Lesbia Harford

Lesbia Harford
The grave of Lesbia Harford in Kew Cemetery, Melbourne
Born(1891-04-09)9 April 1891
Brighton, Victoria, Australia
Died5 July 1927(1927-07-05) (aged 36)
St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne
Resting placeKew Cemetery, Melbourne
Occupationpoet
novelist
political activist
CitizenshipAustralian
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
SpousePatrick John (Pat) Harford
Parents
  • Edmund Joseph Keogh
  • Beatrice Eleanor Moore

Lesbia Venner Harford (née Keogh, 9 April 1891 – 5 July 1927) was an Australian poet, novelist and political activist. She was one of the first women to study for a law degree at the University of Melbourne. She agitated for the rights of workers, supporting a group of union workers who were imprisoned for treason and other crimes. A later reading of Harford's poetry and biography have raised her profile as a pioneer of 'free love' and a queer icon.