Woman's History Month...2023. Post 17...2023. Ethel Maude Thomas...(1961).
This month is Women's History Month. I have decided to repost the stories of many of the wonderful women from Subiaco I have come across.
Ethel Maude Thomas...(1961).
This blog post is a continuation of the previous blog post "Alexandra McKinnon Burns... Subiaco Business Woman (1938)" and the "Lipfert Sisters" about the women mentioned in the Museum of Subiaco exhibition on International Women's Day. This post is about Ethel Maude Thomas M.B.E.
The following information about is from the previous blog posts..."During March International Women's Day was held. The Subiaco Museum created an exhibition to highlight the contribution of women to the Subiaco community.
The women included Alexandra McKinnon Burns (1864 -1961), Dame Annie Florence Gillies Cardell-Oliver (1876 - 1965), Adelaide 'Queenie' Chugg (1898 - 1981), The Lipfert Sisters (Minna Maria Lipfert (1902 – 1959), Olga Gertrude Lipfert (1906 - 1989) and Thekla Elsa Lipfert (1912 - 1989) and Ethel Maude Thomas M.B.E (1881 - 1961). The exhibition contained a number of wonderful photographs and artefacts and are available on the webpage from the Subiaco Museum.
While there is a substantial amount of information about the exceptional work and life of Dame Cardell-Oliver available on various sites on the Internet, Trove, the database of the National Library of Australia contains some wonderful information and photographs about the women mentioned by the Subiaco Museum in their exhibition..."
From the Subiaco Museum webpage about Ethel Maude Thomas...
"Mrs Ethel Maude Thomas was a former resident of 100 Keightley Rd Subiaco, who formed the Subiaco Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment No 503 in 1933. Mrs Thomas was a nurse in the First World War and founded the WA division of the VAD before the outbreak of the Second World War. She received an MBE in 1961 for services to charitable and social welfare organisations in the State of Western Australia. Mrs Thomas was invited to travel on Subiaco’s last tram in 1958. She was known around the City as Nurse Thomas." (Subiaco Museum webpage, 2022).
Despite the achievements of Ethel Maude Thomas little information is available about her. Many thanks to the Subiaco Museum for sharing their information and photographs. No copyright infringement intended.
From the Subiaco Museum...
"Mrs Thomas In Red Cross Summer Uniform 1941
The original black and white photograph shows Mrs E M Thomas in the Red Cross summer uniform. She is wearing a shirt and tie and is hatless. Mrs Thomas sits at a table holding an open book with her left hand, pen poised in the right hand.
Handwritten on the back are the words: "To wish you a lucky year as come too late for birthday wishes, love Ma Thomas" (Subiaco Museum).
