Henrietta Greville
Encyclopedia
Henrietta Greville MBE
, née Wyse (9 October 1861 – 29 August 1964) was an Australian labour organiser and one of the first women to run for the Australian Parliament with major party endorsement.
Greville was born in Dunedin, New Zealand
, to Australian-born gold prospector Henry Wyse and Rebecca, née Hutchinson. The family moved to Victoria in 1866 and to Howling in New South Wales
in 1868. Despite her lack of formal education Henrietta was briefly a teacher at the age of 17. On 3 August 1881 at Albury
Registry Office she married jeweller John Collins, but the marriage was unhappy and they separated in 1889, Henrietta and her four children returning to her parents' farm at Temora
. (Collins would later die in Western Australia
.)
Greville worked as a seamstress, but the 1890s depression forced her to move to the goldfields at West Wyalong, where she helped to establish a local branch of the Political Labour League
. She married miner and union organiser Hector Greville on 30 August 1894, and despite constantly moving to support the family they had a happy marriage. Henrietta became an organiser for the Australian Workers' Union
and later became influential in the Women Workers' Union, serving as its delegate to the Trades and Labour Council. In 1902 the family was in Sydney
, where Greville became associated with Bertha McNamara
's radical group, and in 1908 she became an organiser for the White Workers' Union. An anti-conscription
campaigner, she and Eva Seery
were the first women endorsed for a federal election by a major political party when they ran for the 1917 federal election
as Labor
candidates, albeit in safe conservative seats (Greville was defeated in Wentworth
). She subsequently stood for the state seat of Vaucluse
in 1927.
Greville studied economics from 1914 to 1916 and became branch secretary of the Workers' Educational Association of New South Wales at Lithgow
in 1918, moving to the executive in 1919 and president (the first female president) in 1920. She remained active for many years, being particularly associated with sex education
, and was directing groups aged 94. Her husband died in 1938, but Greville remained a public figure, and in 1945 was made a life member of the Union of Australian Women. Around this time she began to identify more with the Communist Party of Australia
, which she supported but did not join. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in January 1958. She died aged 103 at Lakemba
in 1964 and was cremated; a block of pensioners' units was named in her memory in that year.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, née Wyse (9 October 1861 – 29 August 1964) was an Australian labour organiser and one of the first women to run for the Australian Parliament with major party endorsement.
Greville was born in Dunedin, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, to Australian-born gold prospector Henry Wyse and Rebecca, née Hutchinson. The family moved to Victoria in 1866 and to Howling in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1868. Despite her lack of formal education Henrietta was briefly a teacher at the age of 17. On 3 August 1881 at Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
Registry Office she married jeweller John Collins, but the marriage was unhappy and they separated in 1889, Henrietta and her four children returning to her parents' farm at Temora
Temora, New South Wales
Temora is a town located in north east part of the Riverina area of New South Wales, south-west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census the population of Temora was 4,086.-History:...
. (Collins would later die in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.)
Greville worked as a seamstress, but the 1890s depression forced her to move to the goldfields at West Wyalong, where she helped to establish a local branch of the Political Labour League
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. She married miner and union organiser Hector Greville on 30 August 1894, and despite constantly moving to support the family they had a happy marriage. Henrietta became an organiser for the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
and later became influential in the Women Workers' Union, serving as its delegate to the Trades and Labour Council. In 1902 the family was in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where Greville became associated with Bertha McNamara
Bertha McNamara
Bertha McNamara Bredt , was a Sydney-based Australian socialist agitator, feminist, pamphleteer, bookseller, and mother-in-law of Australian writer Henry Lawson....
's radical group, and in 1908 she became an organiser for the White Workers' Union. An anti-conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
campaigner, she and Eva Seery
Eva Seery
Eva Mary Seery, née Dempsey was an Australian political organiser and one of the first women to stand for the Australian Parliament with major party endorsement....
were the first women endorsed for a federal election by a major political party when they ran for the 1917 federal election
Australian federal election, 1917
Federal elections were held in Australia on 5 May 1917. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
as Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidates, albeit in safe conservative seats (Greville was defeated in Wentworth
Division of Wentworth
The Division of Wentworth is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. The Division is named after William Charles Wentworth , a noted Australian explorer and statesman...
). She subsequently stood for the state seat of Vaucluse
Electoral district of Vaucluse
Vaucluse is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, based on the suburb of Vaucluse. Vaucluse is one of two original electorates to have never been held by the opposing Labor party and always by the Liberal Party or its predecessors, the other...
in 1927.
Greville studied economics from 1914 to 1916 and became branch secretary of the Workers' Educational Association of New South Wales at Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
in 1918, moving to the executive in 1919 and president (the first female president) in 1920. She remained active for many years, being particularly associated with sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
, and was directing groups aged 94. Her husband died in 1938, but Greville remained a public figure, and in 1945 was made a life member of the Union of Australian Women. Around this time she began to identify more with the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
, which she supported but did not join. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in January 1958. She died aged 103 at Lakemba
Lakemba, New South Wales
Lakemba is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lakemba is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury....
in 1964 and was cremated; a block of pensioners' units was named in her memory in that year.