A WOMAN'S BRIDGE
  • Home
  • Who We Are and What We Do
  • Women, Culture & History
  • Literature, Fashion & Film
  • Variety
  • Donate to Women's Services
  • Events

Florence Violet McKenzie - Engineer, Advocate of Women in Technological Fields

7/31/2017

0 Comments

 
PictureFlorence Violet McKenzie. (Public Domain image.)
Florence Violet McKenzie, who would later take on the name Mrs. Mac by her students, was the first female electrical engineer in Australia and founder of the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps. McKenzie trained thousands in emergency signaling before, during and after World War II and remained a lifelong supporter of women pursuing education in technical fields.

Early Years

Violet was born in 1890 as Violet Wallace. She was the second child of Marie Annie and James Granville, both of whom were English born. Her father James died when she was young and so when her mother remarried in 1894 to George Wallace, Violet too adopted George’s name.

Violet received her early education at the Girls’ Public High School in Sydney and initially enrolled in the University of Sydney where she passed both Chemistry and Geology. Then, Sydney Technical College invited Violet to move to Ultimo and pursue an Electrical Engineering diploma, which she became the first woman in Australia to be awarded in 1923.

Beginning a Career and Breaking Down Gender Barriers

In 1921, while Violet was studying, she purchased and ran a radio sales and repair shop in Royal Arcade, Sydney. This is where she met Cecil Roland McKenzie, who was one of her customers. The two fell in love and got married in 1924.

In addition to becoming the first woman in Australia to win a degree of its kind, she also became the country’s first female certified radio telegraphist and first woman member of the Wireless Institute of Australia.

She didn’t stop with simply becoming the first woman to hold these roles though. In 1934, Violet founded the Electrical Association for Women. The Association helped women use electronic kitchen and other modern appliances, learn about electronic safety, attend meetings and more. She also published several books and essays about using electricity while cooking, children’s safety with electricity and she even corresponded with Albert Einstein.

World War II

With war approaching, McKenzie joined the Australian Women’s Flying Club where she served as treasurer. She also trained women pilots to use Morse code and recognized the need to train women as wireless telegraphists and in 1939, Violet and Cecil formed the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps. Before the war even began, McKenzie had trained nearly 1,000 women. She went on to train another two thousand. Despite public resistance to women joining the forces, a third of McKenzie’s students did. In 1941, she was appointed an honorary flight officer in WAAAF for her work.

After the war, she went on teaching and by 1952, she had trained 2,540 civil airline crewmen and 1,050 merchant navy seamen. Despite being highly regarded and producing well trained students, her school was never officially recognized.

Later Years

In her later years, McKenzie closed her school and was appointed OBE. Later, in 1964, she served as the patroness of Ex-WRANS Association.

McKenzie, or Mrs. Mac as her students called her, died 1982. She spent her life helping others--from elevating women in the field of technology, to helping the Allies during the war by making sure armed forces were properly trained in emergency signaling. Her persistence, interest in her students and passion toward advancing women in technological fields made an impact and are remembered.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010

    Categories

    All
    Amelia Earhart
    American South
    Amy Beach
    Anna Nzinga
    Anna Sewell
    Anna Wintour
    Anne Bronte
    Barbra Steisand
    Baroness Blixen
    Benazir Bhutto
    Billie Jean King
    Blackfeet Nation
    Brigitte Bardot
    Bronte Sisters
    Catherine The Great
    Charlotte Bronte
    Cheng I Sao
    Civil Rights Movement
    Clara Barton
    Cleopatra
    Cristina Fernandes De Kirchner
    Dagmar Wilson
    Dido Belle
    Dilma Rousseff
    Dorothy Kamenshek
    Edith Wharton
    Eleanor Of Aquitaine
    Elouise Cobell
    Emily Bronte
    Fannie Flagg
    Frances Glessner Lee
    Frida Kahlo
    Gabby Douglas
    Geun Hye Park
    Gone With The Wind
    Hannah Snell
    Harper Lee
    Harriet Tubman
    Hatshepsut
    Heian Period
    Helen Keller
    Hillary Rodham Clinton
    Ho Ching
    Hypatia Of Alexandria
    Intro
    Irena Sendler
    Isabelle Scott
    Jamestown
    Jane Eyre
    Jane Goodall
    Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis
    Jody Williams
    Josephine Baker
    Journalism
    Joy Ogwu
    Julia Ward Howe
    Laurie Marker
    Madeleine Korbel Albright
    Margaret Bourke-White
    Margaret Mitchell
    Margaret Thatcher
    Margot Wallstrom
    Maria Otero
    Marilyn Monroe
    Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
    Mary Poppins
    Maya Angelou
    Meip Gies
    Meryl Streep
    Mother Theresa
    Murasaki Shikibu
    Nellie Bly
    Patricia Cloherty
    Pl Travers
    Pocahontas
    Rachel Carson
    Rosalind Franklin
    Rosa Parks
    Rosemary Kennedy
    Ruth Harkness
    Sally Ride
    Sheila Johnson
    Song Qingling
    Sophie Scholl
    Sylvia Plath
    The Shriver Report
    To Kill A Mockingbird
    Trudy Harsh
    Vera Wang
    Victorian Era
    Women Journalists In Pakistan
    WWII
    Yearling

    RSS Feed

  • Home
  • Who We Are and What We Do
  • Women, Culture & History
  • Literature, Fashion & Film
  • Variety
  • Donate to Women's Services
  • Events