Christie, Joan Lora | AWR

Summary

Joan Christie was promoted to the rank of Major during the Second World War. In 1943 she worked in New Guinea supervising members of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service.

Joan is acknowledged as the driving force behind the establishment of both the Orana Community TAFE College and the Dubbo campus of Charles Sturt University.

Details

Major Joan Christie was selected to act as an Assistant Commandant to go to the Middle East with a second draft of Voluntary Aids in 1941. The operation was cancelled due to Japanese military activity in the South West Pacific area.

Based at 113 Australian General Hospital as a Company Commander Joan Christie became a full-time Voluntary Aid in November 1941. She transferred to the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service ( A.A.M.W.S.) when it was formed in December 1942, and was promoted to the rank of Major on the 1st March 1943. That same month she was appointed Deputy to Lt Col. Kathleen Best who was, at the time, the Adjutant-General of the Women’s Services.

Having relinquished her command at 113 A.G.H. in March 1943, Major Christie went to New Guinea in charge of the first draft of A.A.M.W.S. in December 1943, and shortly after her arrival she was appointed Assistant Controller, South West Pacific Area. She was responsible for over 400 women in the Pacific region.

When she returned from New Guinea in 1944 Major Christie resumed her command at 113 A.G.H. In May 1946 she represented the A.A.M.W.S. as part of the Australian contingent in the Victory Pageant.

She married in 1947 and raised four children, along with having an active life in the local community, serving as a local councillor. She was a great supporter of adult education and the Technical and Further Education system.

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Events

1966 - 1980
Co-founder and Chairperson, Dubbo Educational Association
1972
Member, National Urban & Regional Development Authority | Cities Commission
1968 - 1980
Inaugural Member, Council of Mitchell College of Advanced Education
1971 - 1977
Alderman, Dubbo City Council
1973 - 1974
Member, Open University Committee – Karmel Report
1974 - 1980
Deputy Chair, Management Board, Orana Educational Association
1975 - 1977
Member, Macquarie Regional Library Committee
1975 - 1979
Member, Board of Continuing Education, University of New England
1978 - 1983
Member, TAFE Council NSW
1979 - 1983
Member, Board of Adult Education NSW
1984
‘Joan Flint Park’ (adjacent to Dubbo TAFE College) named by Dubbo City Council
1989
Awarded the Inaugural National TAFE Gold Medal | Mayoral Civic Reception, Dubbo
1990
Joan Flint Building’ – Opening at Orana Community College, Dubbo campus
1994
Awarded Doctorate of the University (honoris causa), Charles Sturt University
2001
Died in Dubbo
1972 - 1979
Deputy Chairperson, Council of Mitchell College of Advanced Education
1979
Chairperson, Council of Mitchell College of Advanced Education
1918
Born to Wilfred and Beatrix Christie in Dubbo
1934 - 1935
Captain of Coolabah House, Dubbo High School
1935
Captain and Dux of Dubbo High School
1940
Ladies Doubles Hardcourt Tennis Champion, NSW
1939 - 1940
Co-founder and Commandant, Dubbo Voluntary Aid Detachment, No. 226
1941 - 1942
Officer-in-Charge, Australian Army Medical Womens Service, 113 AGH
1943
Aide-de-Camp to Lady Zara Gowrie, wife of Govenor General of Australia
1943
Officer-In-Charge, AAMWS, New Guinea force
1943
Assistant Controller, AAMWS, South West Pacific Area
1943
Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, Women’s Service, Australian Army
1944
Officer-In-Charge, AAMWS 113 AGH Concord Repatriation Hospital
1946
Representative AAMWS Officer, London Victory March, June 1946
1947
Married Robert Ellice-Flint, St Andew’s Presbyterian Church Dubbo
1947 - 2001
Mother of four boys – Gordon ’47-, Ken ’49-’52, Wilfred ’53-, David ’55-’79
1965 - 1980
Member, Dubbo Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Committee
1980 - 1983
Chairperson, Orana Community College Council
1984
Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia – for services to Education & Community

Archival resources

Australian War Memorial, Research Centre
- Honours and Awards - Recommendations for New Year Honours List 1946
- Lieutenant G. Mainwaring, war artist, painting Major Joan Christie, AWAS, on board HMAS Shropshire
- Swimming carnival
- Members of the Australian Victory Contingent on a visit to Berlin, in front of Frederick the Great's Palace, 'Sans Souci', Potsdam
- Members of the Australian Victory Contingent on a visit to Berlin
- Winners of the nurses and Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS) championships chat together after their victories
- Squadron Officer Doris Carter, Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force; Squadron Leader P. Swan DFC; Flight Lieutenant J. Hooke DFC, RAAF, and Major Joan L. Christie of the Australian Army Medical Women's Service
National Archives of Australia, National Office, Canberra
- CHRISTIE JOAN LORA : Service Number - NX76591 : Date of birth - 04 Nov 1918 : Place of birth - DUBBO NSW : Place of enlistment - NSW : Next of Kin - CHRISTIE WILFRED
National Archives of Australia, Melbourne Office
- Army Medical & Dental Corps. Nurses and Specialists [Applications for a Commission in the A.A.M.C. Voluntary Aid Detachments (V.A.D.)] - J L Christie [Box 69]

Published resources

Resource Section
- CHRISTIE, JOAN LORA, Department of Veterans' Affairs, 2002, http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=186379
Edited Book
- Who's Who in Australia, 1947, Chisholm, Alec H, 1947
Book
- From blue to khaki: The enlisted voluntary aids and others who became members of the Australian Army Medical Women's Service and served from 19421-1951, Mount-Batten, Betty J, 1995
Resource
- Trove: Christie, Joan Lora (1918-), http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-771098

Related entries

Related Organisations
- Australian Army Medical Women's Service (AAMWS) (1942 - 1951)
- Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD) (1914 - )