Elaine Cassidy

Elaine Armgard Cassidy (15 March 1930 – 21 February 2014) was a socially prominent Australian teacher and municipal politician. She served as Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra in Sydney. Cassidy compiled and edited a Bicentennial book on the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. Birth and education Cassidy (née Hirstman) was born in Strathfield, New South Wales, and was the first of two children of Margot (née Ludwig) and Frank Hirstman. She attended Meriden School and Macquarie Secretarial School, and then studied arts at the University of Sydney. She turned her focus to education and started teaching. Working life Teaching Frensham School at Mittagong was her first appointment, teaching geography, history and English to senior students. In her second year on staff, Cassidy became an economics teacher. In that year two of her Leaving Certificate students were placed first and third in the state in economics. After travelling abroad, and having children, she returned to teaching; first as a relief teacher at Kambala and then, from 1970 until 1974, teaching economics at Ascham.