Norah Dunphy

Norah Dunphy was one of a significant - albeit relatively small group of women students in the School of Architecture from the early part of the 20th century. Professor Charles Reilly was an enthusiastic supporter of women students being accepted into the school and indeed his own daughter was a student. Whilst Reilly was supportive, he was realistic enough to accept that given the attitudes of the times, women would invariably either not enter into practice and instead marry - as indeed was the case with his daughter - or take up supporting roles in the larger practices.

Sepia photograph of a woman wearing a formal graduation gown and holding hat

There were notable exceptions to this and Norah Dunphy holds the distinction of being the first woman to obtain the degree of B.Arch in the country as well as obtaining a first-class Certificate in Civic Design, after studying under Professor Abercrombie in the Department of Civic Design. Norah Dunphy would go on to further distinguish herself by becoming the first woman in the country to be employed as a town planner - when she was appointed as Town Planning Assistant to the Tynemouth and North Shields Corporation in 1931. In later life Norah Dunphy - or Mrs Norah Roberts as she became after marriage - took on an academic role and taught planning. 

Plans, sections and elevations of housing project for North Shields slum clearance project

County Borough of Tynemouth, Houses to Accommodate 248 Families, Ridges Estate, North Shields. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library (DUN-23)

Catafalque, sketch drawing. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library (DUN)

Catafalque, sketch drawing. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library (DUN)

County Borough of Tynemouth, A Birds Eye View Showing Proposed Road and Open Space Development. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library (DUN-18)

County Borough of Tynemouth, A Birds Eye View Showing Proposed Road and Open Space Development. By Courtesy of the University of Liverpool Library (DUN-18)

Further Reading

Drawings of Norah Dunphy's work both as a student in the Liverpool School and as Town Planning Assistant for Tynemouth and North Shields Corporation. dated 1920s-1937, Liverpool University Archives, DUN; Student Record Card, University of Liverpool Archives, Box A240.

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