Alice Ishbel Hay Creswick (; 21 September 1889, Aberdeen, Scotland – 24 October 1973, Armadale, Victoria, Australia) is best known for her work in the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU) and as an important figure in the Australian Red Cross Society (ARCS) during World War II.
She was president of the committee of the Lady Northcote Free Kindergarten for ten years (1928–1938) and joined the executive of the Free Kindergarten Union (FKU), becoming president in 1939. In 1940, she was 'headhunted' by the Australian Red Cross Society, when they asked her to become its principal commandant. In this capacity, she travelled widely, both inspecting and establishing Red Cross services and activities.
She resigned from this position in 1946 and immediately resumed her presidency of the FKU, picking up where she left off as an energetic leader who tirelessly lobbied the government for greater support for pre-school training. Ill health forced her to resign in 1949, but she maintained her interest and activism in the area of early childhood development.
She died in 1973, aged 84, leaving large bequests to the organisations she supported in her lifetime: the FKU, the Australian Red Cross and the Anglican Church.
References
Family 1910 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216625691 30 Nov Marriage to HFC 1911 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/142937770 Jan last week Marriage to HFC https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205591552 Daughter Moira Creswick 1935 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/86549592 Husband killed Henry Forbes, Four children Alec, Sheila, Moira, Archie
Free Kindergarten Union 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11302380 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/204410396 P FKU 1947 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206020489 Reelected P FKU 1949 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43801723 P FKU, VP ARCS, VP AAPSCD 1949 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206078370 Resignation as PFKU Scholarship sponsor 1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206794565 Other references
Red Cross Personnel member 1939 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206330673 Appointment Co-opted member of CC, member of CCEC 1939 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205591552 Chairman of Women's Personnel Committee 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46737400 Principal Comandant 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/40941246 Appointed PC 6 weeks ago 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186274902 Recently appointed PC 1940 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/186274942 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/47321623 1942 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2604327 1943 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78460589 1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/127050076 1944 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/78761363 1945 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51761983 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22314555 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206107991 Junior Vice Chairman 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22252615 Resignation of PC and election to VC of NC 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188723435 Former PC of Qld Div appointed to VC of NC 1946 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/96474209 1947 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/224899727 1947 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51761983 Other references
External links
Australian Dictionary of Biography