Cara, Lady David (26 April 1856 – 25 December 1951) was an Australian educator, feminist, and social reformer.
Biography
Born Caroline Martha Mallet in 1856, David was the daughter of a fisherman in Southwold, England. Her parents were Samuel Mallett and Pamela née Wright. Her father died in 1860 and her mother soon afterwards. As a result David was raised by her grandparents who were a schoolmaster and his wife.
She attended the local school and became a student-teacher there when she was 13. In 1875, David went away to the Whitelands College in London and remained there as a lecturer when she completed her studies.
When she was 29 years old, David moved to Australia to take up the position of principal in the Hurlstone Training College for Women in Sydney. On the boat out she met the man who later became her husband, Tannatt Edgeworth David. However David remained the principal of Hurlstone until 1885. In July 1885, David married. Her husband was a geologist and as a result she travelled around with him. They had three children while living in Maitland, New South Wales. The first was born while they were living in a tent. After the third child was born 1891 the family returned to Sydney. David became the examiner for Sydney Technical College and was part of the hiring team for teaching diplomas in the University of Sydney from 1895 to 1897.
