Last Wednesday 15 July 2026 (our time Thursday) we awoke to the devastating news that our University colleague, the wonderful Professor Marguerite Johnson and soul partner Leni, had perished in a tragic car accident on the Island of Lesvos, Greece.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help their children Kate and Jack:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kate-and-jack-after-the-tragic-loss-of-their-parents
Tributes
Please note: More Tributes Are Welcome. We graciously invite Leni and Marguerite’s family, former and current academic colleagues, students and friends to send through their tributes to add to their many adventures over the years.
“Marguerite was a valued colleague since I arrived at Newcastle in 1993, and that did not stop when I retired and moved away. Only on 7th July, just days before the tragic news, Marguerite had written inquiring how I would translate some words of greeting into Greek. She had somehow transformed herself from the Latinist I first knew into somebody thoroughly immersed in things Greek, and thinking that the move to Lesvos was the best thing she and Leni had ever done. Lesvos seemed to sum up her identity. So sad that they could not enjoy it all a little longer, and sad too I know that a new generation of Newcastle students could not enjoy her classes after she came the conclusion that she had to leave. Was the University so bereft of vision that it found no space for her and for those like her? Only now will the ancient Greeks permit us to call her happy! ”
~ Harold Tarrant, Professor Emeritus, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, University of Newcastle, Australia. Cambridge, U.K.
“It’s with enormous sadness that I acknowledge the passing of my treasured friend and widely respected colleague, Professor Marguerite Johnson, who died in Greece earlier this month with her partner, Leni. Her loss will be felt deeply by many communities.
We are gathering in Melbourne for the launch of “Marriage Equality and Resurgent Prejudice in Australia” (Generis). It is the perfect moment to honour Marguerite’s role in the ‘Waiting for Equality’ project in 2019 — the exhibition that sparked this book. She remained engaged with the project right up until a few weeks ago.
Marguerite’s intellectual and creative range was extraordinary. She was a vital source of inspiration, encouragement, wise counsel and deeply harmonious collaboration in all my work on gender and sexuality. An Honorary Professor in Classics at UQ, and Professor in Classics at UON until 2024, she was a cultural historian of the ancient Mediterranean with a focus on gender and sexuality. Her scholarship on ancient Greek and Latin literature was internationally renowned, particularly her work on the poet Sappho.
She was also an outstanding supervisor of postgrad students — beloved, generous and tireless in her support.
Our own collaboration spanned more than two decades, from a Gender Studies conference in 2002 to public events, journal articles, and short‑form writing for The Conversation. A highlight was co‑teaching Sex and Scandal in History, which led us into vital conversations about conversion practices and ultimately to the panel “Lives Erased” at the 2019 Newcastle Writers Festival.
The culmination of that work was our co‑edited book, “Gay Conversion Practices in Memoir, Film and Fiction” (Bloomsbury, 2024). It embodies our shared vision and values, and her chapter — ‘Three Films, Conversion Practices and the Paratext’ — is a dazzling example of her conceptual clarity and elegant writing.
Marguerite was a master of short‑form writing, publishing over 30 pieces for The Conversation online between 2013 and 2025 on topics ranging from ancient myth to Rosaleen Norton. She met every challenge with gusto, insight and humour.
Many people in Newcastle and beyond have already shared their memories of her humanistic values. For me, it’s her gentleness, her love of laughter and her beautiful spirit that will endure.
Vale Marguerite. You enriched so many lives, and we will miss you deeply.”
~ Dr James Bennett, Honorary Academic, University of Auckland
“It is with a very heavy heart that I reflect on Marguerite’s life and how deeply she touched the lives of her colleagues and students at The University of Newcastle. Marguerite is a shining example of someone who is both absolutely brilliant, and very kind and generous hearted. I moved to Newcastle in 2020 so that I could do a PhD under her supervision – I remember reading her research profile and being so excited by how perfectly her research expertise matched my areas of interest. From the first time I travelled to Newcastle to see if I’d be a suitable PhD candidate, I truly felt that I was in great hands. Thanks to Marguerite’s warm presence and loving energy, I felt welcomed and accepted straight away. During the course of my PhD, I came to think of Marguerite as my “academic mum” – moving to a different city during a global pandemic was a challenge, but she ensured that I felt safe and supported. I have fond memories of visiting Marguerite and Leni’s home for end of year celebrations with our cohort. They both had such a wonderful sense of humour that makes you feel so welcome and so at ease, and the love they had for each other, their family and their lives together was so clear. I will always be thankful for Marguerite’s mentorship during and after my studies, and I hope to be able to pay it forwards some day. Marguerite will always have a very special place in the lives of those who knew her, and her research will continue to inspire students and academics for generations to come.”
~ Dr Connie Skibinski, Associate Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Newcastle.
“Marguerite was a force of nature, both as an intellectual and as a colleague. My moments teaching with her are some of the happiest that I have had in the classroom at Newcastle, and writing with her was an absolute joy. I was so pleased to know that she had found her happy place with Leni in Greece, and I am desperately sad that she is gone. She is a huge loss to us all.”
~ Alistair Rolls, Associate Professor, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, (French) University of Newcastle, Australia.
“Like many of her students, I first met Marguerite during my undergraduate studies, she later became my Honours and PhD supervisor. From the very beginning Marguerite was a constant source of support and encouragement; but it was the steadfast dedication to her students and field, and her unwavering integrity that best exhibited her character.
Marguerite was more than a teacher and mentor; she was the inspiration that led me to follow my own passions and pursue a research career. I will be forever grateful for the endless warmth, encouragement and strength she brought to my life.”
~ Rebecca Willis, PhD (Classics) Student and Casual Academic, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, University of Newcastle, Australia.
“I had left the discipline of Classics some time before Marguerite was appointed as a Lecturer; but I delivered some lectures in her Myth and Magic course, and I co-authored with her a chapter on Wesley Enoch’s Medea for her edited book Antipodean Antiquities. However, we worked most closely together on professional productions of three Greek plays in my own new translations; Love Magic in 2019, Medea in 2021 and Lysistrata in 2022.
For all three shows I directed and she was the dramaturg. Her presence was invaluable, both when we worked together on finalizing the new translations, and then in the rehearsal room, where her suggestions were always apt and enthusiastically adopted by both me and our actors. All three productions were memorable and well received; Medea and Lysistrata drew very strong performances from every actor, in particular Claudia Bedford in the title roles – Medea of course is one of most demanding female parts in all drama; but Love Magic was particularly special.
I had long believed that three of Theocritus’ Idylls were not just written for reading but for performance; and one in particular, Idyll 2, which comes down to us under the title Pharmakeutria, is a wonderful 15-minute monologue. It depicts a young woman who has been dumped by her lover and uses magic incantations in an attempt to lure him back to her, then recounts her sad story to the watching Moon. It is a demanding piece, with sometimes sudden changes between very contrasted moods, and I was able to cast a fine young actress, Siobhan Caulfield, in the role of Simaitha. Siobhan, Marguerite, and Nicole Kimball – one of her PhD students whose research field was (serendipitously!) magic – formed a close-knit team; and, aided by a grant from the University’s then C21 Research Centre for the Humanities, we staged it at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Newcastle to packed and enthusiastic houses. It reminded audiences of how little the human heart has changed over millennia, and so reaffirmed for a modern society why the ‘classics’ still matter. That belief informed all of Marguerite’s teaching and published work, but it was great to see it embodied in a live performance. We recorded a short promo video, and you may like to watch Marguerite narrating it:
The whole monologue can be seen:
Marguerite attracted a group of no less than around a dozen research students, working on diverse topics; they interacted closely in regular seminars, to the mutual benefit of all. I inherited the principal supervisor role for two of them when she left the University; Connie Skibinski and Alisa Spohr. They are both among the very best RHD students that I have ever supervised since coming to Newcastle in 1973, and it is a mark of Marguerite’s distinction that she should have found and fostered young scholars of such great ability.”
~ Tribute to Marguerite Johnson from Michael Ewans, Honorary Professor of Drama, The University of Newcastle.
“My relationship with Marguerite was brief, complicated, and ultimately life changing. Although I had been long aware of her work due to her reputation in the field, my first encounter with her was during my interview for my position at the University of Newcastle. Her questions to me, to be honest, were adversarial. Not in a cruel way but clearly from the perspective of someone who was protective of her discipline and was sceptical of how a Byzantinist, at the time working at the ANU, would be appropriate for and interested in the position for the long haul.
She later told me outright that I was not her first choice in the shortlisting process, but during the interview I had convinced her that I shared with her a passion for regional education and that she quickly became convinced that I could be a colleague she could work with. Over our two years of working together, she did in fact make me feel like colleague, an equal partner working to rebuild the discipline which she had seen dismantled around her. During this time we bonded over our similar backgrounds. We were both first generation university students from working class backgrounds, not the typical demographic for scholars in our field. We both had a chip on our shoulder, having had to fight uphill battles to be taken seriously and acquire the skills necessary to succeed in an historically elitist field, and had done so with the investment of passionate mentors at regional universities. We both shared a passion for enabling students from the regions to follow a similar path and transform the field to be more equitable and accessible.
Her early retirement in 2024 caught me by surprise. I understood her reasoning, but her loss was felt severely and was overwhelming at the time. Fortunately for me she left a legacy of brilliant and capable former students who embodied the same passion and charisma that enabled us to carry on her legacy and continue to fight for the longevity of the discipline at Newcastle. Dr. Tanika Koosmen was the first to stand in the breach and together we ensured the continuity of teaching and carried on Marguerite’s legacy. When Tanika took on a new position at Macquarie University, a testimony to her talent and Marguerite’s training, another former student of Marguerite, the brilliant and talented Dr. Connie Skibinski came on board. Since then Connie and I have worked together to grow the discipline, providing new opportunities such as study abroad, and expanding our reach and preparing for the eventual restoration of a major. I am sure that Marguerite would be proud of what we’ve accomplished in her absence, in particular the impact of her former students who will continue to carry on her legacy well into the future. Marguerite’s loss will continue to be felt for years to come, but her impact will endure as long as we continue to teach Classics and Ancient History at Newcastle, and continue her vision for transforming the field into one that people of all backgrounds can participate in and enjoy.”
~ Dr Ryan Strickler, Lecturer and Discipline Lead in Ancient History, University of Newcastle.
“I was deeply saddened this week to learn of the sudden death of historian and author, Marguerite Johnson. A brilliant, vibrant woman, Marguerite wrote about the ancient world with verve and insight, applying a feminist lens. We worked together on many articles, from the meaning of witchcraft to the poetry of Sappho.”
~ Suzy Freeman-Greene, Books + Ideas Editor, The Conversation.
“Remembering MMJ
I was both an undergraduate and post-graduate student of Marguerite’s. I first encountered her in 2011, when I took a course in Greek Tragedy. She was an inspiring and engaging lecturer, passionate about the material and in sharing that with her students. I actively sought out her classes during the remainder of my studies.
One of my memorable exchanges with her was when I challenged both the term and the field of ‘Classical Reception’. In my naivety I assumed ‘Classics’ was a sufficient term since as a psychologist I took it for granted that individuals have different interpretations and responses to any inputs. I gradually came to understand that making the ‘reception’ aspect explicit was an important and worthwhile field of study since we all ‘receive’ source material in different ways depending on our prejudices, prior knowledge and intentions. It is perhaps ironic that my eventual Honours project and my proposed PhD are clearly examples of Classical Reception.
I would never have contemplated postgraduate study without Marguerite’s enthusiastic encouragement and support. She went out of her way to facilitate my cross-disciplinary Honours project: an exploration of the Medea myth and colonial Australia psychiatric history which resulted in my writing a play set in a colonial lunatic asylum but inspired by Euripides’ Medea.
I was initially reluctant to embark on a PhD, feeling that as a mature (and long retired) individual I did not want to deprive a younger person the opportunity. But Marguerite practised as well as spoke equal opportunity and I was persuaded that my age was not a barrier. The seminars she organised with her postgraduate students were stimulating and they are one of the significant highlights of my student life, until COVID disrupted them.
My own personal circumstances, combined with Marguerite’s resignation from UoN and her relocation to Lesvos affected my ability to complete that PhD. However, I am still deeply indebted to her for her initial encouragement and support, and for the way in which she stoked my ongoing fascination with and curiosity about the ancient Greek and Roman literary and mythological material – and its reception from ancient to modern times. My writing will continue to be inspired and informed by the work I did with Marguerite.”
~ Ruth McKimmie
“Vale Marguerite Johnson FAHA 1965-2026”
~ Australian Academy of the Humanities
“Professor Marguerite Johnson and her partner, Leni have left our world far too soon, but not without a legacy. Marguerite was a wonderful scholar and an inspirational teacher. She made a massive contribution to the discipline of Classics and the broader community through her vibrant passion for the ancient world itself, and its reception in modern times.
Marguerite’s partner, Leni was a lovely person with kind heart and a clever mind. She was an excellent student, too. She enrolled in my undergraduate course on Alexander the Great – something of an unusual choice, as I think she preferred other subjects to historical ones. But, as she said to me, “Alexander is such a Rock Star, I could not resist!” Perceptive, lady, Leni.
My partner Brian, also professor of Classics and Ancient History died from oesophageal cancer in 2014. I will never forget Marguerite’s kindness during his last months. She would come over to Stockton, and we would go for coffee. I asked Marguerite once if she thought that there was an afterlife.
“Oh, yes” she said without hesitation, “Something survives. Some kind of energy”.
I think of Marguerite and Leni soaring in spirit over the Aegean that they loved so much, Homer’s great “wine dark sea”.
~ Dr Elizabeth Baynham
Great Friend, Champion and Collaborator
Marguerite has been a great friend, champion and academic collaborator of the Auchmuty Library’s Archives Rare Books and Special Collections (and its subsequent incarnations) since the 1990s.
You Are Here Now (2009)
Both Leni and Marguerite were part of the team that brought the 2009 “You Are Here Now” Exhibition to life.
[l-r: Erica Southgate’s costume with Gregg Heathcote, Marguerite Johnson, Leni Johnson during an interview conducted by Maynard at ABC Radio 1233 on the 12th October 2009. For more photos: https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/147]
The exhibition was a great initiative; in the words of one academic it was:
“the first of its kind in Australia for creating awareness about the contribution of the GLBTIQ communities, raising the visibility of our communities at tertiary institutions to foster the virtues of diversity and tolerance as well the recognition that diversity should be valued as a source of strength rather than one of division.”
Leni Speaks
Leni spoke of her life growing up, and meeting the love of her life here at the University of Newcastle
The Classical World in Regional Australia
Her academic work always sought to connect themes of the classical world to our Regions.
Marguerite’s “Sex and Scandal Class” Drive the Creation of the GLAMx Lab
Marguerite was our Academic champion and driving force for the formation of the GLAMx Lab in 2016, following a session of her “Sex and Scandal” Class students asking about working in archives and rare books. Within the week we had an audience with the Vice-Chancellor, and the Lab established by 2017. It has since provided great work-integrated-learning opportunities for students that have flowed from it under the guidance and co-ordination of Dr Ann Hardy.
GLAMx Lab Living Histories Digitisation Lab – engaging tertiary students with university archival collections.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01576895.2018.1467272#d1e99
Marguerite’s Personal Library & Rosaleen Norton Research Papers
The University of Newcastle holds Marguerite’s personal library of magic books in Special Collections, and, in the Archives her research papers relating to the famous “Witch of King’s Cross”, Rosaleen Norton.
Marguerite also appeared in Sonia Bible’s “The Witch of King’s Cross” (filmed 2014 released 2015) Her interview was filmed next to our Rare Book Compactus with the last remnants of the original Auchmuty Library wooden card catalogue in the background!
Leni’s Mardi Gras Dolls Artwork
An artwork created by Leni at the time of the You Are Here Now Exhibition was in honour of the Hunter’s Gay and Lesbian communities’ participation in the Sydney Mardi Gras.
She constructed it out of Kate and Jack’s toy dolls. A major rectification occurred some years ago when she had to swap over Darth Vader’s boots for some Spanish pirate alternatives after one of the kids complained.
The artwork, (originally installed in the Now and Future Room: Installation | The Now and Future Room:… | Flickr) that was left in our care (under pain of death).
We have dusted it off and is in our workspace area behind the glass locked cupboards. Jack and Kate, please let us know your wishes with this original piece. Sincere condolences to you and family.
The Humour of Leni
Leni will always be eternally special for her amazing directness, honesty and great humour. She once gave me the greatest compliment a lesbian such as she, could bestow on a man, such as I; that being “to have my babies”. Why? In exchange for a can of coke one morning during a tortuous meeting on the “You Are Here Now” Exhibition.
The Magical Manuscript (1704)
Prior to Marguerite’s departure from the University in 2022, our final collaboration was an interview regarding the Magical Manuscript (1704). More detail on this work is here: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2025/05/12/magical-manuscript-1704/
Ovid’s Tale of Baucis and Philemon from the Metamorphoses
To end, I will always remember Marguerite’s retelling of the myth of Baucis and Philemon from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
The gods Zeus and Hermes disguised themselves as paupers to test the hospitality of the kingdom of Phrygia. They went door to door, seeking food and shelter, and were rejected by all except for a poor elderly couple; Baucis and Philemon, who gave them all the comforts they possessed. The couple soon came to the realisation that they were in the presence of gods, and begged humility.
The gods thanked them for their generosity but in turn ended up destroying their entire town with a flood. But, as a sign of their appreciation for the old couple, transformed their humble home into a temple, through which they could live out the remainder of their lives.
The gods asked if they have any further wishes. They responded that when it comes time for them to die, they wish to die at the same time, so that they wouldn’t miss one another. Their wish was granted.
We will miss them forever.
Sincerely,
Gionni Di Gravio OAM
University Archivist, and Chair, Hunter Living Histories.
P.S. More on Werplons here:
This is such a beautiful, love filled tribute. I am filled with such sadness at Marguerite’s passing, but this helps me remember her wonderful legacy. She will live on through her work and all the memories of those that she touched 🥲
Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute to these two wonderful people. I am struggling to put it into words, but I am immensely grateful for Marguerite’s generosity and kindness as a supervisor, and her remarkable, bright intelligence and skill as a researcher, teacher, and communicator. The loss of Marguerite and Leni is sorely felt by so many, and I send all of them my love. I will always hold close what I learnt from Marguerite, and work hard to live up to just a small part of her example.
Professor Johnson was a wonderful scholar and her teaching in my first year of university study (and the many years that followed) transformed the trajectory of my life academically and otherwise and turned this Egyptologist into a lover of Classical history, literature and culture.
Through pure love of the discipline of Classics and ancient (and modern) literature, she brought her subjects to life in a way thay few others could, and did not give a damn what others thought.
Vale.
Thank you for this wonderful and insightful tribute to two very special women. I was a fellow -mature age undergraduate student and good friend of Lenis whilst we were doing our BA BTeach Secondary. I was sitting next to her when she first met Marg. I supported Leni through what was an inevitable coming together of these two beautiful soul mates.
I haven’t seen them for a few years but when I did visit them in Newcastle, they were generous and caring and clearly meant to be together. I have many amusing anecdotes but one of the most memorable was dear Marg’s insistence that during those early months it was always Leni doing all the flirting. This was definitely not true!
As an undergraduate, I found Marg to be an inspiring teacher, always willing to help and encourage. Her courses have led to a life long interest in Fairy Tales and their retellings. They loved Kate and Jackson beyond measure. I have a copy of Marg’s ‘Sapho’ with a special inscription that I will always treasure.
I was completely shaken by their sudden and untimely deaths and all my love and heartfelt sympathy are with Kate and Jackson.
VALE Leni and Marg. You will never be forgotten.
Lorraine Hawdon