ITC has been informed of the peaceful passing of Dr Frances Helen Christie on 18 July 2025.
Fran was a well-known Lane Cove local and will be greatly missed by her family, neighbours and many friends. Fran was a keen local historian and, until recently, President of the Lane Cove Historical Society.
She will be sadly missed by her sister Margaret, niece Cathy, nephew David as well as their large extended family.
Education
Fran was born on 18 September 1939 and grew up on Chisholm St, Greenwich, attending Greenwich Public School, then Cremorne High School.
Her father was a great advocate of education for girls and supported both Fran and her older sister Margaret in completing high school and attending university.
Fran completed a BA and DipEd at the University of Sydney and taught for several years in country NSW, followed by a stint in London. On return to Australia, Fran continued high school teaching and studied further, completing first a Master of Education and then a Masters in Applied Linguistics.
In the early 1970s, she was offered her first tertiary teaching role at the University of Sydney. Quoting from her own book Origins, a History of my Family 2009:
“I eventually became an academic, doing a PhD in linguistics on the way, though I don’t actually regard myself as a linguist, for I am primarily a teacher of English language. My research interests have always been in children’s language development, writing development in particular, classroom discourse analysis and pedagogic (educational) grammar.”
This is a typical understatement from Fran, as she had become an internationally acclaimed expert in the field of systemic functional linguistics.
Fran taught at Deakin University, Northern Territory University and finally the University of Melbourne, where she was a Foundation Professor of Language Literacy Education. Upon her retirement, she was declared an Emeritus Professor, a title with which she took great pride.
As an academic and teacher, she made a huge impact on many lives.
Having spent most of her academic career interstate, Fran retired in 2002 and settled again in the Lane Cove area, where she lived for the last 20 years on Phoenix Street in Lane Cove.
Lane Cove Historical Society
Fran joined the Lane Cove Historical Society (LCHS) in 2013 after chatting with members of the Society at a street stall in the Lane Cove Plaza.
She joined the committee in 2014 and served as its President from 2021-2024.
Her many contributions to the Society include:
- Obtaining a grant to compile oral histories and subsequently interviewing a range of notable personalities in Lane Cove.
- Maintaining a relationship with Lane Cove West Public School, including presenting junior and senior prizes for history.
- Contributing to the LCHS newsletter with a President’s message and numerous articles and book reviews.
- Organising a monthly program of speakers.
- Revised the LCHS History Page for adults – an initiative which she drove with passion and inspiration.
The President of the Society, Pam Palmer commented:
“She was a wonderful contributor, friend and intellectual whom we loved to have as part of our organisation. She will be very much missed by all of us.”
The Lane Cove History Prize will be awarded in Frances’s honour this year.
Lane Cove Citizenship Award
In 2018, Fran received a Citizenship Award from Lane Cove Council for her contribution to local history.
Fran was an active member of the local Women Action and Information Group (WAIG), which met in the Lane Cove Library, showing her ongoing commitment to community and education.
Fran was honoured at the most recent Lane Cove Council meeting for her life and service.
An Active Life
Fran had many other interests that she pursued in retirement. A keen walker, she would walk to the Lane Cove shops every day, often clocking 5-6 km a day and was an active member of a Saturday walking group. She loved music and the arts, regularly attending concerts, the opera, and art exhibitions.
An avid reader, Fran was a well-known customer at the Burns Bay Bookery.
Milo The Cat
Fran had a beloved rag doll cat, Milo. Milo was once featured in ITC when he became stuck up a telegraph pole and had to be rescued by Fire and Rescue, much to Fran’s relief. Fran wrote to ITC as follows:
All the people involved were kind, sympathetic and supportive as they assisted the cat and me. It was a pleasure to meet them, and I really appreciated their assistance.
When Fran became ill earlier this year, Milo was adopted by Fran’s lovely neighbours. It gave Fran much pleasure to know that Milo well spend the remainder of his life with a loving family.
Fran had a terminal lung condition but faced the last few months of illness with grace, courage and her usual stoicism. She was supported by her family and many friends, with a near constant stream of visitors, flowers, card and messages. Fran’s family will always be grateful for the support shown to her during this difficult time, as it really helped to lift her spirits.
Fran was sharply intelligent, curious, kind and generous. She touched many people’s lives, and will be sorely missed.
Thank you to Cathy Duloy for the above information.
