Vida Jane Mary Goldstein (1869-1949), feminist and suffragist, was born on 13 April 1869 at Portland, Victoria.
She was the eldest child of Jacob Robert Yannasch Goldstein and his wife Isabella.
Jacob, who was born at Cork in Ireland in 1839, had arrived in Victoria in 1858, and settled initially at Portland.
He served in the Victorian Garrison Artillery in 1867 and rose to the rank of colonel.
In 1868 he married Isabella Harkins (1849-1916), the eldest daughter of Scottish-born squatter Samuel Proudfoot Hawkins.
Vida was one of 5 children, 4 girls and a boy.
Their parents became estranged, but continued to live under the same roof. Jacob was an anti-suffragist, while his wife was a strong feminist who campaigned for women's suffrage.
Vida took up the cause, and in 1902 she travelled to the United States, to speak at the International Women's Suffrage Conference.
She also gave evidence in favour of women's suffrage to a committee of the United States Congress.
Her first school was in the room behind the Congregational Church on the corner of Hotham and Inkerman Streets, before establishing a preparartory school for boys and girls at the family home 'Ingleton' at 133 Alma Road St Kilda.
She died of cancer at her home in South Yarra on 15 August 1949 and was cremated.