AustLit

'If Joan Sutherland was a Grand Dame, Leonie Kramer continues as a dame of what seemed, for long years, inexhaustible greatness. Even her bitter opponents awarded her endless compliments, for that is what their criticisms amount to. To dull, leftist academic feminists she was not a woman to be admired, possibly remains so. Along with assertions and allegations naked of fact, and festered with feeble argument and name-calling ("devious", "authoritarian", "conservative") came as well the feigned praise of these same detractors, for she could neither be denied nor ignored. There was also generous praise from people who, at first, might seem unlikely admirers, such as Michael Kirby. She was a teacher of ability, a scholar with a surprisingly slim publications section in her curriculum vitae, and a wife and mother. She was also one of the most outstanding Australian academics of her time, male or female, as well as being successful in many other fields including administration, business and public service. Perhaps that is why the sistercrats disliked her? As she said, "In Australia, nothing fails like success."' (Abstract)