People Australia

Sheila Florence Hill, née May (1936-2023) secretary and women’s activist

Birth: 15 June 1936 at London, England, daughter of Albert Edward Ernest May (born 25.12.1898 in England, died in England 29.10.1958), civil servant, and Florence Harriet, nee Mayers, (born 4.2.1900 in England, died at Townsville, Queensland, 4 June 1990) munitions worker, business and professional woman. Marriage: 1956 to Francis Paul Hill (1928-1983), chief Inspector of police, later industrial officer, born at Hampstead, London. They had three children. Death: 4 October 2023 at Romsey, Victoria. Religion: Catholic. 

• Personal assistant, research officer, women’s activist. Educated at Chartered Institute of Secretaries England, University of New South Wales, Townsville College of TAFE, Catholic Institute of Sydney, James Cook University, Queensland.
• Secretary, Students Union in England. Committee member of the Young Women’s Christian Association for eighteen years.
• In Zimbabwe from 1954 to 1965, she was founder and coordinator of African Police Wives Clubs in rural areas.
• In Queensland from 1965. Lived in Townsville. Reputedly the first woman to join Chamber of Commerce and set up a business of employment agency (first such business there). Treasurer of Soroptimist’s International, regional coordinator of Freedom from Hunger campaigns, regional coordinator development education for Australian Catholic Relief and in 1980 was North Queensland delegate to UN mid-decade conference in Canberra.
• In Canberra was a member of Legal Aid Appeal Tribunal, member and finance officer for Coalition of Activist Participating Organisations of Women (CAPOW), member Women in Development Advisory Committee, executive member United Nations Association of Australia, UNAA convenor of status of women, Canberra regional president of the Catholic Women’s League. Member of Australian Catholic Relief (now Caritas).
• In Adelaide, South Australia, was State vice president UNAA, president UNAA Status of Women Committee, Social Justice Committee, newsletter editor for Soroptimist International, member Caritas, vice president CWL. Delegation leader and voting delegate to the World Assembly of Catholic Women’s Organisations at Guadalajara.
• Wrote numerous submissions to government and other agencies on issues affecting women, numerous papers and articles including short stories and poems to “Journey”. 1995 conference convenor for UNAA 50th anniversary conference in Canberra.
• From 1997 worked as personal assistant to Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide. Nominated Australian board member of World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations, July 1999.
• Appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in Queen’s Birthday Honours, June 1999, for service to women, particularly through the Catholic Women’s League and the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations.