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Norma Male

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Norma Male BEM (1916–2017) was an Australian local government administrator, the first woman to be appointed permanently to the senior role of Town Clerk in New South Wales.

Early years

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Norma Thora Male was born in 1916 in Hughenden, Queensland to Henry James Male and Louisa Ann Male. She had a sister Altha and two brothers Jim and Cliff.[1]

Career

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Norma Male was employed at age of 18 as a stenographer for the Cootamundra Municipal Council. Male completed her town clerk exams in 1942 and 1943.[1] She continued working for the Cootamundra Municipal Council until 1944.[1]

Male was appointed Town Clerk of Balranald Municipality in 1944[2][3][4] and became the Shire Clerk of Balranald Shire in 1957, following its incorporation.[5]

On 25 August 1944 Male was the first woman elected to the Local Government Clerks Association of N.S.W..[6]

In 1947, she presided over the opening of the Balranald Library.[7]

She was the Shire Clerk of Balranald from 1956 until she retired in 1974.[1] Following her retirement Male moved from Balranald to Sydney where she worked part-time at the Town Clerks Society and Institute of Municipal Management from 1974 to 1988.[8]

Awards

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  • Male is featured in the National Pioneers Women's Hall of Fame as the first female Town Clerk and Shire Clerk in New South Wales and possibly in Australia.[9]
  • 1975 Male was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1975 for dedicated service to Local Government.[10][9]

Personal life

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Norma Male died on 2 October 2017 at West Wyalong aged 101 years.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Deal, Anthony. "Miss Norma Male's wonderful Journey of her life 1916 - 2017" (PDF). Balranald Shire Council. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  2. ^ "MISS MALE". Cootamundra Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 8 September 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 30 January 2020 – via Trove.
  3. ^ "FIRST WOMAN TOWN CLERK". Singleton Argus. New South Wales, Australia. 25 September 1944. p. 4. Retrieved 30 January 2020 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "Woman Town Clerk In Love With Her Job". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 21 October 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 30 January 2020 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "Norma Male Ceremony" (PDF). Balranald Shire Newsletter. July 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. ^ "A UNIQUE DISTINCTION". Riverina Recorder. New South Wales, Australia. 9 September 1944. p. 2. Retrieved 3 February 2020 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "BALRANALD LIBRARY OPENED". The Riverine Grazier. New South Wales, Australia. 27 June 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 30 January 2020 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "Norma has 100 reasons to celebrate". The Leader. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  9. ^ a b "An old friend visits Balranald". Local Government Focus, November 2008. 1 November 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ^ Australian Women's Archives Project. "Faith, Hope, Charity - Australian Women and Imperial Honours - Browse Award - The Order of the British Empire (Civil)". www.womenaustralia.info. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Norma MALE Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Morning Herald". tributes.smh.com.au. Retrieved 2024-03-30.

See also

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