▁school . ▁According ▁to ▁De ver , ▁her ▁Catholic ▁education ▁pre cluded ▁her ▁becoming ▁head m ist ress . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁Can ber ra ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁a ▁government ▁position , ▁transfer ring ▁to ▁Melbourne ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Labour ▁and ▁National ▁Service . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁she ▁started ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁consult ant ▁in ▁industrial ▁matters ▁such ▁as ▁women ' s ▁legal ▁rights ▁and ▁equal ▁pay , ▁and ▁extending ▁her ▁interests ▁into ▁the ▁w elf are ▁of ▁Ab original ▁and ▁migr ant ▁women . ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁women ▁writers ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁she ▁had ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁support ▁her ▁writing ▁activities . ▁Like ▁them ▁too , ▁she ▁faced ▁difficulties ▁about ▁where ▁to ▁live . ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁she ▁lived ▁as ▁a ▁resident ▁mist ress ▁at ▁the ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Lad ies ' ▁College , ▁but ▁came ▁to ▁hate ▁the ▁restrictions ▁this ▁ent a iled . ▁Bar n ard , ▁herself ▁living ▁under ▁the ▁restrictions ▁of ▁home , ▁described ▁E ld ers h aw ' s ▁situation ▁as ▁' un ten able '. ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁E ld ers h aw ▁and ▁Bar n ard ▁r ented ▁a ▁small ▁flat ▁in ▁Pot ts ▁Point ▁where ▁they ▁could ▁give ▁small ▁dinner ▁parties ▁and ▁to ▁which ▁they ▁could ▁retre at ▁from ▁school ▁and ▁home . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁she ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁school ▁completely ▁into ▁a