Pearson, Margaret Jemima (1840 - 1934)

Born
22 March 1840
Perth, Scotland
Died
21 October 1934
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Occupation
Instructor
Alternative Names
  • Pearson, Margaret J
Summary

Margaret Pearson grew up in Scotland, where she became superintendent of the Dundee School of Cookery. She received a Diploma from the National Training School for Cookery in South Kensington, London. By 1886, Pearson had moved to Australia, where she gave public cooking demonstrations and became one of the country's earliest formal instructors in domestic economy. From 1887 to 1894, she taught cookery classes at the Working Men's College. Pearson demonstrated gas cooking at the Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne in 1888-89. Her cookbook, 'Cookery Recipes for the People', first published in 1888, sold more than 16,000 copies across three editions. Well-travelled, Pearson remarked shortly before her death, 'I have the wandering lust.' She died in Brisbane in 1934.

Related Organisations

Published Resources

Books

Newspaper Articles

  • 'Dundee School of Cookery', Dundee Courier, 29 September 1877. Details
  • 'Our Melbourne Ladies Letter', The Mercury (Hobart, Tasmania), 15 November 1887, p. 3. Details

Online Resources

Prepared by: Miranda Francis

Created: 23 October 2026, Last modified: 28 October 2026