Rona Glynn

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Not to be confused with Ronan Glynn.

Rona Glynn, the tallest student in the centre back row, at the St Marys, the Anglican Church of England Hostel

Rona Ellen Schaber (née Glynn) (24 September 1936 – January 1965) was the first Indigenous Australian school teacher and nurse in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. In 1965 she became the first Aboriginal woman to have a pre-school named in her honour in Australia.[1]

Early life[]

Glynn was born at in Central Australia, the daughter of Ron Price and Topsy Glynn, a housemaid and cook. She had one half-sister, the photographer and media specialist who co-founded CAAMA, Freda Glynn. Topsy and her two children were placed in a "half-caste institution", a home for people of mixed European and Aboriginal descent known as The Bungalow, at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station in September 1939, when Rona was three years old. Topsy worked as a laundress at the institution in order to stay with her children.[2]

Career[]

Glynn attended the Alice Springs Higher Primary School in 1951 and was known to be an excellent student. At the age of 16, she became the first Aboriginal school teacher in Central Australia.[3] She was appointed by the South Australian Department of Education as junior teacher at the Alice Springs school after gaining her Intermediate Certificate in four subjects.[4] She then took the position of a grade two teacher at Hartley Street Primary School.

She later wrote a column for the Centralian Advocate.[5]

She was evacuated from Alice Springs to New South Wales during World War II.[6] When she returned, she lived at the newly-established St Mary's Church of England Hostel on the Stuart Highway.[7]

In 1954, Glynn moved to Melbourne to train as a nurse.[7] She undertook general training at the , graduating in 1957.[8] The following year she undertook midwifery training at the Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne, where after completing the year-long course she remained on staff, becoming a charge sister.[citation needed]

In 1962 Glynn returned to Alice Springs where she became the first Aboriginal Charge Sister (Maternity Ward) at the .[1] She delivered around 2000 babies. She was known for taking grapefruit from the garden of the matron's quarters and distributing them among the new mothers on the ward. Annoyed, the matron stormed the ward asking whether anyone what was happening to the fruit. Glynn apparently placed her finger to her lips indicating the mothers to be quiet. When the matron left, they continued eating the grapefruit.[4]

Death and legacy[]

In 1964 Glynn married pastoralist Bill Schaber. She died the following year after complications from childbirth.[7]

A pre-school located at Ross Park Primary School was named after her in 1965.[9] She was the first Aboriginal woman to have a pre-school named in her honour in Australia.[1] Over 100 people attended the opening in September 1965.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Rona Ellen GLYNN". Herstory. Women's Museum of Australia. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Half-caste Institution 1940 - 1941". Narional Archives of Australia. 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Local girl as teacher". Centralian Advocate. Vol. VII, no. 319. Northern Territory, Australia. 17 July 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 26 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ a b c Attwood, Elisabeth. "RONA GLYNN: A woman with a big heart in the heart of Australia". . Retrieved 26 March 2017.
  5. ^ "School notes". Centralian Advocate. Vol. IV, no. 171. Northern Territory, Australia. 15 September 1950. p. 20. Retrieved 26 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The life of Rona Gynn". Centralian Advocate. January 1965.
  7. ^ a b c Nelson, Alex (22 May 2008). "The joker in the pack". Alice Springs News.
  8. ^ "Nurses' exams". Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957). 29 September 1955. p. 17. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Ross Park Primary School". Ross Park Primary School. Retrieved 26 March 2017.

Further reading[]

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