Kathleen Mary Burrow MBE (1899 - 1987) was an Australian physiotherapist, businesswoman and Catholic lay leader.
Burrow was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1956, and was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal in 1977.
[1] Burrow began her career as a physical culture teacher in North Sydney's Girls' High School.
[1] Among other events, Burrow oversaw the performance of a "Living Rosary" display, which was part of the Archdiocese of Sydney's Catholic celebrations for the Commonwealth Jubilee held in April 1951;[6][1][7] the "Living Rosary" pageant featured five thousand children performing "Five Mediations"[6] In addition to planning this event, Burrow also served as a lay representative on the Archdiocese's Jubilee planning committee.
[8] In addition to her professional life as a business owner and teacher, Burrows was an active leader in Catholic women's organizations.
[1] During this time, Burrow led efforts to increase Catholic women's participation in civic organizations and governmental boards.
[15] This was the annual convention of the National Council of Negro Women, and at the same 1957 conference, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the keynote speakers.
[1] Burrow was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire on 2 January 1956, as part of the New Year Honours.
[1] In 1931, Burrow donated funds to the Catholic Women's Society at Sydney University for an annual prize on a paper on the theme of "The Sacraments as a means of Grace."
[19] A Kathleen Burrow Research Institute has been established in the Catholic Schools New South Wales (NSW).
The institute website states that it "conducts and publishes research on contemporary issues in school education".
[3] In 2021, Anthony Fisher, Archbishop of Sydney, gave the inaugural Kathleen Burrow Research Institute Lecture.