The Australian Women's Register

Suzi Quixley was a feminist activist involved with the Women Against Rape (WAR) Collective in Adelaide, South Australia in 1981-1982.

The International Women’s Day (IWD) Collective is not to be confused with the IWD Committee which was formed in 1938. The IWD Collective was formed by the second wave feminists and was concerned with the IWD March; the festival or picnic after the march and the IWD Dance. They organised themes for the day and speakers. They also produced posters, badges and t-shirts.

Silver Moon has been a political activist since 1968, and was active during the Anti Viet man War Moratoriums and anti apartheid demonstrations in the 1970s. She became active in the women’s movement while still at high school. She has spent her life as a peace and environmental activist and as an anarchist-feminist activist.

Feminist Anti-Nuclear Group (FANG) was formed in November 1982, initially as an organisation which enabled women to demonstrate their solidarity with the women of the Greenham Common Peace Camp.

Central to FANG’s philosophy was a non-hierarchical structure, where women were free to feel empowered and express their desire to work toward the common goals of peace, social justice and a nuclear-free future.

The group organised several actions, including a peace camp at the US Base at Smithfield, and a 2-week vigil in support of the Pine Gap Peace Camp. The group also coordinated women’s only spaces at Roxby Downs actions, as well as information and film nights to educate women about worldwide peace movements and anti-nuclear actions, to educate its members about non-violent direct action techniques.

In 1988 a small group of Adelaide women formed the Women’s Environmental Action Group, to educate people on environmental issues effecting their lives and how they could help change things

Hindmarsh Women’s Community Health Centre was the first women’s health centre in South Australia. The Women’s Liberation Movement recognised the need for a separate women’s health centre from the number of health related calls and personal enquiries it received and lobbied the government for assistance. Funding was granted in 1974 and 6 Mary St, Hindmarsh was officially open in 1976. The Health Centre became a teaching centre for women’s health in late 1975 and produced pamphlets on both general and gynaecological health. The Rape Crisis Centre evolved from the Health Centre.

Funding came through the state government and as a result there were some clashes between the bureaucracy and the feminist executive over how the centre should be run. This was further complicated by the clashing politics of the various feminist groups involved in the centre, which was run by a feminist collective. Conflict with the State Health Department eventually lead to the withdrawal of funding.

After the intervention of the Women’s Adviser to the Premier, who argued the case for the need for specialised women’s health services, the centre was moved to North Adelaide and became Women’s Health Statewide. The Centre then became known as the Welling Place, providing alternative health including a vegetable patch for the community. 6 Mary St was demolished in 1989 to make way for the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Deborah McCulloch was an English teacher and later a lecturer at Salisbury CAE. She had became involved in the women’s movement in 1971. She was a member of Women’s Electoral Lobby (WEL) when it started in South Australia. She was appointed as the first Women’s Adviser to the Premier of South Australia in 1976 by Don Dunstan.

The Office of the Women’s Adviser to the Premier was created in South Australia in 1976. The first Women’s Advisor was Deborah McCulloch. The Office had a broad ambit and was able to provide women’s services and to liaise with other government department on issues that affected women. The Office could comment upon ways to improve legislation and also undertake its own projects.

Vida Lahey began her art studies in Brisbane around 1903, before training at the National Gallery School, Victoria (1905-1906, 1909); she lived in London from 1915, moving to Paris after the war, where she studied at Colarossi’s Academy. She exhibited regularly in Brisbane and Sydney during the 1930s and 1940s, specialising in still lives, interiors and some landscape. Lahey had a strong commitment to the arts, teaching both adult and children’s art classes, and along with Daphne Mayo was heavily involved in raising funds for, and promoting, the Queensland Art Gallery. She served on the gallery’s Art Advisory Committee (1931-37) ‘and often argued for a proper purchasing policy and a qualified full-time director – which occurred only in 1949’. She was commissioned by the Gallery to write Art in Queensland 1859-1959 which was published in 1959 and remains ‘a basic text for Queensland art history’. According to Nancy Underhill, Lahey’s main contribution was ‘to encourage excellence and public involvement in the visual arts, especially in Queensland, and to serve as a point of contact between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne'(Heritage). Vida Lahey was appointed to The Order of the British Empire – Member (Civil), 1 January 1958, for services to art in Queensland. Her painting ‘Beach Umbrellas’ was featured on the 1996 $1.20 stamp for Australia Day.

Elsie Dalyell was born on 13 December 1881, the second daughter of James Melville and Jean (née McGregor) Dalyell. After being educated at Sydney Girl’s High School, in 1897 she became a pupil-teacher with the Department of Public Instruction. In 1904, sponsored by the department, Elsie Dalyell commenced an arts and science degree at the University of Sydney. She resigned as a teacher in 1905 and transferred to second year medicine. After graduating with first-class honours, Elsie Dalyell became a medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Hazel Claire Weekes (Claire), zoologist and physician, was born on 11 April 1903 at Paddington, Sydney, eldest of four children of Sydney-born parents Ralph Weekes, musician, and his wife Fanny Florence, née Newland. A brilliant student, she was the first woman to receive a doctorate of science from the University of Sydney. She was a Macleay fellow of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in 1927-29 and 1932-34.

Weekes was well known abroad, particularly for her major contributions in the field of psychiatry. Applying kindness, understanding and common sense to the treatment of neuroses, she was always available to her patients. In demand as a public speaker on anxiety, she broadcast on radio and appeared on television while in England. Her methods, which involved accepting symptoms and ‘floating’, were more highly regarded by her patients than by her colleagues, but many of them are now incorporated into the management of anxiety.

Margaret Stones was one of Australia’s foremost botanical artists. She undertook professional art training at Swinburne Technical College and the National Gallery of Victoria Art School in the 1940s. At the invitation of John Stewart Turner, Stones attended lectures and demonstrations in the School of Botany at the University of Melbourne, and joined their summer expeditions to the Bogong High Plains, 1948-1950. In 1951 she left Australia for London to further her botanical knowledge, working independently for the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and other botanical institutions for more than 30 years. From 1958 she was the principal contributing artist to Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, producing more than 400 watercolours. Her most important project during the 1960s and 1970s was the illustrations for The Endemic Flora of Tasmania, and from 1975 her work on the Flora of Louisiana project. Commenting on Margaret Stones’s botanical knowledge and experience, Tasmanian botanist Dr Winifrid Curtis ‘recalled that Stones never needed to be told, but invariably knew, which sections to draw in order to facilitate correct taxonomical classification’. A genus has been named after her, Stonesia and a Tasmanian species, Stonesiella.

Constance Muriel Davey, psychologist, was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 1 January 1955 for education. Davey’s special interest was ‘mental efficiency and deficiency’ in children, on which she completed a doctorate at the University of London in 1924. Davey was the first psychologist in the South Australian Education Department, with responsibility for all services for special needs children. Davey also taught at the University of Adelaide and helped establish the social work course at that institution. She was a member of the League of Women Voters, president from 1943-1947, and was elected a Fellow of the British Psychological Society in 1950. Her study, Children and their law-makers, was published in 1956.

Adelaide Laetitia Miethke began training as a teacher in 1899, and soon became active in women teachers’ and union affairs. She was the first woman vice-president of the South Australian Public School Teacher’s Union in 1916, and in 1924 gained both her Arts degree and her position as the first female inspector of high schools. She was South Australian state president of the National Council of Women from 1934, and national president, 1936-1942. Miethke was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 1 February 1937 for her role as President of the South Australian Women’s Centenary Council, particularly in organising the Pageant of Empire on 27-28 November 1936. Miethke went on to work with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and establish the School of the Air for outback children.

Lady Marie Cowley was president of the Soldiers Comforts Fund, which combined a large number of Funds raised by Corps and Regiments for sending comforts to soldiers from Queensland during the First World War. She was appointed OBE – Officer of the Order of the British Empire – 19 October 1920 for her work as President of the Soldiers Comforts Fund.

Fanny Kate Boadicea Cocks was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 3 June 1935 for her role as ‘Principal of the Women’s Police’ in South Australia. According to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Cocks began her career as a schoolmistress and sub-matron before entering the State Children’s Council (South Australia) and being appointed as the State’s first probation officer for juvenile first offenders. In 1915 Cocks became South Australia’s first woman police constable. She was concerned with issues such as adolescent sexuality and alcoholism, prostitution, domestic violence and self-defence. Her care for homeless girls led to her involvement in the Methodist Women’s Welfare Department as a volunteer superintendent for fifteen years after her retirement in 1935. She made a bequest to the Methodist home for babies, which was later re-named the Kate Cocks Babies Home.

Edith Wassell was a travelling organiser, as well as Assistant Secretary, of the Red Cross in Queensland. On the resignation of the Secretary in 1918, Edith Wassell took her place. She was appointed as Member of the Order of the British Empire, 19 October 1920, for her services to the Red Cross in Queensland.

Margaret Graham began work at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1891, becoming a charge nurse in 1894, holding this position until her dismissal in 1895 for alleged insubordination (see the Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9). Graham was eventually reinstated in 1896 after a Royal Commission into the management of the hospital. Graham was a foundation member of the South Australian Branch of the Royal British Nurses’ Association and its ‘elected lady counsel’ from 1900-1920. In 1914 she became the first lady superintendent of the Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS), and was one of the first three nurses to leave Australia on active service for the AANS, Australian Imperial Force. For her role as matron with the AANS, Graham was awarded the Royal Red Cross (1 January 1917).

Ethel Crowther was a member of the Central Executive of the Red Cross. She was appointed as Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to the Red Cross in Queensland, 19 October 1920.

Imogen Whyse was an actress and poet who founded the Poetry Society of Australia in 1954.

Gertrude Swindells was awarded the Imperial Service Medal in recognition of her work as Supervisor in the Taxation Department, 19 November 1954. In February 1911 she was appointed Typist in the Land Tax Branch, Victoria and transferred to the Administrative staff in 1921. During the Second World War she performed clerical duties. From 1951 until her retirement in 1953 she undertook the duties of Supervisor (Female) in the Staff Section of the Central Taxation Office, Melbourne. ‘Miss Swindells has been a very competent and conscientious officer, having a particularly good influence on the female staff of the Department. Through her special efforts very urgent work was completed always according to programme. Throughout her career she demonstrated marked co-operation with the Executive and received special commendations in 1930 and 1941 for excellent services rendered.’

Lady Emily Scott was the second wife of historian Sir Ernest Scott. She was a very competent musician and writer who wrote a regular music column for the Triad.

Florence Potter served as a Typist in the Adjutant-General’s Branch of the Department of Army, Melbourne (1915-1938). From 1938 she served as Typist-in Charge of the Branch, retiring in October 1952. She was awarded the Imperial Service Medal 19 November 1954 in recognition of her work as Typist-in-Charge in the Army Department.

Florence was born Florence Mary (not Florence May, as stated in her honours citation) to William Henry Potter and Mary Markham in Geelong in 1887.

Ada Smith was appointed Typist in the Land Tax Branch, Brisbane in November 1911. She worked in various other positions, including Confidential Typist to the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation, Central Office, Melbourne (1921-1924) and Personal Typist to State Commissioner of Taxes, Queensland (1924-1942), retiring in December 1954. In recognition of her work in the Taxation Office she was awarded the Imperial Service Medal, 29 March 1955.

Kathleen Nowland began work as Staff Nurse at the No.4 Australian General Hospital (Prince of Wales) in June 1919. In 1924 she was appointed Staff Nurse at the Repatriation General Hospital, “Rosemount”, Windsor, Queensland and was later promoted to the position of Senior Sister. Other positions held by her included Matron, Repatriation Sanatorium, Edward Millen Home, Western Australia (1938-1942); Matron, Lady Davidson Home, Turramurra (1942-1948); Matron, Prince of Wales Hospital (1948-1950) and Matron, Repatriation Sanatorium, Lady Davidson Home (1950-1954). She was awarded the Imperial Service Medal in recognition of her work as Matron, Lady Davidson Repatriation Hospital, 1 March 1955. She died on her 92nd birthday.

Gwen Stark gained her pilot’s licence shortly before the outbreak of World War II and was one of the first women appointed to a position in the Women’s Australian Auxiliary Air Force. She served in the first instance as assistant section officer and later as recruiting officer for New South Wales. Before the war, she was active in the Australian Women’s Flying Club, which became the New South Wales branch of the Women’s Air Training Corps, and was its commandant in 1940. After World War II she went to Europe and worked with the Berlin Air Lift at a Royal Air Force station in Germany for several months. In 1964 she became the federal president of the Australian Women’s Pilots’ Association and was appointed to the Order of the British Empire on 8 June 1968 for her services to aviation.

Hilma Cranley was an active member of the Victorian Teachers’ Union throughout her teaching career, attaining the position of female vice-president in 1961. A leading personality in the struggle for equal pay and equal opportunity for women teachers in Victoria, she became the first woman chairman of the Council of Adult Education. In recognition of her services to education she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1970.