P007424 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2024-07-16 human Helen Cohn updated 2025-12-31 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007424b.htm person McKenzie Florence Violet OBE AACR2 Granville, Florence Violet Wallace, Florence Violet 28 September 1890 23 May 1982 Place of Birth Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Place of Death Greenwich, New South Wales, Australia Electrical engineer Florence McKenzie was Australia's first female electrical engineer. She owned an electrical contracting business and "The Wireless Shop" in the centre of Sydney. Her interest in radio prompted her to obtain an amateur radio operator's license in 1922, the first woman in Australia to do so, and co-found the magazine The Wireless Weekly. McKenzie was particularly interested in technical education for women: her concerns ranged from emancipating women from domestic drudgery to electrical safety. In 1932 she founded the Women's Radio College and in 1934 the Electrical Association for Women, to provide training to women and encourage them to become involved in the industry. A further step was to establish the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) in 1939, which trained women in morse code and semaphore. The intention was that they could take the place of men in communications positions, thereby freeing them for war service. In 1941, as a direct result of McKenzie's efforts, the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service was inaugurated with the enlistment of 14 women trained at the WESC. She continued to train both women and men throughout WWII, and in the post-war period. McKenzie received a number of honours, including that of Patron of the Ex-WRANS Association. In 2017 the Florence Violet McKenzie Chair was established at the Australian National University. 1918 1918 Career event - Established her own electrical contracting business 1922 1922 Career event - First Australian woman to take out an amateur radio operator's license 1922 1926 Career position - Proprietor, "The Wireless Shop", Royal Arcade, Sydney 1923 1923 Career event - became a Member of the Wireless Institute of Australia 1923 1923 Education - Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Sydney Technical College 1932 1932 Career event - Opened Women's Radio College, Phillip Street, Sydney 1934 1934 Career event - Established the Electrical Association for Women 1939 1939 Career event - Founded Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) 1950 1950 Award - Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) 1957 1957 Award - Elected Fellow, Australian Institute of Navigation 1964 1982? Award - Patron, Ex-WRANS Association 1979 1979 Career event - Elected Member, Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society 2017 2017 Award (posthumous) - Florence Violet McKenzie Chair established, Australian National University Royal Australian Navy, Commonwealth of Australia (1911 - )

14 telegraphists trained by McKenzie were the first women to enlist in the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service 1941

 Australian National University (1946 - )

The Florence Violet McKenzie Chair was established in 2017

 'McKenzie, Florence Violet', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology McKenzie, Florence Violet Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Edited Book: Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Engineers Australia Anything is possible: 100 Australian engineering leaders Barton, A.C.T. Institution of Engineers, Australia 2019 Edited Book: 200 Australian Women: a Redress Anthology Radi, H. 200 Australian Women: a Redress Anthology Sydney Women's Redress Press Inc 1988 Resource Section: McKenzie,(Florence) Violet Freyne, Catherine McKenzie,(Florence) Violet Sydney State Library of New South Wales 2010 The dictionary of Sydney Journal Article: Mrs Florence Violet McKenzie (nee Wallace) OBE ASTC (Elec Eng) FAIN, "Mrs Mac" died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday evening, 23 May 1982, aged 90 Mrs Florence Violet McKenzie (nee Wallace) OBE ASTC (Elec Eng) FAIN, "Mrs Mac" died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday evening, 23 May 1982, aged 90 1982 Ex-Wrans ditty box June 1-11 Book: Radio girl: the extraordinary story of Mrs Mac, pioneering engineer and wartime legend Dufty, David Radio girl: the extraordinary story of Mrs Mac, pioneering engineer and wartime legend Sydney Allen & Unwin 2020