Education
Gaudron was educated at St Ursula's College in Armidale.
In 1960 she was awarded a federal government scholarship to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Sydney, which she graduated with in 1962. In 1961 she had also commenced a part-time Bachelor of Laws degree, graduating in 1965 with first-class honours and the University's Medal for Law. Gaudron was the second female recipient, after Elizabeth Evatt, and the first female part-time student to be awarded the medal. Gaudron's lecturers there had included her future High Court colleague, Anthony Mason.
While studying, Gaudron attempted to obtain articles of clerkship (then five years in duration), but was not successful; as she later said, "Many distinguished lawyers took a lot of trouble and effort to explain to me that it was not their policy to take on women as articled clerks." Instead she took a job with the Australian Public Service, although, in accordance with the then regulations, she was required to relinquish her employment when she married.
When Gaudron graduated with her law degree, she was pregnant with her first daughter, Danielle.
In 1988, Gaudron was awarded an honorary doctorate in law from Macquarie University, and another from the University of Sydney in 1999.
Read more about this topic: Mary Gaudron
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