The Australian Women's Register

Born at Point Pass in 1901, Jessie March was educated at Adelaide High School and Teachers Training College. She joined the New Britain Methodist Mission in 1925, becoming principal of Vunairima Girls School in 1939. In 1940 she was a governess at Brachina Station in the Flinders Ranges. She was also a Croker Island Methodist Mission teacher in 1941 before being evacuated in 1942. After the war she taught in state government schools before returning to New Britain in 1967. She moved to Papua New Guinea’s eastern highlands in 1971 to translate bibles. Her life and work have been commemorated by the Jessie March Library at George Brown High School, New Britain.

The daughter of Edward and Amy (née Thiselton) Dolling, Alison Dolling was born in St Peters and grew up in Tranmere, South Australia. She was educated at Ellerslie College, Tranmere, and Methodist Ladies College, Wayville, before studying at the universities of Adelaide, Washington, Seattle, Berkeley and King’s College, London. Returning to Australia she taught in both South Australia and New South Wales, including ex-servicemen after World War II. Dolling joined the Chronicle newspaper as the editor of the Women’s Pages and was unemployed after the Chronicle closed down. Her publications include Chronicle cameos and a district history of Marion. She completed research on John Harvey and the Spoehr family, as well as being involved with family history and German ancestry. She also worked on the book South Australian Women Artists by Shirley Cameron Wilson. Dolling’s special interests included Australian history, especially early architecture, literature and art.

Kemeri Murray attended Adelaide University, graduating in 1953 in Law and 1954 in Arts. She studied piano under Raymond O’Connell while doing articles at Vaughan, Porter and English, a well known South Australian Law firm. After being admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of South Australia she transferred to Brian Magarey and was offered a partnership, making her the first married woman to be offered a partnership in South Australia. In 1973 she was offered a position on the Bench with the District Court of South Australia, thus becoming the second woman judge in South Australia. A member of the Flinders University Council, in 1978 she was appointed to the Advisory Council for Inter-Government Relations.

Dr Mildred Mocatta, a diagnostician, conducted a practice in Adelaide.

The daughter of Archibald and Seca (née Lewin) Somerville, Dorothy Somerville was educated at Brownhill Creek School in Mitcham, the Methodists Ladies College (now Annesley College) and the Adelaide Law School. She was the third woman admitted to practice law in South Australia in 1922. Mary Kitson, the first woman admitted to the Bar, joined with Somerville in 1925 to form Australia’s first women’s legal partnership: Kitson & Somerville. Kitson later went to Sydney to work in publishing, and in 1950 she moved to New York to take charge of the United Nations affairs on the Status of Women. Somerville, who continued with the legal practice, became an honorary solicitor to a number of women’s organisations.

Patience Howard moved around a lot during her childhood. As a small child, she lived in Central South Australia at Bungaree. She was educated at Miss Dow’s boarding school at Glenelg, 1912 at “The Hermitage” in Victoria, and from 1914 at Frensham’s Girls’ school in New South Wales. Later she attended Bedford College in London to study history. During the 1920s she went to an International Students’ conference in Prague before returning to Adelaide in 1924. Howard became a teacher at Woodlands and then Girton Girls’ School in Adelaide. Here she met Mabel Hardy and together they established the Stawell School at Mt Lofty. In 1928 she married Roy Howard. Following his death she and her children moved to Bungaree and then Kensington Park. A member of the Lyceum Club and the Labor Party she also spent time working with meals on wheels.

Dr Marjorie Casley-Smith was educated at the Methodist Ladies’ College (now Annesley College in Adelaide). Upon finishing she spent two years at home learning music and the domestic arts before studying medicine. Following graduation, in 1927, she went to the Royal Adelaide Hospital as House Surgeon under Dr Sleeman. She completed obstetrics at Adelaide’s Queen Victoria Hospital. In 1930 she married Roy Frisby Smith, a lawyer. After her husband’s death, in 1938, she returned to work at the School Medical Health Service. Casley-Smith became Vice President of the National Council of Women of South Australia. She became convenor of Health for SA and Australian Convenor of Health. Dr Casley-Smith started the Marriage Guidance Council, was active in the Asthma Association, and the Mental Health Association. She was involved with music and was an early member of the Lyceum Club.

Anne Stanton was born in Adelaide and educated at the St Peter’s Girls’ School. On leaving school she attended the Conservatorium of Music and then joined the School of Social Studies. Her first job was with the Probation Branch of the Sheriff’s Gaols and Prisons Department. Stanton later became a senior social worker for the Crippled Children’s Association. As Vice-President of the Muscular Dystrophy Association she completed many country visits and with Adelaide Legacy she helped set up holiday camps for children. Stanton was involved with the National Trust, Friends of the Gallery, opera, theatre and the Lyceum Club. On 6 June 1978 Stanton was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australian for her work with crippled children.

Roxy Byrne was born in South Australia in 1912 and attended school in Adelaide. From 1922 to 1929 she attended the Methodist Ladies College (now Annesley College) where she developed her love of the theatre, as well as her skill in hockey. An excellent student (she was dux of the school in her final year) she went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Adelaide University in 1933, majoring in Botany and French. After graduation she joined the Adelaide Repertory Theatre, becoming a leading actress who played a variety of outstanding roles for a period of 40 years. She was active in a number of women’s organisations, including the Lyceum Club of Adelaide. She married Dr. Dudley Byrne in 1940 and had three children.

Aileen Bond, born Aileen Ingelby in 1898, was educated at St Peter’s Girls’ School and studied law at Adelaide University and was one of Adelaide’s earliest practising female solictors. She joined the Lyceum Club when it formed in 1922. In 1924 she married John Leslie Bond, a minister, and they moved around South Australia. During World War II her husband enlisted and went to New Guinea and she and the four children lived at Brighton, in Adelaide. After the war they lived at Clare and Victor Harbour. Her husband was given an administrative job and became in turn an Archdeacon and then a Canon. Following his death, Levy moved to Toorak Gardens, an eastern suburb of Adelaide.

Gwen McCarthy was born Gwendolen Helen Ure in Norwood in 1901. She was educated at Methodist Ladies College (now Annesley College) and studied law at Adelaide University, where, in 1923, she was awarded the prestigious Stow prize and medal, styled Stow Scholar because she won three prizes in her annual examinations that year. Gwendolen Ure was the first female Stow Scholar.

She joined the Lyceum Club in Adelaide in 1923 and was president 1967-1969. She married James McCarthy in 1927 and they set up a law practice in Kadina. Here she was involved in the Girl Guides. On her husband’s death McCarthy returned to Adelaide and joined the firm of Thompson, Cleland, Holland and McCarthy.

Joyce Kitto was born in Gladstone, South Australia. In the early 1950s Joyce became a member of the Citizens’ Military Force Nursing Corps, which led to her decision to train as a nurse. In 1970 she was appointed tutor sister in charge of the newly established training school for enrolled nurses at Gleneden, Maryattville, where she remained until her retirement in 1985.

Pam Spry was born in Adelaide, South Australia and began training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in 1945. From 1973-1984 she was Director of Nursing at the RAH. Over the years Pam has also been involved with the Florence Nightingale Committee, the South Australian Health Commission, the Education Committee of the Nurses’ Board, the Planning Committee for the first basic tertiary nursing course at Sturt College, and the SA Branch of the Australian Nursing Federation.

Eve Ainsworth was born in Adelaide, South Australia and was adopted in infancy by the couple whose name she was given. In 1941 she was called up for duty with the Australian Army Nursing Service and went to the Middle East later that year. On her return to Australia Eve nursed in Queensland, until her marriage in 1944.

Kate Brown was born in South Australia. On leaving school she worked at the Kate Cocks Babies’ Home at Brighton until beginning training in 1947, at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Midwifery training followed, then country hospital nursing in various parts of Australia, and nursing overseas in Britain and South Africa. She retired in 1990.

Merla Garrett was born at Sedan, near the Barossa Valley. After two years overseas she worked in Sydney and then Mount Pleasant. In 1962 she left South Australia for Papua New Guinea where she served as a missionary nurse for 18 years. Since 1981 Merla has been a lecturer at the School of Nursing, Sturt College (now Flinders University of South Australia). Her extra curricular activities include several assignments with the World Health Organization.

Barbara Good was born in Adelaide, South Australia. After completion of schooling at The Wilderness School, she spent a short time at Clare with her family and then began training at Mareeba Babies Hospital. In 1975 she moved to Tasmania and was Director of Nursing at the Repatriation Hospital in Hobart until her retirement from nursing in 1982.

Jenny Leak was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Following paediatric nursing and midwifery training Jenny’s later appointments included six months at the Point McLeay Aboriginal Reserve. In 1966 Jenny was a member of a surgical team working in Bien Hoa, Vietnam, for six months. Subsequently she remained in Vietnam where she administered a community aid program for children. She joined the staff of the South Australian College of Advanced Education (Sturt Campus) in 1987

Barbara Parker, née North, was born in Adelaide. She became a tutor (unqualified) at Ru Rua Hospital in the late 1960s and moved from there to a part-time appointment with the Public Health Department (PHD). In 1970 she became a full time member of the staff of the Occupational Health Branch of the PHD, where she is still employed. Barbara Parker has been actively involved in the professional affairs of nursing including the Occupational Health Nurses’ Association.

Doreen Nellie Sturm, commonly known as Anne, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. She completed training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1937. Anne spent the early years of the war in private nursing in Melbourne, Victoria. Returning to Adelaide in 1943 she worked at the Truby King Mothercraft League of South Australia Clinic for two years. She was also an active member of various nursing organizations.

Judith Wotherspoon was born in Melbourne and came to Adelaide with her parents at the age of eight. After nursing in Papua New Guinea, Britain and Canada, Judith studied at Flinders University for a Bachelor of Arts degree. Subsequently she worked in the field of community health and as a part-time lecturer at Sturt College of Advanced Education. Between 1982 and 1985 she was senior lecturer in nursing at the Darwin Community College, then went to the University of New South Wales to complete a masters degree in health planning. In 1988 she took up an appointment as lecturer in nursing at the South Australian Institute of Technology (now the University of South Australia).

Heather Schubert, née Duffield, was born in Stirling, South Australia. She began nursing training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) in 1961. In 1974 she became a nursing supervisor, and in 1976 she was seconded to the South Australian Health Commission to provide education in high technology nursing for staff in country hospitals. At the time of the interview Heather was a nurse educator at the RAH. She was also actively involved in the Critical Care Nurses’ Association.

Hilary Cranswick, née Hogarth, was born in Victoria. When her father enlisted in the war Hilary came with her mother and sister to live with relatives in Adelaide. Her father was killed during the war. She went to Britain in 1939 and held many wartime nursing positions including accompanying children of one of her employers to Canada when the blitz necessitated their evacuation. On returning to Australia in 1942 Hilary joined the Australian Army Nursing Service and had postings in Papua New Guinea and in New South Wales. She retired from nursing after her marriage.

Pat Gerrard, née Klingberg, was born at Cowell, on Eyre Peninsula, and grew up at Riverton. In 1950 Pat worked at the Repatriation General Hospital at Daw Park, Adelaide, and in 1951 she joined the Australian Army Nursing Service. Between 1952 and 1954 she was posted to Japan.

Elsie Hughes was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and spent her youth in Murray Bridge. When war broke out in 1939 Elsie returned to Britain where she joined the Reserve Queen Alexandria Imperial Military Nursing Service. She served during the war in military hospitals in Palestine and Egypt, and in Britain. On return to Adelaide in 1946 Elsie Hughes became Sister in Charge of the McEwin Theatre suite at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, an appointment which she held until retirement in 1966.

Judith Porter was born at Port Augusta, South Australia and began training at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1954. In 1958 she applied to the Department of External Affairs for a posting in Papua New Guinea and after her appointment in 1959 spent fifteen years in that country, in hospitals, schools of nursing, and finally as Superintendent of Nursing Education. On returning to South Australia in 1975, Judith was appointed by the Hospitals Department to set up and conduct the first post- registration course in community health nursing. At the end of 1975, she became Principal Nursing Officer in the Hospital Department which in 1977 became the South Australian Health Commission. She was the first nurse to be Chairman of the Nurses Board of South Australia.

Margaret Trudinger was born in Adelaide, South Australia. ‘Trudie’ was on the staff of the Wallaroo Hospital when called up, in June 1940, to the Australian Army Nursing Service. Her nursing experiences in the army included postings to Woodside, Daws Road (both in South Australia), Palestine, Egypt, Port Moresby and Lae.