belief. Among others, Baker served on the council alongside woman's rights activist Catherine Helen Spence. Bessie Baker managed the hospital, and oversaw the development of a nursing school.

A Modern Pilgrim's Progress While living in England, Baker penned a memoir about her conversion to Catholicism, entitled A Modern Pilgrim's Progress. The title is an homage to a classic Christian text by the English Puritan John Bunyan. In her book, Baker shared her own intellectual wrestling with matters of faith, including how scientific knowledge, such as the theory of evolution, could be reconciled with religious belief. Revealing the breadth and depth of her self-directed study in these matters, she discussed the writings of well-known philosophers and scientists, including Immanuel Kant, Charles Darwin, and Herbert Spencer. Her clear writing and a well-reasoned and logical engagement with these weighty questions contributed to the book's popularity. It had several printings and was translated into French. She was the first Australian woman to receive this medal. She is buried in Fulham, England, in the church graveyard of St. Thomas' Church.