The Australian Women's Register

1 hour 48 minutes Heather Crosby, nee Gumley, was born in Oxford, England. Her father’s calling as an Anglican priest took the family first to India and then to Australia. Her Australian-born mother, played a prominent role in the parishes in which they lived, and Heather and her sisters were encouraged to gain tertiary qualifications. Heather came to Adelaide to study social work and married in 1944. She helped her husband establish his general practice in Blair Athol, and they had two daughters. Heather became involved in community work and began her association with the YWCA in 1960. She describes the organisation’s growing political role, professionalisation, and identification with feminism since then. She describes her work as President and Executive Director of the Adelaide YWCA, and as a member of the National Council and the World Executive. She also speaks about changes in her religious beliefs, describing herself as a ‘post-Christian’.