Nancy Bernice Russell (1908 - 2003).
Several weeks ago the Subiaco City Council put together a list of names for new roads in Subiaco that would be created around a new development near the Subiaco Oval.
The names of 10 women were put forward and included Subiaco-born Adelaide Ilya Chugg and Nancy Russell. Both Adelaide and Nancy became teachers. Dame Cardell-Oliver, who was a Member of Parliament for Subiaco in 1936 who went on to become the first woman in Australia to become a government cabinet minister.
Nancy Russell was awarded an M.B. E., studied at Perth College, graduated in Arts from the University of U.W.A and gained a Diploma in Education. She taught at schools around Australia and overseas and served in the British Y.W.C.A. in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Nancy regularly visited her family in Western Australia where she gave talks about her experiences serving in the Y.W.C.A. which were reported in various newspapers. After the war Nancy returned to Australia where she returned to teaching. She was responsible for setting up services such as Meals on Wheels for the Aged and Sick that involved providing hot meals at lunch time and a program for pensioners and young people to interact.
The City of Subiaco Agenda - Council Agenda Briefing Form (11 April, 2023) supplied this biography of Nancy Russell although it does not provide here connection to Subiaco...
"Nancy Russell, 1908 – 2003. Although Nancy Russell's mother, Mary Russell, taught her daughter's primary education at home, she later attended Perth College (Anglican School for Girls In Perth) for her secondary education, and went on to study at the University of Western Australia. She had a long and distinguished career as a High School teacher in Queensland, South Australia(Walford House) and Colombo, Sri Lanka (6 years).
After war service in the Middle east and Mediterranean and service in south east Asia, assisting with the repatriation of prisoners of war, Nancy Russell returned to Perth. She was Headmistress of Kobeelya Girls’ School in Katanning for several years then established the Meals on Wheels service in Perth. She returned to teaching at Armadale, Cyril Jackson and Mt. Lawley High Schools and retired in 1963. She was an active member of the Karrakatta Club.
She was awarded the MBE in 1946. Born Geraldton, December 1908, died June 2003. Obituary published in 'Excellence and Enlightenment: Nancy Bernice Russell', The West Australian, 12 July 2003..."
Nancy loved music and was actively involved in performing in the Perth social scene.
The articles are from Trove, the data base of National Library of Australia. No copyright infringement intended.
The photograph is from the Subiaco Museum. No copyright infringement intended.
Manjimup and Warren Times, 25 July 1945.
EX-BUNBURY WOMAN'S EXPERIENCES
With the Y.W.C.A. In the Middle East
To have left Bunbury in 1931 after graduating in Arts in the University of W.A., gained a Diploma of Education, embraced a teaching career which took her to Queensland and ultimately to Ceylon where she taught in a girls' college, studied at the Sorboune in Paris and served with the British Y.W.C.A. in Egypt, Persia, Irak, North Africa, Sicily, Greece and Italy, is the enviable and interesting experience of Miss Nancy Russell, who, with her mother, Mrs. A. B. Russell, is on a short visit to Bunbury as the guest of Mrs. G. E. Reading. Miss Russell, who is on 28 days' leave in Australia before returning to Italy, looked very trim in the International uniform of the Y.W.C.A.
When interviewed shortly after her arrival in Bunbury on Saturday last, she spoke interestingly and enthusiastically of the services being rendered to the members of Women's Services by the chain of women's clubs established throughout the Middle East by the British Y.W.C.A. and which are extremely popular, with all ranks, including officers, a fact of which Miss Russell said they were very proud.
Every effort was made to make the clubs, which were residential, attractive and comfortable to service women on leave. Army rations was the basis of catering, and although it was difficult to augment rations from the civilian market, where foodstuffs were in very short supply, by improvisation and ingenious methods, excellent meals were served in a most attractive manner. Catering was in the hands of specialists and it was simply amazing how such commonplace and unpalatable rations as bully beef and meat and vegetable were camouflaged to become attractive and tasty dishes, the cooks making a speciality of sauces and soups. Eggs were a great luxury, which she had seen only once in 12 months, said Miss Russell. Such substances as margarine, tinned milk and egg powder made up for the real things but added to the difficulty of catering.
Owing to the scarcity of food in Italy it was not permissible to shop on the open market in a number of important centres like Rome and Naples, where all food supplies were reserved for civilians. As the Germans had retreated north they drove the cattle with them and with the flooding of the Pontine Marshes by the Germans, which had been drained by Mussolini and brought into vegetable production prior to the war, vegetables were now in short supply. A shipment of seed potatoes which had been sent recently from Great Britain would, however, greatly relieve the shortage in the South of Italy this year. Asparagus was to he bought in Naples and fruit, which was really wonderful, provided a welcome addition to the ration.
The aim had been to establish their Service Clubs in cities famous or attractive historically and in this they had been very successful. Naples, Rome, Florence (which Miss Russell entered shortly after it fell to the Allies) and Ancona, which had been very badly bombed and shelled, all had clubs, and in addition there was one club established with the Eighth Army which moved forward as the hospitals and Army moved, a service which was very greatly appreciated. Miss Russell found the Italian people most friendly in all her associations with them. Italy showed signs of having been a progressive country, two of the outstanding achievements having been the electrification of the railways which had been extensively damaged, and the drainage and cultivation of the Pontine and other Marshes. In Greece at the time of the rising Miss Russell said that she and other workers were confined to their quarters for two days while very heavy firing went on between E.L.A.S. and Government forces. Miss Russell left Italy in April, spent a month in India, where she went to Poona and helped in the club there before flying to Australia. At the conclusion of her leave Miss Russell will return to Italy where she will resume her duties as Director of Y.W.C.A. War Services, Mediterranean Force, which embraces North Africa, Italy and Greece.
West Australian. 8 August 1945.
Y.W.C.A. WAR SERVICE.
Talk at New Luncheon Series.
Nearly 200 women of varying ages attended the first of the business women's luncheons at Boans on Monday, arranged by the Anglican Church Office. The guest speaker was the direc tor of YWCA War Services with the Central Mediterranean Forces (Miss Nancy Russell), who only recently returped to WA after an absence of many years overseas. Miss Russell chose as her subject "YWCA War Service a Merger of Careers." and illustrated her address with parallels between civilian and service work.
She pointed out that many of the present YWCA workers overseas had managed to combine their civilian training with that of the war services and in many instances their hobbies and private interest stood them in good stead. One of these women had done a course in dietetics and then had married an English farmer. When he enlisted she carried on with the management of the farm and be came deeply Interested in country life. At last she managed to get a discharged serviceman and his wife to take charge of the property, and then obtained a position with the Ministry of Food.
Her job consisted of opening soup kitchens in the bombed areas of Britain. When her chance came she joined the British YWCA War Services and was assigned to a large club in Italy in charge of the catering. Here her knowledge of dietetics and gauging of quantities was invaluable, and she found time to indulge in her life long love - a love of music.
Miss Russell was introduced by the chairman (Mrs Le Panu) and following her address the State superintendent of the AWLA (Mr S. Carlton) expressed a vote of thanks which was carried with acclamation. The organisers of the luncheons propose to hold, one on the first Monday in every month. Anyone interested should get in touch with. Miss Gwen Hansen (B4293 or B9873).
Daily News, 28 May 1955.
Meals On Wheels For Sick And Aged
TWENTY old and sick people unable to cook for themselves are assured of a hot meal a day, thanks to a meals-on-wheels-scheme.
The scheme, conducted by the League of Home Help for Sick and Aged, has been in operation for six weeks. Hot meals are prepared at Wanslea Home and de livered by voluntary drivers to the various homes. Organising secretary Nancy Russell said today that at first a shortage of drivers threatened to cur tail the league's activities, but then more volunteers came forward in response to an appeal for help. A few more kitchen helpers still were needed to help cook the meals and go out with the drivers to de liver them. Another activity of the league was the help given in the home to old or sick people unable to do house work. It was hoped to extend the services greatly in the future. If public support could be gained the league would try to get a block of land for a meals-on-wheels kit chen, and possibly club-rooms.
Daily News, 16 July 1955.
Problems of the pensioners
THERE have been a number of readers very interested in "adopting" an old pensioner. The main reason for this is the general awareness of the inadequacy of the age pension to provide for shelter, food, warmth and clothing. "There's great inequality in this pension, because many old mothers and grand-mothers, even great-grandmothers (and the men, too) are living more or less happily with families or friends. Some have their own homes, some are in rented accommodation they have had for a long time and for which they are charged at a low rate. When an old person has relatives, they bring bed socks, bed jackets, 1lb. of tea, putter, a pot of soup and that sort of thing. But there are many who are lonely be cause they have no relatives, and many who are lonely even though they have relatives.
RECENTLY a charming young girl wrote to me saying she would like to "adopt" an old person for visiting, and perhaps shopping, and small services. I referred her to Miss Nancy Russell, secretary, League of Home Help For Sick And Aged, who told me there was a real opening for such comforts to the aged.
Since then, I have received several such offers and have referred them to the league. I think there are many women who would be prepared to visit an old person, and listen to those old stories which may have wearied an immediate circle. There is a charm about the company of an old person meeting a new friend, and I don't think there would be any hardship in doing this, in making a pot of tea, in doing a little shopping or a little cleaning up.
WHILE on the subject of the age pension, the British Sailors' Society is in need of the services of an active and suitable male pensioner. He should be a widower because there are no wages attached to the services. He gets his accommodation in return for the little demanded of him, and he must be a man capable of meeting and greeting people. It is essential that anyone interested should be a non-drinker. Application should be made to Mr. Melrose, secretary, British Sailors' Society, Sailors' Rest, Fremantle, L1265.
Daily News, 24 September 1955
Bright Spot In A Weary Day
BOARDING house rooms are pretty much the same. Some are kept clean and tidy, others are not. This one was clean and tidy. Pillows supported Mrs. M. in a half-upright position on her narrow bed. Her face was a pale mask. But her eyes held vigour and warmth. A thin smile moved across her wrinkled face as she said: "If it wasn't for these good ladies — well things would be very difficult," Mrs. M. is in her middle sixties. She is not bed-ridden, but rheumatic limbs make it hard for her to move around.
NO FAMILY Her husband died five 3 years ago. There is no family. She lives alone, without friends, in a small rooming house. A little in the bank and a pension provide her sole means of support. Mrs. M. is typical of the women and men who receive help from the League of Home Help for the Sick and Aged. Bright spot in the lonely day of Mrs. M. is when women of the league arrive to bring a hot lunch for her. Mrs. M. is one of about 30 people who receive daily hot lunches prepared and delivered by the league. Miss Nancy Russell, the league's organising secretary, said today: "There are many aged and sick people in the community who are un able to get themselves one decent meal a day. We are trying to fill this need by the de livery of hot lunches each weekday to those who want them."
The league calls it "Meals on Wheels." on wheels MOW was started last April and since then more than 2000 meals have been delivered. The meals (meat and three vegetables, and sweets) are prepared by the league's own cook in kitchens of the Wanslea children's hostel, Cottesloe, Special diets are also prepared. The food is then placed in special containers and members of the league deliver it piping hot by car. These members are voluntary and provide their own cars and petrol. A charge of 3/ a meal is made. Miss Russell said the league would like to increase its meal service, but more volunteer drivers were required. The league hoped soon to start a similar service in South Perth districts. However, a kitchen where meals could be prepared had not yet been arranged.
Daily News, 11 January 1955.
Courage
THE person behind Port Adelaide's streamlined "meals on wheels" organisation is a woman who has been crippled since she was seven, cannot dress herself and can hardly move. This was told to me by organising secretary Nancy Russell, MBE of the recently - formed League of Home Help.
Miss Russell — who was headmistress for seven years of Kobeelya girls' school, Katanning — visited Melbourne and Adelaide recently. The "meals on wheels" scheme, which will start in Perth soon, is the process of delivering meals in tiffin carriers or vacuum flasks to aged and infirm people who are physically incapable of preparing hot meals.
The Adelaide cripple is Miss Doris Taylor. "Though Miss Taylor is so frail, she has great vitality," Miss Russell said. "She began organising this scheme last February. Business houses, workers' and social organisations and the Port Adelaide Council co-operated to build and equip a centre where the meals could be cooked. "Voluntary cooks and drivers were found and the first meals were delivered in August. "Now 25 meals a day are being delivered and the numbers are increasing."
There is a similar scheme in Melbourne, but this concentrates more on providing up to 70 meals a" day to people able to go to the centre. Miss Russell was most impressed with Victoria's Emergency Housekeeper Scheme, which is State-organised, highly developed and has branches through out the State. "I was told that this scheme cost the State Government £4000 in 1946 and £24,000 this year," she said.
