Producer, Director, Writer, Social Justice Advocate and Leader

Anne Edgeworth, also known as Anne Godfrey-Smith, is best known for her work in the performing arts, as a poet, critic and as a social justice advocate.

Alison Anne McIntyre was born in Tasmania in 1921. While her degree was in biochemistry, Anne also studied repertory theatre, lighting and backstage work at the Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres in London. She moved to Canberra to become theatre manager for the Canberra Repertory Society in 1954. Her first plays were written for the Launceston Players. Anne also wrote songs and poems. In 1956 Peter Sculthorpe set 24 of her songs to music for Ulterior Motifs.

Anne undertook a degree in English literature at the ANU while also working as a biochemist for CSIRO. Between 1960 and 1966 she produced and wrote satirical verse for the ANU Revue, as well as tutoring in drama. Anne tutored at the University of NSW 1968-1974 while studying for a Master of Arts in drama at Flinders University (1973). She worked as a consultant for the Australian Youth Performing Arts Association in the 1970s. From 1980 to 1986 Anne coordinated a community education program of craft and cultural courses at Canberra TAFE. In 1989 she was writer-in-residence at the University of New England.

Well-known for her practical support for other writers, in 1995 she helped establish the ACT Writers Centre (MARION) which awards an annual Anne Edgeworth Emerging Writer’s Fellowship. Anne published several books of poetry, a history of the Canberra Repertory Society and was a performing arts critic for The Canberra Times. She was also active in several environmental groups and social justice organisations.

Among her awards were British Empire Medal (BEM) for service to the theatre, 1979; Canberra Citizen of the Year for contribution to the Canberra arts community, especially literary arts, 1994; Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the Arts, 1995 and Sydney University Alumni Award for community service over many years, 1998.