Rockingham women part of history

Women looking for inspiration need only to look to the past, says Rockingham Museum curator Wendy Durant, who has selected her top three historic Rockingham women in light of Women’s History Month.

First on the list was Jane Elizabeth Bell, born in 1923. Mrs Durant said Jane arrived in WA in 1839 as an orphan and was sent to a magistrate’s residence in Toodyay as a domestic servant.

She said Jane’s experience was “horrendous” as she was abused and gave birth to an illegitimate child which died.

“She was charged with concealing a birth and sentenced to two years imprisonment on Rottnest Island,” Mrs Durant said.

She said Jane took control of her life when she was released from prison in 1843 and became a seamstress.

She married James Bell in 1847 and they settled in Rockingham until her death in 1909.

“The couple were original pioneers of Rockingham and had eight children — they were pillars of society — everyone knew her as ‘Granny Bell’,” Mrs Durant said.

Next was Lucy Harriet Saw, “the resident nurse” of Rockingham.

Born in 1888 in Canning, Mrs Durant said Lucy followed her family to Rockingham in the 1920s, after she qualified as a nurse.

“There were no doctors in Rockingham until the 1950s, Lucy was the one who was called out at all hours of the night, to everything — broken legs, heart attacks, babies being born,” she said.

“She dedicated her whole life to mending people.”

Until her death in 1969, Lucy committed herself to the community.

She helped build the Rockingham Country Women’s Association and volunteered for Red Cross.

The Lucy Saw Women’s Refuge Centre was named in her honour.

Ernestine Forster took the last spot for her loyalty to the community and for helping her husband George teach the Rockingham children.

Mrs Durant said Ernestine, originally from Belgium, travelled to Australia in the 1920s, first settling in Mandogalup where she worked alongside her husband George teaching the children until 1937 when they were transferred to a school in Rockingham, now known as Rockingham Beach Primary School.

Mrs Durant said the couple were committed to the school and planted all the grass and provided playgrounds.

She said Ernestine was remembered for teaching sewing to the girls, supporting the Red Cross and for inspiring happiness throughout her whole life.

“She was so steadfast,” Mrs Durant said.