Patsy Adam-Smith
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Patsy Adam-Smith (b. May 31, 1924, d. September 20, 2001) was an author and historian of Australia. Her three most notable works are: The Anzacs (1978), Australian Women at War (1984) and Prisoners of War (1992).
[edit] History
On Australia Day 1994 Patricia Adam-Smith was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to community history, particularly through the preservation of national traditions and folklore and the recording of oral histories. She also received an Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil) (OBE) in the Queens Birthday Honours list on 14 June 1980 for her services to literature.
The daughter of railway workers, Patsy Adam-Smith was raised in a number of small Victorian country towns. She enlisted as a Voluntary Aid Detachment during the Second World War and was the first female to be articled as a radio officer when she worked on an Australian merchant ship from 1954-1960. In Hobart from 1960-1967 she was employed as an Adult Education Officer before taking the position of manuscripts field officer for the State Library of Victoria from 1970-1982. In 1978 her book The Anzacs shared The Age Book of the Year Award and was made into a 13 part TV series. In 1980 she was the recipient of an OBE for services to literature. Prisoners of War won the 1993 triennial Order of Australian Association Book Prize. In 1994 Adam-Smith was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her outstanding services to community history.
Her autobiography was published in two parts - Hear The Train Blow and Good-bye Girlie. For Good-bye Girlie Adam-Smith won the 1995 Benalla Award for Audio Book of the Year, and the 1995 TDK Australian Audio Book Awards, Unabridged Non-Fiction Category.
[edit] Chronology
- 17 March 1943 - 14 July 1944 Served with the Australian Army Medical Women's Service
- 1954 - 1960 Radio operator on an Australian merchant ship
- 1960 - 1967 Adult Education Officer in Hobart
- 1970 - 1982 Manuscript Field Officer for the State Library of Victoria
- 1973 State President of Australian Writers, Victoria
- 1973 Federal President of the Fellows Australian Writers, Victoria
- 1976 - 2001 Member of the Board of Directors for the Royal Humane Society Australasia
- 1980 Appointed Officer of the British Empire
- 1983 - 2001 Committee Member of the Museum of Victoria
- 1993 Received Triennial Award from the OBE Association
- 1994 Awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia
