Dame
''Dame'' is a traditionally British honorific title given to women who have been admitted to certain orders of chivalry. It is the female equivalent of ''Sir'', the title used by knights. Baronet, Baronetesses Suo jure, in their own right also u ...
Mary Valentine Austin (née Hall-Thompson; 29 July 1900 – 10 September 1986) was an Australian community worker and political activist. The daughter of Admiral
Percival Hall-Thompson and his wife, Helen (née Deacon), she was educated in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
at Marsden College, Wellington.
Affiliations
*
Red Cross Society
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world's largest group of non-governmental organizations working on humanitarian aid, is composed of the following bodies:
*The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), is an indep ...
(Superintendent Regional Commandant, Victorian Division)
*
Australian Liberal Party
The Liberal Party of Australia (LP) is the prominent Centre-right politics, centre-right list of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia. It is considered one of the two Major party, major parties in politics of Australia, ...
, Vice President, and later National Vice-President (1947–76)
*
Victoria League
The Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship (1901–present) is a voluntary charitable organisation that connects people from Commonwealth countries. There are currently branches in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand with affiliated organisatio ...
, honorary life membership
Australian Government Office for Women Faith, Hope, Charity site
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Damehood
She was appointed DBE on 16 June 1979 for community and welfare services.
Family
She married Ronald Albert Austin (1893–1965) on 9 June 1925. The couple had one child, Derrick Albert Austin, who was born in 1926. Little other information exists regarding her personal life in Mortlake, Victoria
Mortlake is a town in the Western District of Victoria, Australia on the Hamilton Highway, north-east of Warrnambool. It is in the Shire of Moyne local government area and the federal Division of Wannon. As per the 2001 census, Mortlake ...
.
Sources
* Draper, W J (ed.), ''Who's who in Australia'', 1983, 14th edn, ''The Herald and Weekly Times'', Melbourne, 1983
* Draper, W J (ed.), ''Who's who in Australia'', 1980, 23rd edn, ''The Herald and Weekly Times'', Melbourne, 1980, vol 928, page 68
References
External links
''London Gazette'' notice of Mary Austin's damehood for "distinguished service to the community"
NLA profile
Ancestry.com website info re Ronald Austin
Ancestry.com website info re Mary Austin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Mary V.
1900 births
1986 deaths
People from Victoria (state)
Australian Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Australian activists
Place of birth missing