Pattie Menzies

Pattie Menzies
Dame
Pattie Menzies
GBE
Robert and Pattie Menzies in London in 1938
Spouse of the 12th
Prime Minister of Australia
In office
26 April 1939 – 28 August 1941
Preceded by Ethel Page
Succeeded by Ilma Fadden
In office
19 December 1949 – 26 January 1966
Preceded by Elizabeth Chifley
Succeeded by Zara Holt
Personal details
Born Pattie Maie Leckie
2 March 1899
Alexandra, Victoria, Australia
Died 30 August 1995 (aged 96)
Spouse(s) Sir Robert Menzies
Children Heather, Mrs. Henderson; Kenneth (deceased), Ian (deceased) and one other who died at birth
Religion Presbyterian

Dame Pattie Maie Menzies GBE (2 March 1899 – 30 August 1995) was the wife of Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies.

Contents

Biography

Menzies was born as Pattie Maie Leckie at Alexandra, Victoria, the eldest daughter of John Leckie, a Deakinite Liberal who was elected the member for Benambra in the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1913. He won the federal seat of Indi in 1917. Pattie usually accompanied her father on electorate tours until he lost his seat in 1919.

Pattie Leckie attended Fintona Girls' School in Melbourne, and during this time saw Robert Menzies, but they were not formally introduced until 1919. After they met, Menzies became a regular visitor at her father's home. On 27 September 1920 they were married at Kew Presbyterian Church in Melbourne. Soon after their marriage, the Menzies bought the house in Howard Street, Kew, which would become their family home for 25 years. They had three surviving children: two sons and a daughter. Another child died at birth.

Her father was elected to the Senate in 1934, serving until 1947. In 1940 he was appointed Minister without portfolio in his son-in-law's ministry, and later Minister for Aircraft Production. [1][2]

Honours

In the 1954 New Year's Honours, Pattie Menzies was appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire.[3][4] The official citation read: "In recognition for her years of incessant and unselfish performance of public duty in hospital work, in visiting, addressing and encouraging many thousands of women in every State of Australia, including very remote areas, and in the distinguished representation of Australia on a number of occasions overseas". Her husband was knighted in 1963, but she continued to be known as Dame Pattie Menzies, not as Lady Menzies.

Other

In the 1967 America's Cup challenge, the Australian syndicate headed headed by Sir Frank Packer raced an International 12-metre class racing yacht which was named Dame Pattie in her honour.

Sir Robert Menzies died in 1978. In 1992 Dame Pattie moved back to Melbourne from Canberra to live with her daughter, Heather Henderson. She was a founding member and first patron of the Australian Monarchist League.

Death

Dame Pattie Menzies died on 30 August 1995, aged 96, and is buried alongside her husband in the Melbourne General Cemetery.[5] She was survived by her daughter, Heather Henderson, having outlived not only her husband but both of her sons.

Titles, styles and honours

Honours

Titles and styles from birth

  • Miss Pattie Leckie (1899 - 1920)
  • Mrs Robert Menzies (1920 - 1954)
  • Dame Pattie Menzies GBE (1954 - 1995)

References

  1. ^ Browne, Geoff (1986). "Leckie, John William (1872 - 1947)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100039b.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-05. 
  2. ^ "Leckie, John William". re-member. Parliament of Victoria. http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/re-member/bioregfull.cfm?mid=1226. Retrieved 2010-09-05. 
  3. ^ It's an Honour website
  4. ^ a b London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40054. p. 40. 29 December 1953. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  5. ^ Death of Dame Pattie Menzies

Sources


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pattie — may refer to:* P8 Blue, nicknamed Pattie , a fictional character in the non canon Star Trek series Starfleet Corps of Engineers * Pattie Boyd, model and photographer * Pattie Menzies, wife of Australia’s longest serving Prime Minister …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Menzies — Infobox Prime Minister honorific prefix = The Right Honourable name=Sir Robert Gordon Menzies honorific suffix = KT AK CH QC order=12th [Menzies served 2 terms. He was the 12th person to serve as Prime Minister, in his first term in 1939. He was… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Menzies — dans les années 1930 Mandats 12e Premier ministre australien …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sir Robert Menzies Lecture — The Sir Robert Menzies Lecture is an annual lecture delivered in Melbourne, Australia, by a prominent politician, academic or other noteworthy individual, about various aspects of modern liberalism. The lectures have been held annually since 1978 …   Wikipedia

  • Dame Pattie — is an International 12 metre class racing yacht built for the America s Cup challenge series in 1967. She was designed by Warwick Hood and built by W.H. Barnett in New South Wales, Australia. The 1967 challenge cost $2 million and was funded by… …   Wikipedia

  • Spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia — The spouse of the Prime Minister of Australia is a position that has been occupied only by women to date, thus the spouse is usually known as the Prime Minister s wife.The Prime Minister s spouse has no official duties. In addition to assisting… …   Wikipedia

  • Australia — /aw strayl yeuh/, n. 1. a continent SE of Asia, between the Indian and the Pacific oceans. 18,438,824; 2,948,366 sq. mi. (7,636,270 sq. km). 2. Commonwealth of, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, consisting of the federated states and… …   Universalium

  • Scots' Church, Melbourne — Infobox Church name = Scots Church, Melbourne imagesize = 300px caption = The Scots Church, Melbourne seniorpastor = Rt Rev Douglas Robertson pastor = Rev Richard O Brien Rev John Diacos Rev Geoffrey Blackburn type = Presbyterian denomination =… …   Wikipedia

  • Zara Bate — Dame Zara Bate DBE Zara Holt in 1950 Spouse of the 17th Prime Minister of Australia In off …   Wikipedia

  • The Lodge — Infobox House name=The Lodge former names= imagesize=300px map type= latitude= 35.310818 longitude=149.116547 built=1927 location=Deakin, Australian Capital Territory architect= J G Taylor architectural style=Georgian Revival construction type=… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”