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Radio Girl
As you climbed the rickety stairs of an old woolshed at Sydney harbor in 1944, you could hear rows of men and women in uniforms and headsets tapping away vigorously at small machines, under the careful watch of their young female trainers. Presiding over the cacophony was a tiny woman, known to everyone as "Mrs Mac," one of Australia's wartime legends. A smart girl from a poor mining town, Violet McKenzie became an electrical engineer, a pioneer of radio, and a businesswoman. As the clouds of war gathered in the 1930s, she trained young women in Morse code, foreseeing that their services would soon be needed. She was instrumental in getting Australian women into the armed forces. Mrs Mac was adored by the thousands of young women and men she trained, and she came to be respected by the defense forces and the public too for her vision and contribution to the war effort. David Dufty brings her story to life in this heartwarming and captivating biography.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 28, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 30, 2024
Mrs Mac - (Florence) Violet McKenzie née Wallace - was a much loved pioneer of her time, starting as a youngster with her love of all things electrical, as she became first an electrical engineer, then dabbled in radio (wireless) and was a brilliant businesswoman. But she was most known for her love of Morse, and her diligence in teaching young women the art of Morse, predicting it would be needed in the future. Violet was an important woman in the war years, and her contribution to the war effort, in that she and her girls trained thousands of enlisted men in the art of signalling.
Violet was born in Melbourne in 1890, lived her childhood in the small village of Austinmer, south of Sydney, married Cecil in 1924 and died at the age of 90 in 1982. She was much loved and was shown deep respect by all who knew her. I hadn't heard of Mrs. Mac before discovering Radio Girl and am grateful to Aussie author David Dufty for sharing her story. The old black and white photos in the centre of the book are interesting and add a poignancy to Violet's story, enabling my picturing of the era. A well written and researched biography, Radio Girl is one I recommend.
Violet was born in Melbourne in 1890, lived her childhood in the small village of Austinmer, south of Sydney, married Cecil in 1924 and died at the age of 90 in 1982. She was much loved and was shown deep respect by all who knew her. I hadn't heard of Mrs. Mac before discovering Radio Girl and am grateful to Aussie author David Dufty for sharing her story. The old black and white photos in the centre of the book are interesting and add a poignancy to Violet's story, enabling my picturing of the era. A well written and researched biography, Radio Girl is one I recommend.
May 15, 2020
Radio Girl by David Duffy is, as the tag line says, the story of the extraordinary Mrs Mac, pioneering engineer and wartime legend.
(Florence) Violet McKenzie née Wallace, who later came to be known affectionately to many as Mrs. Mac, was born in Melbourne in 1890, married in 1924, and died in 1982. While her childhood in Austinmeer, south of Sydney, was largely unremarkable she went on to make an outstanding contribution to Australian society over her lifetime.
Radio Girl is a fascinating tribute to an amazing woman who deserves far more recognition than she has ever been given. I was quickly absorbed in the tale of Mrs Mac’s life, inspired by all she achieved, and frankly annoyed that I’ve never heard of her.
Some of Violet’s many accomplishments included becoming Australia’s first woman to earn a diploma in electrical engineering, owning and operating a successful store, the ‘Wireless Shop’, catering to amateur radio enthusiasts, and establishing the Electrical Association for Women.
However Violet’s most significant achievement was her contribution to the war effort. In 1939 Mrs Mac, as she was by then commonly called, created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps, ultimately training around 3000 women in Morse code. She became the driving force behind the creation of the Women’s Royal Australian Navy Service in 1941, which employed as many as a third of ‘her girls’ during WWII, and also trained thousands of enlisted and civilian men, from more than half a dozen countries, in signalling.
Suitable for the general reader, as well as those with specific interest in Australian military history or womens history, Duffy’s narrative reads well, it’s detailed without being dry, and informal in tone. Progressing chronologically through Violet’s lifetime, Duffy includes a dozen or so photographs, which I always appreciate. While it is unfortunate though that Violet could not directly contribute to this biography as I‘d be interested in the addition of a more personal perspective, the story of the Radio Girl and her achievements is nevertheless fascinating.
Radio Girl is interesting and informative and I’d like to thank David Duffy for ensuring Mrs Mac, and her admirable accomplishments are recognised in the present day, and recorded for history.
(Florence) Violet McKenzie née Wallace, who later came to be known affectionately to many as Mrs. Mac, was born in Melbourne in 1890, married in 1924, and died in 1982. While her childhood in Austinmeer, south of Sydney, was largely unremarkable she went on to make an outstanding contribution to Australian society over her lifetime.
Radio Girl is a fascinating tribute to an amazing woman who deserves far more recognition than she has ever been given. I was quickly absorbed in the tale of Mrs Mac’s life, inspired by all she achieved, and frankly annoyed that I’ve never heard of her.
Some of Violet’s many accomplishments included becoming Australia’s first woman to earn a diploma in electrical engineering, owning and operating a successful store, the ‘Wireless Shop’, catering to amateur radio enthusiasts, and establishing the Electrical Association for Women.
However Violet’s most significant achievement was her contribution to the war effort. In 1939 Mrs Mac, as she was by then commonly called, created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps, ultimately training around 3000 women in Morse code. She became the driving force behind the creation of the Women’s Royal Australian Navy Service in 1941, which employed as many as a third of ‘her girls’ during WWII, and also trained thousands of enlisted and civilian men, from more than half a dozen countries, in signalling.
Suitable for the general reader, as well as those with specific interest in Australian military history or womens history, Duffy’s narrative reads well, it’s detailed without being dry, and informal in tone. Progressing chronologically through Violet’s lifetime, Duffy includes a dozen or so photographs, which I always appreciate. While it is unfortunate though that Violet could not directly contribute to this biography as I‘d be interested in the addition of a more personal perspective, the story of the Radio Girl and her achievements is nevertheless fascinating.
Radio Girl is interesting and informative and I’d like to thank David Duffy for ensuring Mrs Mac, and her admirable accomplishments are recognised in the present day, and recorded for history.
May 13, 2022
‘When radio came into being, Morse code was essential.’
A recent visit to a current (until 24 July 2022) exhibition at the Australian National Museum (Decoded: 75 Years of the Australian Signals Directorate) reminded me that I had this book sitting on my shelf. I came home, picked it up and became engrossed in Mr Dufty’s book about this amazing woman.
(Florence) Violet McKenzie (née Wallace) (28 September 1890 – 23 May 1982), became an electrical engineer, a radio pioneer, and a businesswoman. Violet Wallace had to go into business before she could receive her training as an engineer. In 1921 Miss Wallace bought a radio sales and repair shop in Royal Arcade, Sydney, which she ran while studying. In 1924, she married.
In 1939, ‘Mrs Mac’ as she was known, created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps. When World War II began, Mrs Mac had trained around one thousand women in Morse code. By the end of the War, a further two thousand women had been trained. A third of these women joined the defence forces. She also trained twelve thousand men. Initially, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)rejected her offer of trained telegraphists. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) took up Mrs Mac’s offer and she trained the first fourteen WRANS at the WESC.
I finished this book wondering how I had not learned about Mrs Mac at school, how her name was not included in the history we learned of Australia’s involvement in World War II. My thanks to Mr Dufty for this comprehensive well-written book about an amazing woman.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
A recent visit to a current (until 24 July 2022) exhibition at the Australian National Museum (Decoded: 75 Years of the Australian Signals Directorate) reminded me that I had this book sitting on my shelf. I came home, picked it up and became engrossed in Mr Dufty’s book about this amazing woman.
(Florence) Violet McKenzie (née Wallace) (28 September 1890 – 23 May 1982), became an electrical engineer, a radio pioneer, and a businesswoman. Violet Wallace had to go into business before she could receive her training as an engineer. In 1921 Miss Wallace bought a radio sales and repair shop in Royal Arcade, Sydney, which she ran while studying. In 1924, she married.
In 1939, ‘Mrs Mac’ as she was known, created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps. When World War II began, Mrs Mac had trained around one thousand women in Morse code. By the end of the War, a further two thousand women had been trained. A third of these women joined the defence forces. She also trained twelve thousand men. Initially, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)rejected her offer of trained telegraphists. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) took up Mrs Mac’s offer and she trained the first fourteen WRANS at the WESC.
I finished this book wondering how I had not learned about Mrs Mac at school, how her name was not included in the history we learned of Australia’s involvement in World War II. My thanks to Mr Dufty for this comprehensive well-written book about an amazing woman.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
February 4, 2022
This is not something I would have picked up without book club as I’m not a biography fan; I don’t enjoy the lack of writing-craft typically found in biography, and this is the same. The story does become more interesting as the book progresses, and it is most interesting for portraying the difficulties women faced being accepted into the military, in any capacity. It also brings to the fore the work of Violet MacKenzie, whose name and work should be much more broadly known, to Australians especially.
October 17, 2020
Honestly, a story I've never known before but now I've read it I'm convinced it is a must-read for Australian feminists and women in STEM. The book is thorough and well paced offering insight into the working life of a woman who dedicated so much of her life to others. I'm glad to know now about Mrs Mac and her dedication to women in radio, flight and ultimately military signalling.
June 25, 2021
It’s fair to say that given the extraordinary achievements of Violet McKenzie, any book written about her would be pretty solid – it’d be a pretty hard story to do a bad job of. That makes it even better that this book is excellently done, well-researched, well-written and paced, and edited to perfection (I didn’t spot a single error – not too shabby for 259 pages).
The story of Violet McKenzie is that of Australia’s first female electrical engineer (who had to go into business as an engineer before she could received her training), the founder of the Women’s Electrical Association (Australia), a co-founder of Wireless Weekly, the organiser of Australia’s first radio exhibition and a bunch of other things. Her most lasting achievement, however, was the establishment and running of the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps – which, with Violet McKenzie, widely known as ‘Mrs Mac’, at the helm, trained 12,000 men and 3,000 women before (as Violet saw the war coming, and prepared for it) and during the Second World War in morse code by telegraph and aldis lamp, and signalling by semaphore. All this was done on her own initiative, and initially with very limited official support (indeed, the air force initially rejected her offer of trained telegraphists, thus linking McKenzie with the RAN and the WRANS, who proved less short-sighted and took her up on her offer (although McKenzie still needed to advocate for them), the first 14 WRANs being trained by McKenzie at the WESC.
The book outlines a woman of incredible determination, courage, vision, energy and compassion – the world would be a far, far better place if people were encouraged to be more like Violet McKenzie. If it were up to me, I’d make the book required reading at school.
As well as being well-written and edited (and very accessible – it’s an easy read, and there words aren’t terribly dense per page, so it’s an easy ‘page-turner’), the book is well annotated, with an extensive bibliography and well put-together index, as well as a plates section in the centre with 48 images.
Needless to say, I’d recommend it highly to anyone who is interested in the foundation of the WRANS, the history of radio in Australia, or inspirational people/biographies more generally.
The story of Violet McKenzie is that of Australia’s first female electrical engineer (who had to go into business as an engineer before she could received her training), the founder of the Women’s Electrical Association (Australia), a co-founder of Wireless Weekly, the organiser of Australia’s first radio exhibition and a bunch of other things. Her most lasting achievement, however, was the establishment and running of the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps – which, with Violet McKenzie, widely known as ‘Mrs Mac’, at the helm, trained 12,000 men and 3,000 women before (as Violet saw the war coming, and prepared for it) and during the Second World War in morse code by telegraph and aldis lamp, and signalling by semaphore. All this was done on her own initiative, and initially with very limited official support (indeed, the air force initially rejected her offer of trained telegraphists, thus linking McKenzie with the RAN and the WRANS, who proved less short-sighted and took her up on her offer (although McKenzie still needed to advocate for them), the first 14 WRANs being trained by McKenzie at the WESC.
The book outlines a woman of incredible determination, courage, vision, energy and compassion – the world would be a far, far better place if people were encouraged to be more like Violet McKenzie. If it were up to me, I’d make the book required reading at school.
As well as being well-written and edited (and very accessible – it’s an easy read, and there words aren’t terribly dense per page, so it’s an easy ‘page-turner’), the book is well annotated, with an extensive bibliography and well put-together index, as well as a plates section in the centre with 48 images.
Needless to say, I’d recommend it highly to anyone who is interested in the foundation of the WRANS, the history of radio in Australia, or inspirational people/biographies more generally.
August 15, 2025
This was a wonderful Australian story. Mrs Mac is worthy to be remembered.
October 20, 2020
Radio Girl by David Dufty
“Yes, it is finished. And I have proved to them all that women can be as good as, or better than, the men”. (
Radio Girl is the remarkable biography of Florence Violet McKenzie, by Australian Writer, David Dufty. Violet McKenzie blazed a trail of revolutionary achievements in her life, however it was her unwavering dedication to the training of over 3,000 women and 12,000 men in Morse code and signalling during World War II that she is best known for, earning her the respect of both allied forces and her students, who affectionately knew her as Mrs Mac.
As qualified as she was progressive, Violet was the first female in Australia to study electrical engineering. She went on to become a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur and radio pioneer, and after receiving one of the first experimental broadcast licences, communicated in Morse code from her attic across both continent and countries.
As the threat of war loomed in the 1930’s, Violet saw the pressing need for signalling and Morse code operators and began training women. She was instrumental in their deployment to the armed services and was even approached to deploy women to an elusive code breaking unit in Melbourne.
Word spread that Violet and her team could train Morse code more efficiently then the army, and she was soon training men from Australian and allied countries as they prepared for enlistment and deployment.
Violet faced adversity, questioning and dismissal, yet she persevered. Her determination and success would earn her the belated respect of her detractors and the admiration and loyalty of her students.
Constructed chronologically, the narrative is effortlessly readable and supported with a series of insightful photos. Told by Dufty, the tone is formal, yet celebratory.
The biography progresses through Violet’s life from her birth in 1890 to her death in 1982, with a primary focus on her efforts and achievements in the 1930’s and 40’s. This focussed timeframe allows for a captivating reflection of Sydney, Australia during this wartime period as well as insight into the adversity and rise of the women’s movement.
There is a cast of fascinating characters that feature in the biography. The stories of Violet’s enthusiastic and strong-willed girls were inspiring, as were those of the professional men who, against popular opinion, supported Violet when she faced undeterrable, yet considerable reluctance in her quest to progress her talent and those of the women around her.
It is clear Dufty has significant research and writing experience, weaving related facts and references into the narrative to create a fascinating read that moves with well-balanced pace. Dufty has gone to great lengths to research and interview people who knew Violet, making the writing personable and warm while communicating her incredible list of achievements so vivid, the reader humbly feels a part of the journey.
Readers with an interest in Australian history, the women’s movement and communications will enjoy this book. If you have never heard of Violet McKenzie, you will be asking yourself why upon opening the first page and will have fallen in love with her by the time you turn the last.
Radio Girl is a fascinating tribute to an amazing woman who deserves far more recognition than she has ever been given. We owe Dufty thanks for educating us and ensuring Mrs Mac, and her admirable accomplishments are recognised in the present day and recorded for history.
David Dufty has a PhD in psychology and has worked as a statistician and social researcher at the University of Memphis, Newspoll, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. His book The Secret Code Breakers of Central Bureau won the 2017 Nib Military History Prize.
Rating
5/5 stars
Just a heads up, this biography deals with death, war and stillbirth.
For more:
In Black and White Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...
ABC Radio National
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
“Yes, it is finished. And I have proved to them all that women can be as good as, or better than, the men”. (
Radio Girl is the remarkable biography of Florence Violet McKenzie, by Australian Writer, David Dufty. Violet McKenzie blazed a trail of revolutionary achievements in her life, however it was her unwavering dedication to the training of over 3,000 women and 12,000 men in Morse code and signalling during World War II that she is best known for, earning her the respect of both allied forces and her students, who affectionately knew her as Mrs Mac.
As qualified as she was progressive, Violet was the first female in Australia to study electrical engineering. She went on to become a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur and radio pioneer, and after receiving one of the first experimental broadcast licences, communicated in Morse code from her attic across both continent and countries.
As the threat of war loomed in the 1930’s, Violet saw the pressing need for signalling and Morse code operators and began training women. She was instrumental in their deployment to the armed services and was even approached to deploy women to an elusive code breaking unit in Melbourne.
Word spread that Violet and her team could train Morse code more efficiently then the army, and she was soon training men from Australian and allied countries as they prepared for enlistment and deployment.
Violet faced adversity, questioning and dismissal, yet she persevered. Her determination and success would earn her the belated respect of her detractors and the admiration and loyalty of her students.
Constructed chronologically, the narrative is effortlessly readable and supported with a series of insightful photos. Told by Dufty, the tone is formal, yet celebratory.
The biography progresses through Violet’s life from her birth in 1890 to her death in 1982, with a primary focus on her efforts and achievements in the 1930’s and 40’s. This focussed timeframe allows for a captivating reflection of Sydney, Australia during this wartime period as well as insight into the adversity and rise of the women’s movement.
There is a cast of fascinating characters that feature in the biography. The stories of Violet’s enthusiastic and strong-willed girls were inspiring, as were those of the professional men who, against popular opinion, supported Violet when she faced undeterrable, yet considerable reluctance in her quest to progress her talent and those of the women around her.
It is clear Dufty has significant research and writing experience, weaving related facts and references into the narrative to create a fascinating read that moves with well-balanced pace. Dufty has gone to great lengths to research and interview people who knew Violet, making the writing personable and warm while communicating her incredible list of achievements so vivid, the reader humbly feels a part of the journey.
Readers with an interest in Australian history, the women’s movement and communications will enjoy this book. If you have never heard of Violet McKenzie, you will be asking yourself why upon opening the first page and will have fallen in love with her by the time you turn the last.
Radio Girl is a fascinating tribute to an amazing woman who deserves far more recognition than she has ever been given. We owe Dufty thanks for educating us and ensuring Mrs Mac, and her admirable accomplishments are recognised in the present day and recorded for history.
David Dufty has a PhD in psychology and has worked as a statistician and social researcher at the University of Memphis, Newspoll, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. His book The Secret Code Breakers of Central Bureau won the 2017 Nib Military History Prize.
Rating
5/5 stars
Just a heads up, this biography deals with death, war and stillbirth.
For more:
In Black and White Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast...
ABC Radio National
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
February 9, 2024
This is the story of an extraordinary woman, Florence “Violet” McKenzie, known affectionately as “Mrs Mac”, Australia’s first female electrical engineer, a pioneer of Australian amateur radio and a successful entrepreneur.
A very interesting read from beginning to end. It is incomprehensible that her name is not up there with the other amazing and inspiring women who made their mark in history in Australia. Who has heard of her? Seemingly few. Violet McKenzie trained the first female codebreakers in signals in Australia and was the woman behind persuading the Australian Navy to establish the WRANS (Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service).
“I was born on the same day as Confucius, so it seemed only natural that I became a teacher.” – Florence Violet McKenzie
Violet McKenzie had originally qualified as a mathematics teacher in 1913. She started her own business in amateur radio in the 1920s and 1930s. Reading about the advent of radio was all the more interesting for me when I knew I had, in earlier days, listened to one of the first radio stations to broadcast, 2BL (Broadcasters Limited) which became the ABC’s local AM station in Sydney. Also, mention was made of the Crystal Radio Kit, I went back down Memory Lane with this, my father had given me one (a pocket radio which requires no power source, not even a battery) when I was about ten years old. The radio waves are captured by an aerial, which provides the power by causing pyrite crystals to vibrate. A metal wire resting against the crystal transmits the vibrations to the listener’s earpiece or headphones, where they are turned into sound. I can remember clipping the aerial to my metal bed frame! I loved it, it was my first experience of being able to listen to music on a radio.
With the 1920s and 1930s came the advent of some indispensable electric appliances – vacuum cleaners, washing machines, floor polishers, ovens and ranges, toasters, irons (to name but a few) - which gave women freedom to do other things. This was the technology of the day, but women feared them because of the dangers of electrocution. In 1934, Violet McKenzie, Australia’s first female electrical engineer, formed the Electrical Association for Women in Australia, following the lead of Caroline Haslett, who travelled around Britain giving lectures to women on electrical appliances.
“Think of the fatalities that would be averted if women had a general knowledge of electricity and electrical appliances” – Florence Violet McKenzie
Let’s take a moment to appreciate our electric washing machines, the appliance with the most profound impact on day-to-day life, the arduous task of clothes washing almost universally performed by women, with a news item from 1925: “In the days of the tub, the wash boiler, and the hand clothes wringer, the week’s washing was a formidable task, consuming the entire day, leaving no time, and little energy or spirit, for anything else.”
With the threat of World War II looming, Violet’s signalling school, “Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps” established in early 1939, teaching Morse Code, semaphore, hand and visual signalling was to become her greatest achievement. Communication would be vital in the theatre of war.
By the end of World War II, Violet’s signals school had trained more than 3000 women and more than 12,000 men, as well as servicemen from the Allied Forces, including the United States, India, Britain, New Zealand and China.
Between 1946 and 1953, virtually everyone who qualified as a pilot in Australia – including the pilots for the four major airlines (Qantas, TAA, Ansett and Butler Air Transport) – was trained in signals by Mrs Mac.
Recognition for Violet McKenzie’s achievements in aiding Australia’s war effort were recognised in 1950 when she was the recipient of an OBE (Order of the British Empire) award ‘for voluntary services to the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps’.
Of note, Violet had faced many obstacles in persuading men in positions of power to acknowledge the worth of women in performing roles and filling positions which were considered only for males. Men also felt that their jobs were threatened by women, whose place had always been in the home attending to domestic duties and looking after their husband and children.
This book exceeded my expectations, to some it may appear boring, but it is anything but. It is a piece of history and is testimony to what women are capable of achieving.
I also congratulate the author, David Dufty, who in 2017 took the time to garner the details from a portfolio on Violet McKenzie compiled by the Ex-WRANS Association in 1987, safely stored away in a cardboard box at the naval repository on Spectacle Island in Sydney Harbour.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_i...
Australian women have contributed greatly to the country's development, in many areas. Historically, a masculine bias has dominated Australian culture. Since 1984, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Commonwealth) has prohibited sex discrimination throughout Australia in a range of areas of public life, including work, accommodation, education, the provision of goods, facilities and services, the activities of clubs and the administration of Commonwealth laws and programs, though some residual inequalities still persist.
https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/au...
Over the past century, women have played a key role in shaping Australia and the world as we know it today. Fighting on the front lines for social justice, women’s rights, education and health care as well as proving themselves as vital game changers in the world of sports and science.
https://blogs.slv.vic.gov.au/our-stor...
Women that wanted to work in the library faced discrimination for a long time: they couldn’t become full librarians until 1926 and that’s on top of a variety of discriminatory legislation from the Victorian Public Service (VPS) in the 1880s and 1890s that limited who could work in the VPS (no married women, for example), what roles women could fill and prevented promotions.
July 11, 2020
David Dufty has written an affectionate and entertaining biography of a woman who was a gifted teacher and a charismatic (albeit modest) leader, and taught thousands of young men and women how to perform codes of various kinds (Morse machines, Aldis lamps, semaphore flags). Born in 1890, of an English mother and a Scottish father, Violet Wallace became an electrical engineer, a pioneer of radio, a successful businesswoman and a champion of women’s right to work.
Her aptitude for mathematics won her a scholarship to Sydney Girls High School in 1904. Although she studied to become a mathematics teacher she wanted to become an electrical engineer but first she must be apprenticed to an engineering firm. Violet bought her brother Walter’s faltering engineering business in 1915 and apprenticed herself to it. With her first contract she enrolled in the Electrical Engineering diploma at the Sydney Technical College and became the first woman in Australia to do so.
In 1923 Violet was awarded her engineering diploma, becoming Australia’s first woman electrical engineer. In 1924 she married Cecil Roland McKenzie who had also studied engineering at the Sydney Technical College. Eight years after graduating Violet was still the only female electrical engineer in Australia. In a campaign to get more women involved in electricity and radio, in 1934 Violet opened the Electrical Association for Women (EAW) in Sydney. Within two years the EAW had over 1,000 members and within three years it was approaching 2,000 members. The EAW encouraged women to embrace modernity, especially washing machines, which would liberate them from the drudgery of manual housework. She fought long and hard for the formation of the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS). In 1939 Violet created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC), dedicated to teaching Morse code and radio to women. This was to become her greatest achievement.
By the end of World War II Violet’s signals school had trained more than 3,000 women, over 1,000 of whom had entered the WRANS. She and her instructors had also trained more than 12,000 men.
Violet suffered a stroke in 1976 yet was able to attend the ceremony held on 23 May 1980 to celebrate her eightieth birthday at The Mission to Seafarers Church in Sydney and unveil the plaque laid in her honour. Violet McKenzie died in her sleep on 23 May 1982, aged ninety-one. Twenty-four WRANS formed a guard of honour at her funeral.
In her ground-breaking work, The Female Eunuch, Germaine Greer dismissed women’s military services as ‘not soldiers in their own right but clerical assistants and other kinds of handmaidens to the males’. Now, having read Violet’s biography, this seems ignorant and unfair. For women like the WRANS who spent their teens and twenties counting the dead among the young men they loved, the idea of disparaging men was unthinkable. If feminists believed that politeness, deference and gentle persuasion had failed earlier generations of women, those methods had not failed Violet McKenzie, a remarkable woman who achieved all she set out to do.
Her aptitude for mathematics won her a scholarship to Sydney Girls High School in 1904. Although she studied to become a mathematics teacher she wanted to become an electrical engineer but first she must be apprenticed to an engineering firm. Violet bought her brother Walter’s faltering engineering business in 1915 and apprenticed herself to it. With her first contract she enrolled in the Electrical Engineering diploma at the Sydney Technical College and became the first woman in Australia to do so.
In 1923 Violet was awarded her engineering diploma, becoming Australia’s first woman electrical engineer. In 1924 she married Cecil Roland McKenzie who had also studied engineering at the Sydney Technical College. Eight years after graduating Violet was still the only female electrical engineer in Australia. In a campaign to get more women involved in electricity and radio, in 1934 Violet opened the Electrical Association for Women (EAW) in Sydney. Within two years the EAW had over 1,000 members and within three years it was approaching 2,000 members. The EAW encouraged women to embrace modernity, especially washing machines, which would liberate them from the drudgery of manual housework. She fought long and hard for the formation of the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS). In 1939 Violet created the Women’s Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC), dedicated to teaching Morse code and radio to women. This was to become her greatest achievement.
By the end of World War II Violet’s signals school had trained more than 3,000 women, over 1,000 of whom had entered the WRANS. She and her instructors had also trained more than 12,000 men.
Violet suffered a stroke in 1976 yet was able to attend the ceremony held on 23 May 1980 to celebrate her eightieth birthday at The Mission to Seafarers Church in Sydney and unveil the plaque laid in her honour. Violet McKenzie died in her sleep on 23 May 1982, aged ninety-one. Twenty-four WRANS formed a guard of honour at her funeral.
In her ground-breaking work, The Female Eunuch, Germaine Greer dismissed women’s military services as ‘not soldiers in their own right but clerical assistants and other kinds of handmaidens to the males’. Now, having read Violet’s biography, this seems ignorant and unfair. For women like the WRANS who spent their teens and twenties counting the dead among the young men they loved, the idea of disparaging men was unthinkable. If feminists believed that politeness, deference and gentle persuasion had failed earlier generations of women, those methods had not failed Violet McKenzie, a remarkable woman who achieved all she set out to do.
April 20, 2025
An excellent read. Recounts the life of Mrs Violet McKenzie, known as 'Mrs Mac'. A pioneer female electrical engineer, Mrs Mac developed an interest in the emerging technology of radio. The latter part of the book focusses on the significant contribution she made to training wireless telegraphers, particularly females, many of whom were recruited into the WRANS and the WAAAF in WWII. Dufty brings to readers a well researched study of a trail blazing woman whose significant contribution to Australia, particularly the war effort, had all but been forgotten. Highly recommended. This was a book I found hard to put down.
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July 13, 2020"...it’s time for Australian feminism to reclaim Violet McKenzie. Tiny in stature, she always stood her ground against even the most patronising of big men. What’s more, while forging her own path over traditionally male territory, she ensured it widened behind and around her." - Read my full review in the Saturday Paper: https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/c...
December 21, 2024
Having been a member of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service, I was shocked to have known very little about Mrs Florence McKenzie, yet she was the reason our organization existed at all. David Dufty brought the events, the people and locations to life. I found myself taking my time to read this book, to consider every chapter, to think about how Mrs Mac's actions still reverberated today. A remarkable book about a remarkable woman.
July 3, 2020
This such a fascinating book about ‘Mrs Mac’ and her life and achievements before and during WWII. Well written and a page turner. Thanks to David Dufty for bringing this story to light and celebrating this women’s and others from the WESC. So much has been written about men in WWII it’s good to see that this story is not forgotten. Would love to see this made into a movie!!
August 23, 2020
An excellent biographical account of a unique contribution to a long lost telecommunications calling taken up by many both as a peace-time activity and a crucial one used almost universally during WW2
September 6, 2020
A quiet woman of great intelligence and drive did a great amount to help my country in it's attempts at to defend it self during word war 2 , that is only part of her story,to discover more,get a copy of this story
September 23, 2021
Wow what a fascinating read. I had never heard of Mrs Mac. What a unsung hero of WW2 in Australia. It was funny in places, it made me mad in places to see how woman were considered not worthy in other places, however I found I really liked the way David Dufty presented the story.
May 27, 2020
Excellent read, what an adventure!
April 2, 2021
Every Australian should read this interesting account of Australian radio/communication history.
August 15, 2021
Very interesting biography. Australia's first female electrical engineer. After100 years we still can't get enough girls doing engineering. We need to highlight pioneers like Violet more.
August 17, 2022
Really interesting story about a female hero of Australian history. Thank goodness the author David Dufty has finally brought her into the public eye. A remarkable character.
September 16, 2023
Interesting content although a little repetitive in the delivery. What a force she was!
December 7, 2023
Always good to read about Australian legends, especially when it's about women taking on the entrenched male hierarchy, and winning.
October 24, 2024
The story of a mostly unknown Australian woman who almost single handedly taught the signals codes to thousands of service men and women.
October 4, 2021
Extraordinary woman whose story must not be forgotten.
Here’s my video review
https://youtu.be/lY6UJq3dkvo
Here’s my video review
https://youtu.be/lY6UJq3dkvo
July 2, 2023
Brilliant books about an extraordinary woman! Talks about the pioneering time of radio, use of morse code during WW2 and the formation of WRANS...and Violet MacKenzie was in the thick of it.
It is people like this that children should be learning about at school. Such an inspiration for all women....and she suffered much prejudice due to her gender. Highly recommended. Easy to read.
It is people like this that children should be learning about at school. Such an inspiration for all women....and she suffered much prejudice due to her gender. Highly recommended. Easy to read.
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