Constance Duncan
Encyclopedia
Ada Constance Duncan was an Australian welfare activist.
Duncan was born at Canterbury
to agent Andrew William Bartlett Duncan and Alice Dalby, née Bellin. She attended the local Baptist
school, Hessle College, before achieving a Bachelor of Arts
(Hons) from the University of Melbourne
in 1917, followed by a Master of Arts
in 1922. She was one of the first women at the university to own a motorcycle, and offered rides during World War I
to raise money for the Australian Red Cross
Society. She worked for the Australian Student Christian Movement for two years before being appointed Australian secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association
, in which capacity she was sent "on loan" to the Japan
ese association.
Duncan worked in Tokyo
and Kyoto
while in Japan and studied at the London School of Economics
in the 1928–29 period. She returned home in 1932 due to her father's illness, and joined the Lyceum Club
. Secretary of the Victorian branch of the Australian League of Nations Union and the Bureau of Social and International Affairs from 1934 to 1941, she attended the Institute of Pacific Relations conference at Yosemite in California
as the Victorian delegate. She returned home via a fact-finding mission for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, investigating short-wave programs in China
and Japan.
Duncan then became involved in the peace movement, serving on the executive of the United Peace Council and becoming secretary of the International Peace Campaign in 1937. She resigned after the Munich agreement
(Doris Blackburn
was the replacement). In 1938 Duncan was appointed inaugural director of the Victorian International Refugee Emergency Council (VIREC), which assisted European refugees in assimilating into Australian life, and fought against widely-held community prejudices. She visited British Quakers deported to Australia (the "Dunera boys") at their internment camps and wrote angrily to the British Society of Friends deploring the conditions on the ships, resulting in a summons to Victoria Barracks
.
Duncan resigned from the VIREC in December 1941 to join the Department of Labour and National Service, investigating the welfare of children of working mothers. She stood unsuccessfully at the 1943 federal election
as an independent
for the seat of Balaclava
, and in 1944 produced a report for the National Health and Medical Research Council supporting, among other things, family welfare and increased pay for domestic workers.
Duncan visited Korea
in 1946 for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in her capacity as welfare officer for the South-West Pacific and liaised with the commanding generals of the United States
and Soviet
armies before returning to Australia to lecture at universities. She was a foundation member of the International House
council (1955–66) and continued her considerable community and church involvement. She died at Kew
in 1970 and was cremated; the private dining-room at International House is named for her.
Duncan was born at Canterbury
Canterbury, Victoria
Canterbury is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
to agent Andrew William Bartlett Duncan and Alice Dalby, née Bellin. She attended the local Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
school, Hessle College, before achieving a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(Hons) from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
in 1917, followed by a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1922. She was one of the first women at the university to own a motorcycle, and offered rides during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to raise money for the Australian Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
Society. She worked for the Australian Student Christian Movement for two years before being appointed Australian secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association
Young Women's Christian Association or YWCA or YWCA Building or Old YWCA Building or variations may refer to:*World YWCA, the organization formerly known as Young Women's Christian Associationor it may refer to:...
, in which capacity she was sent "on loan" to the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese association.
Duncan worked in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
while in Japan and studied at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in the 1928–29 period. She returned home in 1932 due to her father's illness, and joined the Lyceum Club
Lyceum Club (Australia)
The Lyceum Club , also known as the Australian Association of Lyceum Clubs and formed in 1972 from several smaller clubs, is an Australian arts, literature and social activism group for women only...
. Secretary of the Victorian branch of the Australian League of Nations Union and the Bureau of Social and International Affairs from 1934 to 1941, she attended the Institute of Pacific Relations conference at Yosemite in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as the Victorian delegate. She returned home via a fact-finding mission for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, investigating short-wave programs in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan.
Duncan then became involved in the peace movement, serving on the executive of the United Peace Council and becoming secretary of the International Peace Campaign in 1937. She resigned after the Munich agreement
Munich Agreement
The Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
(Doris Blackburn
Doris Blackburn
Doris Amelia Blackburn was an Australian activist and Member of Parliament.She was born Doris Amelia Hordern in Melbourne, Victoria, and became involved in women's rights and peace issues from a young age and served as the campaign secretary of Vida Goldstein, the first woman to stand for election...
was the replacement). In 1938 Duncan was appointed inaugural director of the Victorian International Refugee Emergency Council (VIREC), which assisted European refugees in assimilating into Australian life, and fought against widely-held community prejudices. She visited British Quakers deported to Australia (the "Dunera boys") at their internment camps and wrote angrily to the British Society of Friends deploring the conditions on the ships, resulting in a summons to Victoria Barracks
Victoria Barracks
There are several Victoria Barracks in the world.*Victoria Barracks, Windsor Castle*Victoria Barracks, Melbourne*Victoria Barracks, Hong Kong*Victoria Barracks, Sydney*Victoria Barracks, Brisbane...
.
Duncan resigned from the VIREC in December 1941 to join the Department of Labour and National Service, investigating the welfare of children of working mothers. She stood unsuccessfully at the 1943 federal election
Australian federal election, 1943
Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 August 1943. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia John Curtin easily defeated the opposition Country Party led...
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
for the seat of Balaclava
Division of Balaclava
The Division of Balaclava was an Australian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It was named for the suburb of Balaclava, which in turn was named for a battlefield of the Crimean War...
, and in 1944 produced a report for the National Health and Medical Research Council supporting, among other things, family welfare and increased pay for domestic workers.
Duncan visited Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in 1946 for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in her capacity as welfare officer for the South-West Pacific and liaised with the commanding generals of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
armies before returning to Australia to lecture at universities. She was a foundation member of the International House
International House
International House is the name of:in Australia*International House, University of Queensland, a residential college on the campus of the University of Queensland...
council (1955–66) and continued her considerable community and church involvement. She died at Kew
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
in 1970 and was cremated; the private dining-room at International House is named for her.