The Australian Women's Register

Daughter of medical missionaries, Louise Joy completed her tertiary education at the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor Arts (Honours) in History and a Diploma in Social Studies.

At the conclusion of her Social Work studies at the University of Melbourne, Louise did her final three months Social Work placement at the Mental Health Centre CMC Vellore, South India. Louise and her husband Stewart, took their four children to India, spending time at Vellore and other scenes of her childhood.

In her Social Work life Louise worked in hospitals and family support agencies in Melbourne and London. As a Social Worker from 1952-62 she worked with women who attempted suicide at the Alfred Hospital. After her marriage in the early 1960s she worked in Central London hospitals with single, pregnant women while her husband was based in the United Kingdom.

She served on the Doncaster and Templestowe Council from 1990-94 after a period of establishing community services in Warrandyte. During the 1990s she spent ten years working for the Caroline Chisholm Society Pregnancy and Family Support which assisted women and young families in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

In her community life Louise was a Local Government Councilor and started a range of groups in Warrandyte through a Coop. Louise has always been active in recruiting people for Vellore Dinners. She joined the committee Friends of Vellore Victoria in the late 1990s holding several positions including Secretary.