Creswick, Alice Ishbel Hay (1889 - 1973)

Alice Creswick (née Reid) is best known for her work in the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU) although she was also an important figure in the Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) during World War 2. A woman of considerable energy and acumen, she developed a life-long interest in the area of early childhood development. She was president of the committee of the Lady Northcote Free Kindergarten for ten years (1928-1938) and joined the executive of the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU), becoming president in 1939. In 1940, she was ‘headhunted’ by the Australian Red Cross Society, when they asked her to become its principal commandant. In this capacity, she travelled widely, both inspecting and establishing Red Cross services and activities. She resigned from this position in 1946 and immediately resumed her presidency of the FKU, picking up where she left off as an energetic leader who tirelessly lobbied the government for greater support for pre-school training. Ill health forced her to resign in 1949, but she maintained her interest and activism in the area of early childhood development. She died in 1973, leaving large bequests to the organisations she supported in her lifetime: the FKU, the Australian Red Cross and the Anglican Church.

• Reid, Alice (maiden name, 21 September 1889 - 30 November 1910)

Events

30 November 1910	Married Henry Forbes
1928 - 1938	President of the Lady Northcote Free Kindergarten
1939	Foundation vice-president of the Australian Association of Pre-School Child Development (later Australian Pre-School Association)
1939 - 1940	President of the Free Kindergarten Union
1940 - 1946	Principal Commandant of Women Personnel for the Australian Red Cross Society
1946 - April 1949	President of the Free Kindergarten Union
1946 - 1949	Junior Vice Chairman of the Australian Red Cross Society
1947	Gained State government help for the extension of buildings and facilities at the Kindergarten Training College, Kew
1947	Appointed a dame of grace of the Order of St John
1948	Represented the Australian Red Cross at the Stockholm conference
1949	Visited pre-schools in England, France and Sweden
April 1949	Appointed life vice-president of the Free Kindergarten Union
1953	Established the Colombo Plan pre-school standing committee of the Australian Pre-School Association
1954	Represented the Australian Red Cross at the Oslo conference
1955	Founded the Alice Creswick scholarship fund (later named the Alice Creswick and Sheila Kinpton scholarship)
1958	Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Membership

• The Alexandra Club (1903 - )
• Lyceum Club (Melbourne) (1912 - )

Related Corporate Bodies

• Australian Red Cross (1914 - )

  Junior Vice Chairman

  [1946 - 1949]

Book Sections

• Langmore, Diane, 'Creswick, Alice Ishbel Hay', in Ritchie (ed.), Australian Dictionary of biography, vol. 13, Melbourne University Press, Carton, Vic., 1993, pp. 533-534. [ Details... ]

See also

• Alexander, Joseph A (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1950, 14th edn, The Herald, Melbourne, 1950, 816 pp. [ Details... ]