Maude Kathleen Deasey

Portrait of V345001 Major Kathleen Deasey, c1941
V345001 Major Maude Kathleen 'Kath' Deasey, 1942

Maude Kathleen Deasey (26 May 1909 – 6 September 1968) was an Australian woman who worked as a teacher and then, during World War II, as a senior officer within the Australian Women's Army Service. In 1943 she was seconded to the Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department and, in 1946, was a part of the Australian Victory Contingent to London.[1][2]

Early life

Deasey was born in Collingwood, a suburb of Melbourne, where she was the second of six children born to the Reverend Denis Murrell Deasey and his wife Maude Williamson (née Watt). Her father was an Anglican clergyman and she attended school at the Geelong Church of England Girls' Grammar School.[1]

After completing her schooling Deasey attended the University of Melbourne where she completed a bachelor of arts (1931), a master of arts (1933) and a diploma of education (1935). After completing these studies in Australia Deasey then travelled to the United Kingdom where she studied at Newnham College, Cambridge where she studied theology and graduated in Tripos in 1937.[1]

During this period Deasey also travelled throughout Europe with the National Union of Students and also to the conference of the International Federation of University Women in Poland in 1936.[1][3][4]

When Deasey returned to Australia she worked first as a teacher at Frensham School in Mittagong until, in 1940, she became the 'lady superintendent' at the Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne.[1]

Australian Women's Army Service

When the Australian Women's Army Service formed in August 1941 Deasey was once of the first women to join and was recruited to be one of its officers.[5] She was appointed the assistant-controller of the Southern Command by November 1941 and soon after, on 28 January 1947, was promoted to major.[6][7] In her role she was responsible for establishing the services structure in Victoria and, in 1942 alone, was responsible for enlisting and training more then 5,000 new recruits.[1][8] One of the other officers she worked closely with was Isla Victoria Murphy.[9]

In May 1943 she was transferred to the First Army headquarters in Toowoomba in Queensland (again as the assistant-controller) before, in October 1943, she was moved back to Melbourne where she was seconded by the Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department.[10] In this role she acted as an advisor to the chaplains-general, particularly in regards to ensuring that the 30,000 women in Army service, including the Australian Army Nursing Service and the Australian Army Medical Women's Service, were able to maintain contact with their churches. The role also involved extensive travel throughout Australia and the South-West Pacific.[1][3]

The Australian Victory Contingent in London, June 1946 (Deasey pictured on the left)

While with the Chaplains Department Deasey also published a booklet Readings and Prayers for Members of Army Women's Services (1944) which was widely distributed.[1][11] This booklet included a forward by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.[12][13]

In 1946, Deasey represented the Women's Army Service at the Victory march in London as a part of the Australian Victory Contingent.[1][14][15][16][17]

She transferred to the reserves on 25 January 1947.[1][5]

Post war career

After the war Deasey worked with the Australian Department of Immigration to help place migrant families. From 1950 to 1952 she returned to Europe where she travelled extensively and studied the French language for a year at the Sorbonne in Paris.[1][18][19]

Back in Australia she administered a sponsorship scheme for the World Council of Churches which was aimed at assisting immigrants from Europe who had no friends or relatives in Australia to help them by finding them sponsorship.[1][20][21][22]

From 1958 to 1959 she travelled to the United States where, using a Ford Foundation grant, she was a teaching fellow in the faculty of education at New York University.[1]

In the 1960s, back in Australia again, she held a number of roles including as a tutor at the University of Melbourne, principal of St Ann's College at the University of Adelaide and a teacher at Larnook Domestic Arts Teachers' College.[1]

Later life

Deasey died on 6 September 1968 at Prahran in Melbourne.[1]

Collections

A collection of Deasey's biographical cuttings, which she collected, are available at the National Library of Australia.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Macintyre, Eileen, "Maude Kathleen Deasey (1909–1968)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 23 July 2025
  2. ^ "Deasey, Maude (Kathleen)". AWR. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b Adam-Smith, Patsy (1984), Australian women at war, Thomas Nelson, p. 252, ISBN 978-0-17-006408-8
  4. ^ "Theology for Women". Newcastle Morning Herald And Miners' Advocate. No. 18, 917. New South Wales, Australia. 31 May 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ a b "DEASEY MAUDE KATHLEEN : Service Number - V345001 : Date of birth - 26 May 1909 : Place of birth - MELBOURNE : Place of enlistment - MELBOURNE VIC : Next of Kin - DEASEY D". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Ranks in AWAS". The Age. No. 27, 114. Victoria, Australia. 13 March 1942. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette. No. 79. Australia, Australia. 12 March 1942. p. 649. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "3 weeks' training course for AWAS recruits". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 29, 751. Victoria, Australia. 31 December 1941. p. 6. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ Reid, Maree, "Isla Victoria Murphy (1913–1967)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 23 July 2025
  10. ^ "Major Deasey's New Army Job". The News (Adelaide). Vol. 42, no. 6, 374. South Australia. 3 January 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ Australia. Commonwealth Military Forces; Australia. Australian Army. Australian Army Chaplains' Department (1944), Readings and prayers for members of army women's services, Australian Commonwealth Military Forces, retrieved 23 July 2025
  12. ^ "Foreword by duchess in Army Women's book". Daily Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 19 July 1945. p. 4. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Women's forum: Unique book of prayer for servicewomen commended by Duchess". The Advocate (Australia). Tasmania, Australia. 20 July 1945. p. 7 (Edition 2). Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Australian contingent to take part in the victory parade London. Australian contingent film outtakes". www.awm.gov.au. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Australians In Victory Parade". Morning Bulletin. No. 26, 524. Queensland, Australia. 18 June 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "British Hospitality For Victory Party". The Advertiser (Adelaide). Vol. 89, no. 27415. South Australia. 17 August 1946. p. 8. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ "Victory Troops Welcomed At Portsmouth". The Herald. No. 21, 538. Victoria, Australia. 31 May 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "An Australian in Paris". The Age. No. 30, 480. Victoria, Australia. 7 January 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "Romance in country". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 33, 182. Victoria, Australia. 8 January 1953. p. 7. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Immigration: how can we assist?". The Methodist. Vol. 63, no. 44. New South Wales, Australia. 30 October 1954. p. 12. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "Monster church rally". Live Wire. No. 1369. Victoria, Australia. 10 November 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "Ladies' night at Rotary". Bairnsdale Advertiser and East Gippsland Stock and Station Journal. No. 7983. Victoria, Australia. 16 December 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 23 July 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "[Biographical cuttings on M. Kathleen Deasey, college principal, containing one or more cuttings from... | Catalogue | National Library of Australia". catalogue.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
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