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Rosanove, Joan Mavis (1896–1974)

Mrs Joan Rosanove, Victoria's first woman QC, who died suddenly at her Frankston home last night, became a legend during 50 years of practice as a solicitor and barrister for her brilliant cross-examination.

She was born Joan Mavis Lazarus, the daughter of a lawyer, in Ballarat, in 1897.

The third generation of an Australian legal family, Mrs Rosanove was educated at the Dawson Street Convent and Clarendon College in Ballarat.

She was admitted to the Victorian Supreme Court in 1919 at the age of 22 and called to the NSW Bar in 1948.

In 1920 she married a leading Melbourne dermatologist, Dr Edward Rosanove.

She is survived by her husband, two children, five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Original publication

Additional Resources

Citation details

'Rosanove, Joan Mavis (1896–1974)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/rosanove-joan-mavis-11560/text31509, accessed 28 March 2023.

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