The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Alice Creswick (née Reid) is best known for her work in the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU) although she was also an important figure in the Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) during World War 2. A woman of considerable energy and acumen, she developed a life-long interest in the area of early childhood development. She was president of the committee of the Lady Northcote Free Kindergarten for ten years (1928-1938) and joined the executive of the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU), becoming president in 1939. In 1940, she was ‘headhunted’ by the Australian Red Cross Society, when they asked her to become its principal commandant. In this capacity, she travelled widely, both inspecting and establishing Red Cross services and activities. She resigned from this position in 1946 and immediately resumed her presidency of the FKU, picking up where she left off as an energetic leader who tirelessly lobbied the government for greater support for pre-school training. Ill health forced her to resign in 1949, but she maintained her interest and activism in the area of early childhood development. She died in 1973, leaving large bequests to the organisations she supported in her lifetime: the FKU, the Australian Red Cross and the Anglican Church.

Events

• 1940 - 1946

  Principal Commandant of Women Personnel for the Australian Red Cross Society

• 1946 - 1949

  Junior Vice Chairman of the Australian Red Cross Society

• 2010

  Married Henry Forbes

• 1928 - 1938

  President of the Lady Northcote Free Kindergarten

• 1939 - 1940

  President of the Free Kindergarten Union

• 1947

  Appointed a dame of grace of the Order of St John

• 1948

  Represented the Australian Red Cross at the Stockholm conference

• 1954

  Represented the Australian Red Cross at the Oslo conference

• 1946 - 2049

  President of the Free Kindergarten Union

• 1947

  Gained State government help for the extension of buildings and facilities at the Kindergarten Training College, Kew

• 1949

  Visited pre-schools in England, France and Sweden

• 2049

  Appointed life vice-president of the Free Kindergarten Union

• 1939

  Foundation vice-president of the Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development (later Australian Pre-School Association)

• 1953

  Established the Colombo Plan pre-school standing committee of the Australian Pre-School Association

• 1955

  Founded the Alice Creswick scholarship fund (later named the Alice Creswick and Sheila Kinpton scholarship)

• 1958

  Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire