VALE IT IS WITH SADNESS THAT WE RECORD THE DEATHS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE ST MARY'S COMMUNITY: LADY TREATT (FRANKIE WILSON ’32, HEAD GIRL) 2 MAY 1914 – 21 JULY 2014
Lady Treatt was born Jessie Embleton Wilson on 2 May 1914 in Perth, the only child of Clara Embleton Wilson (Marshall) and Arthur Wilson, son of Frank Wilson CMG, twice Premier of Western Australia. At a very young age, Jessie decided she would like to be named after her grandfather and she would be known as Frank, which became ‘Frankie’. Frankie’s early educational years were spent at PLC before she moved to the Church of England Girls’ School, St Mary’s, West Perth in 1924, now known as St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School. An intelligent, sporty and musical child, Frankie succeeded in almost anything she put her mind to, winning numerous prizes and awards including the Archbishop Riley Prize (Dux of Year 11) in 1930, Dux of the School in 1931, School Prefect in 1930 and Senior Prefect (Head Girl) in 1931 and 1932. Frankie excelled in basketball (now known as netball), athletics and pianoforte and received her Junior Certificate in 1929 and Leaving Certificate in 1931. She completed an honorary half year in 1932 to assist in leadership of the school and to prepare for university. Frankie studied Arts and Law at the University of Western Australia (UWA), graduating in December 1937 with LLB, passing with Distinction in all Law subjects. She then travelled to England and Europe with her aunt, Miss Linley Wilson, a well-known dancer. On her return to Perth in 1938, she took a position as an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Law at UWA and completed her Articled Law Clerkship, being admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in December 1940. She rose to become a junior partner in a private law firm and also conducted pro bono work through UWA, assisting indigent women and children with legal representation. Work for the Department of Postwar Reconstruction took Frankie to Canberra, where she drafted legislation on many projects, including concepts of what would later become Legal Aid in Australia. After WWII, Frankie moved to Sydney and worked for the NSW State Public Service, where she would later meet and marry Sir Vernon Haddon Treatt KBE KC MM in May 1960. Frankie’s new life as the wife of a politician (Leader of the Liberal Party in NSW) and well-known public figure (Lord Mayor of Sydney), returned her to the days of being a small girl in Perth with a famous grandfather and a family involved in politics and service to the public. Frankie and Vernon shared a happy and fulfilling life together, particularly on their rural property in Locksley, Oberon NSW. Vernon passed away in 1984. Frankie remained in Sydney, living an independent and vital life into her 100th year. She continued to be concerned about and involved with public issues, philanthropic ventures and causes. When asked recently about the important issues in life, she responded that, “education is the one!” Always one for practical and meaningful applications, two of her greatest recipients of philanthropy were the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and her former school, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School. The school has named The Lady Treatt Centre for Music and Dance and St Mary’s at Metricup: the Lady Treatt Centre for Learning and Leadership, in her memory. Lady Treatt passed away peacefully in Sydney on 21 July 2014. Obituary compiled by Stephanie Neille, Archivist, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, with thanks to the friends and family of Lady Treatt and the University of Western Australia.
DONATIONS TO THE ARCHIVES THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING OLD GIRLS, FORMER STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY FOR SO GENEROUSLY DONATING TO THE ST MARY’S ARCHIVES. THANK YOU ALSO TO THOSE WHO HAVE ASSISTED MRS RONDA BECK WITH COMPILING ORAL HISTORIES AND COLLECTING STORIES, MEMORIES AND PHOTOS FROM THEIR TIME WITH THE SCHOOL.. Marilyn Johnston for her mother-in-law, Emma Johnston (Trigg ’23) Andrew Amos for his mother, Phyllis St Clair Amos (Simes ’30) Robyn Metcalf (Stewart ’66) and Ce Oxley (Jones) for Isla Jones (Saw ’31) Lorrie Maley (Rowledge ’33) Barbara Brockman (’36) Richard Gray for his father, Noel Mackintosh Gray (’38) Joan Winter (Lawley-Smith ’40)
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Margaret van Hazel (Altorfer ’41) Flora (Trilli) Bobone (Gamba ’42) Barbara Hurst (Cuming ’47) and Peter Hurst (’47) Rosemary Leslie (Wittenoom ’47) Barbara Brand (Green ’49) Valma Cearns (Davies ’51) Helen Campbell (Willis ’54) Fleta Lidbury (Natrass ’55) Judy Martin (Spark ’56) Wendy Toop (Fraser ’56)
Diane Porter (Wardle ’60) Keeva Verschoor (Wittwer ’62) Marlene Carter (’63) and for Carolyn Seale (’60) Gaye Anderson (’64) Susanne Harford (’64) Vicki Neil (Reader ’68) Dianne Rudeforth (Cook ’69) Gloria Burnett (Pethick ’69) Wendy Schulze (’73) and for Rita Castledine (Scott ’54)