AustLit logo

AustLit

NLA image of person
Katherine Cummings Katherine Cummings i(A13436 works by) (birth name: John Cummings)
Born: Established: 1935 Aberdeen,
c
Scotland,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Female
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

Born John Cummings, Katherine Cummings underwent gender re-assignment surgery in 1989. Prior to that, she had been married and raised three daughters. Her autobiography, Katherine's Diary : The Story of a Transsexual, was published in 1992, and her essay 'The Life and Loves of an XY Woman' in No Thanks or Regrets (1996) continues the story of her life.

Cummings grew up in the Gilbert Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Scotland and Australia. She graduated from the University of Sydney, and after gaining a post-graduate degree in Librarianship from the University of Toronto she worked at the University of New South Wales as Reader Services Librarian. She then emigrated to America and was Reader Services Librarian at the State Library of Oregon and later, Director of Upsala College, East Orange, NJ.

Returning to Australia she worked at the University of Queensland as Deputy Librarian and then at the Sydney College of the Arts before commencing work at Macquarie University as Reference and Research Librarian.

Since then she has completed a Desktop Publishing Diploma at the Sydney Institute (TAFE) and has worked for the Australian Business Index, the Social Policy Research Centre at the University of NSW, and the Sydney Gender Centre in Petersham. She was commissioned by the NSW Attorney-General to write a report on violence against the transgendered in 2003-2004.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

A Tale of Nine Cats 1998 single work short story
— Appears in: Red Cat Country : Stories 1998; (p. 156-162)
1989 shortlisted Ditmar Awards Best Australian Short Fiction
y separately published work icon Katherine's Diary : The Story of a Transsexual Port Melbourne : Heinemann Australia , 1992 Z1052000 1992 single work autobiography
1992 winner Human Rights Awards Literature Non-Fiction Award
Last amended 23 Sep 2008 14:18:32
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X