© Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga

In July 1916, in the midst of World War I, the visionary young women who founded the League found their ideals voiced and developed by Father William Lockington S.J. in two key lectures entitled The Church and Women and Women's Work in the World. "You have unlimited power," he told the vast congregation of women in St Patrick's Cathedral. He also spoke of the crying need for the influence of Catholicity in the affairs of the stricken world.

Fr Lockington became the first Spiritual Director of the League in 1916 and led their first retreat at the Sacred Heart Convent, Malvern. He was actively involved in the League's early campaigns to improve the appalling industrial conditions of women workers. He lent to the League the weight of his eloquence and personality, particularly during some of the big strikes of the period. His accusations of 'sweat labour' in confectioners' establishments led to debate in the Legislative Assembly.

Fr Lockington was also Dr Mary Glowrey's Spiritual Director.

Lockington was described by a colleague as 'the best platform orator in Australia'. His topics covered religion, temperance, education and the plight of working people; many of his addresses were published. In 1921, the town of Lockington was named after 'the noted author, preacher and lecturer'.

You can learn more about Fr Lockington by going to the online edition of the Australian Dictionary of Biography at:

https://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100118b.htm

 

Molly Brennan, Anna’s niece, shares her memories of Anna

Anna Theresa Brennan was the thirteenth child of Irish migrants, Michael and Mary Brennan, of Mary Vale, Sedgwick, where Michael had bought a modest amount of land in 1856, land that is still owned by and occupied by descendents.

Eleven of the thirteen children lived to maturity, making useful contributions to their young country in farming, law, journalism, politics and local government. None of the four girls married, as did none of their nieces in the next generation, giving lie to the feminists of the latter half of the 20th century who falsely claim that women had no choice but to marry or be dependant in some way on some man. As Anna's life demonstrates, they did have a choice though, in choosing, they were, as human beings always are, influenced by the mores of their society and of their family.

Anna Brennan was born in 1879. Her primary schooling was in a bark roofed weatherboard primitive building that the local parents had built on land given by the Government in 1865. But, as now seems to have been forgotten, the standard of a school building has little to do with the quality of the education. It is the teacher who makes the difference and all the Brennan children had the good fortune to be taught by an Oxford scholar who reinforced the values of their home—the enjoyment of exploring ideas, the value of language and the exchanges of logical argument.

Anna then chose to continue her formal education. Those girls who did not choose to continue with their formal education did not do so because they were debarred from doing so, but because they choose not to overcome whatever difficulties there were. Anna overcame the problem of a 10 mile drive in a horse drawn vehicle from Sedgwick to St Andrews, a non-denominational co-educational secondary college. Exercising a choice that was available to all young women, she then enrolled at Melbourne University in the Faculty of Medicine but soon changed to law. In this, she was encouraged by her brothers, several of whom were by this time established in Melbourne.

In 1909, Anna graduated with a Bachelor of Law (L.L.B.) having completed her articles with her brother, Frank, and having had another brother, Thomas, move her admission to the Bar. Late in life, she claimed never to have encountered discrimination, the same claim being made by one of her nieces in the next generation though she worked in local government in an entirely male field.

Anna spent her professional life in partnership with her brother, Frank, at Frank Brennan and Co, Queen St, Melbourne. Frank was more interested in politics than law so Anna did most of the legal work supported by her sister, May, the Legal Clerk of the firm. Anna was chiefly interested in law that affected women. Much of her work was connected with matrimonial issues such as divorce.

Throughout her life, Anna was a club woman—a member of the Princess Ida Club at University, a founding member of the Lyceum Club, the Legal Adviser to the National Council of Women and President of the Legal Women's Association. A Bendigo historian described her as "...singularly articulate and forceful as a public speaker, a witty conversationalist and one whose intellectual curiosity roved over many fields and never dimmed." Anna was, aged 83, at Melbourne University to hear a lecture on nuclear fission when she fell down the stairs to her death on 11th October 1962.

Anna was a deeply religious woman, a committed Catholic, loyal to the Church in which she played an active part through its women's organisations. She was also a devoted family member who never established a home of her own. When she left Mary Vale, Sedgwick, to go to University, she joined her single brothers and sisters who had established a family home in Melbourne—in Royal Parade and then in Banool Avenue, Kew—and there she remained for the rest of her life, so attached to her sister May that in their eighties, they were still sharing a bedroom.

 

 

When there is a desperate need for change, it often takes the courage of one exceptional person to stand up and command a need for action. Maude O'Connell was one such exceptional person. Born on the 30th of June, 1884, in Beaufort Victoria, to Catholic parents, Maude's passion for fairness and for family life shone through and influenced her greatest works.

While working as a teacher in Melbourne, Maude became involved in social work with Sister M. Bernardine of St Vincent's Hospital and Sister M. Monica of the Good Shepherd Sisters. To better understand the conditions of those women that she met through her social work, Maude went to work in the factory of the British Australasian Tobacco Company. Maude also became active as a trade unionist, representing tobacco workers on the Trades Hall Council and at Labor Council conferences. Perhaps in an effort to combat her zeal, the British Australasian Tobacco Company offered her an executive position. Her response was: 'I'm not up for sale.' Maude had proved that she was not just someone who stood at the sidelines and observed the injustices occurring around her; she actually put herself in the middle of those same injustices that she was determined to fight.

Maude was also amongst the group of courageous young women who answered Fr Lockington's call in 1916 for Catholic women to use their might power to create a more just society. Maude became the first treasurer of the Catholic Women's Social Guild and joined with Dr Mary Glowrey in arranging accommodation for girls unemployed as a result of strike action. Maude also began nursing training at the Eye and Ear Hospital and during the influenza epidemic of 1919 worked with doctors nursing the sick in their own homes.

During the 1920s, Maude felt increasingly called to go forth and fulfil what she believed was a desperate need for the provision of assistance to mothers and their children in their own homes. During her regular visits to the local hospitals with other members of the Guild, bringing whatever help and comfort to the patients that they could, Maude met Dr. William Michael Collins. He was in charge of St. Francis' Church at the time and also had pastoral care of the Melbourne General Hospital and the Queen Victoria Hospital.

One day Fr. Collins said to Maude: 'Are you prepared, Miss O'Connell to roll up your sleeves and help mothers in the homes?' Maude's ready reply was: 'Yes, and I'll get others to do it too.' From this exchange between Fr Collins and Maude grew the idea and ideal of a unique, Australian-founded, religious congregation−The Company of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament. Maude's incredible passion for her mission resulted not only in her own action for this cause but a strong desire to draw others to this work.

Popularly known to all as the Grey Sisters, Maude and her fellow sisters became engaged in a wide range of social work. They went into homes cooking, cleaning, shopping and looking after little children and their mothers wherever there was illness or a new baby. The Grey Sister's house in Daylesford, Kewn Kreestha or the Quiet of Christ, provided a home where mothers could rest while their children were cared for. Maude also helped to organize the Unemployed Girls' Relief Movement.

Throughout her life, Maude made an immeasurable difference to the lives of many families through both her work with the Grey Sisters and as a member of the Catholic Women's Social Guild. Maude O'Connell passed away on the 13th of December, 1964, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne. Despite this, Maude O'Connell is still very much a presence in the world today, as the Grey Sisters continue to carry out her extraordinary work, and bring hope and help to women and families in need.

 

 

In an increasingly secular world, where God's love is unknown to so many of its youth, the need for a strong role model who is ablaze with the love of Christ and truly grounded and confident in their faith is greater than ever. Such a role model can be found in Julia Flynn, one of the visionary women who formed the League's first Central Committee in 1916.

Julia Teresa Flynn was born on the 24th of January 1873 into an Irish-Catholic family. Julia demonstrated a strong commitment to education from a young age, matriculating in 1893 at Presbyterian Ladies College with a scholarship. Despite being one of only a small group of Catholics in a school that was predominantly Protestant, Julia Flynn remained strong in her faith as a young woman.

Julia Flynn realised from a young age that her passion lay in education, and so she commenced her work in the education system in January 1897, as a monitor at a school. Within just four short months, Julia was upgraded to the position of student teacher. From 1900 to 1901, Julia was a student at the newly opened Teachers' Training College. She continued her academic pursuits at the University of Melbourne on a part-time basis. By the end of 1912, she had earned the title 'Julia Flynn B.A.'

After graduating from the Training College, Julia became the Head Teacher at a school in Christmas Hill. From there, she received numerous promotions across a number of different schools, until she eventually became a Senior Inspector of Secondary Schools at end of 1924. During this busy period, Julia was also heavily involved in the administration and work of the Catholic Women's Social Guild

A few years later, Julia came across an advertisement for the position of Assistant Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools. However, the advertisement implied the exclusion of female applicants as only the male salary rate was mentioned. Julia protested to the Minister, Jack Lemmon, and he agreed that women should be eligible to apply. Julia eventually succeeded in obtaining the position but was paid four-fifths of the male salary rate. Julia faced this same problem again when the position of Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools became available. This time, the advertisement carried the unambiguous rider "Male Required." The Director of Secondary Education, Martin Peter Hansen, freely admitted that the advertisement had been drafted deliberately to exclude Julia Flynn.

Faced with a major outbreak of public indignation and protest from organisations such as the Catholic Women's Social Guild, the Lyceum Club, the Women's Teachers Federation and the National Council of Women, Hansen permitted Julia to apply for the position of Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools. The appointment was given to a man but Julia successfully appealed the decision becoming the Chief Inspector. However, Hansen imposed a probationary period of three months and then extended it for a further three months. He then refused to confirm Julia's appointment. Julia had little choice but to adapt to the situation.

Just three years after Hansen's death in 1932, Julia was again appointed as the Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools, Victoria.

It was then that Julia Flynn truly began to revolutionise secondary education in Victoria, paying particular attention to improving the curriculum within girls' schools. It was her aim to equip young women throughout Victoria with the skills and knowledge that would significantly broaden their opportunities and prospects for their future lives. Julia became an example of how a strong and determined woman, who trusted implicitly in God's plan for her life, was able to break down some of the barriers that restricted women in her time, and in doing so, build a better future for generations of women to come.

At the end of a long successful career in the Education Department, Julia was required to retired in 1943 at the age of 65 years. It was noted by Lloyd Williams, editor of the Education Gazette, that: "There will be many teachers who will scarcely know how to think of the Education Department without her; and, for those who belong to this generation of the Department's professional and clerical officers, one of the immutables in the life of the office will have gone."

Julia immediately took up work as the Secondary Schools Advisor at the Catholic Education Office and started the arduous process of obtaining accreditation for Catholic secondary schools so that they could conduct their own exams.

On 12 October 1947, Julia suffered a heart attack at her front gate and died two days later. Shortly after her death, a friend from the Teachers' College and the University of Melbourne days wrote: "Her sane yet passionately loyal Catholicity, united with a living charity for all, played no small part in drawing me to the Church – and she was the first to whom I broke the news of my religious vocation."