Speaker 1: Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
Speaker 1: is Womanica. This month we're talking about women of sound.
Speaker 1: These women dominated the airwaves, innovating, documenting, and creating the
Speaker 1: audio landscape we live in today. Today we're talking about
Speaker 1: the first woman in Australia to have an amateur radio license.
Speaker 1: This pioneering electrical engineer shared her knowledge with thousands of
Speaker 1: students and became known as Australia's Mademoiselle Edison. Let's talk
Speaker 1: about Florence Violet Mackenzie Violett was born in Melbourne, Australia,
Speaker 1: on September twenty eighth, eighteen ninety. She developed an interest
Speaker 1: in science early in life. She often fooled around with
Speaker 1: the electrical wires in her home and tinkered with bells
Speaker 1: and buzzers and lights. She went on to get her
Speaker 1: degree in electrical engineering at Sydney Technical College, becoming australia
Speaker 1: Ilia's first woman electrical engineer. Ever since radio waves were
Speaker 1: first discovered, radio enthusiasts had been interfering with them for
Speaker 1: wireless communication, much to the annoyance of commercial and government operations.
Speaker 1: During World War One, amateur radio or ham radio ceased,
Speaker 1: but by the nineteen twenties, Ham Radio was back in
Speaker 1: full force, much to Violet's excitement. In nineteen twenty one,
Speaker 1: she bought her own radio sales and repair shop. Running
Speaker 1: the shop while studying, helped Violet gain a strong knowledge
Speaker 1: of radio frequencies. It helped her become the first woman
Speaker 1: with a certification and a radio telegraphy, the first woman
Speaker 1: with an amateur radio license in Australia, and the first
Speaker 1: female member of the Wireless Institute of Australia. In electrical technology,
Speaker 1: Violet saw the power of convenience and the effect it
Speaker 1: could have on women's lives, freeing them from hours of
Speaker 1: unnecessary domestic labor. In nineteen thirty four, she founded the
Speaker 1: Electrical Association for Women, which taught women how to use
Speaker 1: modern appliances and electric kitchens. She also created the first
Speaker 1: women's guide to cooking with electricity and an electrical safety
Speaker 1: guide for children. By the late nineteen thirties, the Second
Speaker 1: World War was looming as men began to head off
Speaker 1: to the front lines. Violet realized that women could harness
Speaker 1: the power of electricity to help with the war effort.
Speaker 1: In nineteen thirty eight, she joined the Australian Women's Flying Club,
Speaker 1: where she trained female pilots in Morse Code. In nineteen
Speaker 1: thirty nine, Violet and her husband opened the Women's Emergency
Speaker 1: Signaling Corps to teach free courses on radio telegraphy. In total,
Speaker 1: Violet trained nearly three thousand women. Violet also trained men
Speaker 1: in her courses. By nineteen forty five, she trained around
Speaker 1: twelve thousand men in Morse Code, visual signaling and international codes.
Speaker 1: Violet was quite fond of her students, and in return,
Speaker 1: her students affectionately referred to her as Missus Mack. While
Speaker 1: she had a significant presence, Violet was in fact quite dainty.
Speaker 1: She was barely five feet tall. The Australian Navy was
Speaker 1: not quick to accept Violet's female students. After months of persuading,
Speaker 1: Violet convinced the Naval Board in Melbourne to accept fourteen
Speaker 1: of her operators. Those operators formed the Women's Royal Australian
Speaker 1: Naval Service and Violet was appointed an honorary flight officer
Speaker 1: in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force. After the war,
Speaker 1: Violet continued with her signaling classes, teaching Australian airline crews
Speaker 1: and the Navy until she closed the school in nineteen
Speaker 1: fifty five. In nineteen seventy six, Violet was confined to
Speaker 1: a wheelchair after a stroke. On May twenty third, nineteen
Speaker 1: eighty two, Francis Violet Mackenzie died. She was ninety one
Speaker 1: years old. Throughout her life, Violet was honored for her
Speaker 1: contributions to radio. In nineteen fifty she was appointed as
Speaker 1: an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. In
Speaker 1: nineteen seventy nine, she was made an official member of
Speaker 1: the Royal Navy Amateur Radio Society. Though her name was
Speaker 1: largely forgotten over the years, she made a lasting impact
Speaker 1: on the men and women she taught. All month, We're
Speaker 1: talking about Women of Sound. For more information, find us
Speaker 1: on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special thanks to
Speaker 1: Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator. Talk to
Speaker 1: you tomorrow.