The Australian Women's Register

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.

Margaret Raphael undertook her medical training at the University of Sydney, graduating MB BS in 1940. She was honorary clinical assistant in Gynaecology at the Rachel Forster Hospital, Sydney from 1967 to 1969. Her publications in the Medical Journal of Australia include “Evaluation of a preparation for childbirth programme” (May 1966) and “A cancer detection service for working women” (January 1967). She was appointed OBE – Officer of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 31 December 1982 for medicine and health care (as Mrs Burlace).

Lottie Sharfstein was educated at the University of Sydney, graduating MB ChM in 1918. She was a resident medical officer, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney in 1918 and joined the New South Wales Public Service in 1922. She was medical officer, Newington State Hospital and Home, Sydney from 1924 to 1949 and deputy medical superintendent there from 1949 to 1962. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 13 June 1964 for medicine.

Una Shergold was educated at the University of Melbourne, graduating MB BS in 1939. She was resident medical officer at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne in 1940 and at the Children’s Hospital, Melbourne from 1941 to 1942. From 1951 to 1967 she worked at the General Clinic of the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. Sometime patron of Cystic Fibrosis Victoria, her contribution to children’s health earned her a place on an honour roll of 250 significant Australian women from the past and present that was read out in Victoria’s Parliament House on 7 May 2001. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 31 December 1980 for medicine (as Mrs O’Day).

Beryl Splatt was educated at the University of Melbourne, where she was awarded an MSc. A Carnegie Grant enabled her to undertake postgraduate study at Middlesex Hospital, London in 1938. She worked as a biochemist and metabolist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from 1923 to 1964 and also demonstrated in clinical biochemistry at the University of Melbourne from 1940 to 1961. She served as a committee member on the Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service 1940-1960, as a member of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School 1957-1961 and as the first president of the Association of Hospital Scientists of Victoria. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 1 January 1965 for her work in the Biochemistry Department at Melbourne Hospital.

Nanette Waddy was educated at the University of Sydney, graduating MB BS in 1941. In 1942 she was resident medical officer at the Tamworth Base Hospital, New South Wales. She served as a Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force from 1942 to 1947 and later became a medical officer at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, New South Wales. She also served as a medical member of the Northern Territory Mental Health Review Tribunal. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 31 December 1977 for her services to medicine.

Ellen Wilson, who practiced under her maiden name Hughes, completed her medical training at the University of Melbourne, graduating MB BS in 1917. After two years at the Hospital for Sick Children, Brisbane she became a Consulting Physician at the Armidale and New England Hospital, New South Wales. Her publications in the Medical Journal of Australia include “Syphilis in children” (October 1919) and “The role of the private practitioner in the prevention of disease” (May 1967). She served as a Justice of the Peace and was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 1 January 1968 for medicine.

Olivia Newton-John has had a successful international singing and acting career which has spanned more than thirty years. Some of her well-known songs include ‘Let Me Be There’ (1973), ‘I Honestly Love You’ (1974), ‘Physical’ (1981). Albums include Main Event (Anthony Warlow and John Farnham) 1998. She starred in the films Grease 1978, Xanadu 1980 and Two of a Kind. She established the business Koala Blue in 1986 with a long time friend, Pat Farrar, but it collapsed in 1992, the same year in which she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She overcame the disease and continues to support cancer research and is committed to environmental causes. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 30 December 1978 for services to the performing Arts.

Marilyn Jones has been described as ‘the greatest classical dancer Australia has produced’. She studied at the London Royal Ballet School and danced with the Royal Ballet from 1957-1958 before joining the Australian Ballet on its formation in 1962. In 1963 she married fellow principal dancer Garth Welch and they had two sons, Stanton and Damien, who also became dancers. She danced with the Australian Ballet until 1978, when she took up the position of artistic director of the Company from 1979 until 1982. In 1991 she founded the Australian Institute of Classical Dance and became its artistic director. Other appointments have included director of the National Theatre Youth Ballet from 1996-1998 and director of the National Theatre Ballet School, Melbourne, from 1995-1998. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1972 for her services to Australian ballet.

The AIF Women’s Association was established in 1940, by the wives of six service officers. The main purpose was to bring together, in fellowship and understanding, the womenfolk of the men on active service so that they could help each other in time of need. The Melbourne City Council provided rent-free premises at 437, and later 435A, Collins Street Melbourne. Here the women could seek assistance or advice, have a cup of tea or leave a child while attending the doctor, dentist or an urgent appointment.

Margaret Warby was awarded the Queen’s Gallantry medal for bravery during the Granville train crash. The accident occurred on 18 January 1977, when a morning commuter train from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales derailed, bringing down a road bridge on to several carriages, with 83 people killed and 213 injured.

Norma Parker taught social work at both Sydney University and the University of New South Wales. She was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters from Sydney University, and was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 3 June 1972, for education and child welfare. The Norma Parker Correctional Centre for Women at Paramatta, New South Wales, is named after her.

Elaine Armstrong was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for gallantry in the West Gate Bridge Disaster, Melbourne, 31 December 1971. A section of the bridge collapsed on 15 October 1970 when it was under construction, killing 31 people.

Amy Grace Wheaton was appointed as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 8 June 1939 for her work as Director of the South Australian Board of Social Studies.

Anna Maria Cliffe was appointed as Female Warder of Adelaide Gaol in December 1877. In 1885 she was promoted to Matron, retiring in 1919. She was awarded the Imperial Service Medal in recognition of ‘long, faithful and meritorious service, extending over a period of forty-one years’ at the Adelaide Gaol, 28 May 1920.

Jean Watson was awarded a British Empire Medal (The Order of the British Empire, Civil) for service to the community on the Queen’s Birthday List, 1979. Watson was a member of the Society of Australian Genealogists for 35 years, refusing any sort of remuneration for her voluntary service. She worked in various capacities, including honorary secretary for 15 years and later, council vice-president and vice-patron. Watson was also employed for 38 years at the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, beginning as a typist and retiring as head of personnel. She participated in the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Sydney, and was a member of the Royal Australian Historical Society, The National Trust (New South Wales), the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Garden Club of Australia.

Katherine Carter was educated at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a BA. She held senior positions on the staff of Clyde Girls’ School, Woodend and the Methodist Ladies’ College, Hawthorn and was for a short time headmistress of St Mary’s Church of England School for Girls, Perth. In 1948 she was appointed headmistress of Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School, where she was to remain until her retirement in 1964. During that time her innovations included the introduction of the house system, the formation of the Parents’ and Friends’ Association, debating and hockey. She also enjoyed writing plays and wrote a new play each year to be performed by the girls as part of the Christmas festivities. This later developed into an annual Inter-House Drama Competition, with an award of the Katherine Carter Drama Trophy for Best Production. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 12 June 1965, for her contribution to education in Queensland as Headmistress – Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School.

Nancy Cook (née Atkinson) was educated at the University of Melbourne, graduating BSc in 1931 and MSc in 1932. She worked as a research scholar and demonstrator in the Department of Bacteriology in Melbourne 1932-1937. In 1937 she moved to the South Australian Government Laboratory of Pathology and Bacteriology (which was incorporated into the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science in 1938), remaining there till 1951. In 1939 she was appointed lecturer in bacteriology at the University of Adelaide, becoming lecturer-in-charge in 1942 and reader-in-charge of Bacteriology in 1952, when she also became full-time at the University. In 1960 she was appointed reader in industrial microbiology and in 1967 moved to the Department of Oral Biology as reader in oral microbiology, retiring in 1975. She was president of the Australian Society for Microbiology 1962-6194. One of her research interests was salmonella and antibiotics. She was appointed Officer of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) on 1 January 1951 for her work in the Department of Bacteriology at the University of Adelaide.

Outside of science, Nancy Atkinson had an interest in the wine industry and South Australian artists: she and her husband established Chalk Hill winery in McLaren Vale and wrote two art books (under the name of Benko): Art and Artists of South Australia and The Art of David Boyd.

Minard Crommelin, generally known as “Crommy”, was educated at Sydney Church of England Girls’ Grammar School at Darlinghurst. She began work at fourteen as an unpaid assistant to the postmistress at Mittagong and eventually became an official member of the Postal Service. She worked as a postmistress for over 25 years and was one of the early operators of the “Morse Telegraph Key”. She was the first postmistress at Woy Woy (1906-1910) and it was during this period that she grew to love the bush of the New South Wales central coast area. After her retirement in the mid 1930s she visited England and Europe, contacting many conservation and natural history societies (she was a member of 154 of them). On her return to Australia she bought seven acres of land at Pearl Beach, which she donated to the University of Sydney in 1946 to establish the Crommelin Biological Field Station, known as Warrah. She continued to be interested and active in nature conservation and from 1960 onwards donated a total of $17,768 to the Australian Academy of Science, some of which still exists as the Crommelin Conservation Fund. A road in Campbelltown has been named in her honour. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 1 January 1959 for flora and fauna.

Thalia Kennedy was educated at the University of Queensland, majoring in english, history and latin, and winning a University Blue for hockey. She joined the staff of the Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School in January 1942, as an english and history teacher, later being promoted to Deputy Principal and serving as Principal from 1965 to 1981. She introduced Thursday afternoon activities and computer education and appointed a student counsellor. In 1982 the Thalia Kennedy Centre was opened at the school. She was appointed MBE – Member of The Order of the British Empire (Civil) – 13 June 1981 for services to education and the community.

Doris Officer was educated at the School of Medicine for Women, Royal Free Hospital, London, graduating with an MB BS. She was also a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and a licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians. She was clinical assistant in children’s outpatients, Queen Victoria Hospital, Melbourne 1930-1947 and medical officer, Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria from 1941. Other activities included lecturer in infant feeding and management, St George’s Hospital, Melbourne 1941-1946, honorary secretary, Victorian Baby Health Centres Association from 1937, Government nominee to the Board of Management, Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, Melbourne from 1941, a committee member for the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Associated Hospitals School of Nursing and chairman of the Hospital and Charities Waste Paper Appeal in 1957. During World War II she served for three years as honorary medical officer to the Red Cross Blood Bank, Melbourne and three years as medical officer to the Australian Women’s Recruiting Depot, Melbourne. She was appointed OBE – Officer of The Order of the British Empire – 13 June 1959 as medical officer, Victoria Free Kindergarten Union.

Ursula Hoff, a distinguished art historian and critic, was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970 for her work as assistant director of the National Gallery of Victoria. Educated in Hamburg where she gained a PhD, Munich and London, she arrived in Melbourne in 1939 to take up a position as secretary to the Women’s College at the University of Melbourne. During her long career she lectured in Fine Arts at the University of Melbourne and worked at the National Gallery of Victoria, becoming its assistant director from 1968-1973. She became the London Advisor to the Felton Bequest from 1975-1983 and has been senior associate, fine arts at the University of Melbourne since 1985. Other appointments included foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1970 and member of the Council of the National Library of Australia. She published many books, a selection of which are listed in the Published Sources section.

Marilyn Rowe, the first graduate of the Australian Ballet School to be appointed its director in 1999, was recruited into the Australian Ballet Company in 1965 after completing the course in 1964. She was a principal artist with the Australian Ballet and later became ballet director, deputy artistic director and in 1984 director of the Dancers Company, a post she held until 1990. She has been on the Board of the Australian Ballet since 1994. She has directed and coached many of the leading dancers of the Australian Ballet and has produced and directed major contemporary and classical works. Other positions include that of Life Governor of the Berry St Child and Family Care since 1985. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1979 for her services to ballet in Australia.

Ruth Molphy, who completed her medical training in Brisbane and England, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to medicine on 20 June 1987. She distinguished herself in the field of anaesthetics and medical administration at the Royal Brisbane Hospital and the Prince Charles Hospital Brisbane.

Freda Thompson, a pioneer aviator, was the first Australian woman to fly solo from the United Kingdom to Australia. She completed the journey in a Gypsy Moth Major in 39 days flying time. After qualifying for her private pilot licence in 1930 and her commercial licence two years later in 1932, she became the first woman instructor in the British Empire on gaining her instructor rating in 1933. Finally, in 1934 she obtained the Great Britain Air Ministry Private Pilot Certificate, which enabled her to ‘fly all types of machines’. During the 1930s she became the first woman president of the Royal Victorian Aero Club and was made a life member in 1941. She was a foundation member of the Australian Women Pilots’ Association. Thompson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1972 for services to aviation.

Margaret McClelland pursued a successful career as an anaesthetist in Melbourne after qualifying in her specialty in London in 1942. She completed her initial medical training at the University of Melbourne in 1931 and took up an appointment as resident medical officer from 1932-1933 and later, medical superintendent, from 1934 at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, Melbourne. From there she moved to Sydney in 1936 to assume the position of medical superintendent at the Prince Henry Hospital. During World War II she worked as senior anaesthetist at the Central Middlesex Hospital London from 1941-1946 and returned to Melbourne to work as anaesthetist at the Royal Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospitals. In 1955 she took up the appointment of director of anaesthetics at the Royal Children’s Hospital. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire on 31 December 1979 for her services to medicine.

Kathleen Gorham began her classical dancing career with the Borovansky Ballet at the age of fifteen, retaining her association with the Ballet until it finally disbanded in 1960 on the death of Borovansky. She danced with other companies in Paris and London, and in 1962 Kathleen Gorham became prima ballerina of the newly formed Australian Ballet Company. She played an important role in the artistic development of a recognisably Australian ballet company and danced new roles in association with Robert Helpmann. She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1968 for her services to ballet. Retiring from dancing after the Australian Ballet’s first overseas tour in 1966, she taught ballet in Melbourne and Southport, Queensland before her death in 1983 at a relatively young age.