Perkins, Jessie May

Field of activity
Servicewoman
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-748075

Biographies

Major Jessie Perkins MBE, RFD, ED (Retd) was the first Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) Citizen Military Forces (CMF) member to be awarded a MBE. She was appointed a Member (Military) to the Order of the British Empire on 13 June 1970, for her services to the WRAAC.

Before joining the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) on 10 December 1943, Jessie Perkins worked with the Public Service. In the Army she mainly served with the Land Headquarters (LHQ) Australian Army Service Corps School (AASC) until December 1945, she then transferred to the Master General of the Ordnance Branch, Design Division - which was responsible for the experimentation and testing of all army equipment - until her discharge on January 1947 with the rank of Sergeant.

Following her discharge Perkins worked for the Department of Labour and National Service. She then worked as a secretary to a building and plumbing supplies firm, before working part-time with a secretarial agency while she cared for her mother.

During the mid-1960s Perkins commenced a secretarial/bookkeeping position with the St Kilda Football Club. She retired after 16 years with the Club and was appointed an Honorary Life Member. Perkins then established a bookkeeping service and worked for a series of small firms.

On the raising of the WRAAC CMF – later A Reserve, Jessie Perkins enlisted with the first intake on 21 July 1953 as a Private. In February 1955 she was one of the first CMF officers who were appointed from the ranks and she was attached to a CMF signals unit. Following the transfer of Captain Margaret Phillips, the first Officer-in-Charge (OC), and eight other ranks to the Regular Army, Captain Jessie Perkins became OC on 24 October 1957, the first reserve officer to hold the position. She was OC WRAAC Coy for 12 years before serving at Headquarters 3 Division. Perkins served for 25 years rising to the rank of Major (1961) before being discharged on 21 September 1978.

On 13 June 1970 Perkins was appointed a MBE (MIL) and later awarded the Reserve Forces Decoration (RFD) and Efficiency Decoration (ED) with 1st Clasp.

Now the Patron of the WRAAC Reserve Association (Vic.) she was president of the Association for 17 years. Also she is treasurer and public officer of the Council of Ex-Servicewomens' Associations (Vic.) Inc., treasurer and public officer of the Royal Australian Signals Association and volunteer – with her sister – of Meals on Wheels for MECWA Community Care (retired after 15 years with the Opportunity Shop, where she was also treasurer). Perkins' involvement with the church includes being Vicar's Warden – Parish Council, server, sidesperson, reader and a member of the Sanctuary Guild. Since 2001 Perkins has been president and treasurer of the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) Association (Victoria) Inc.

View the full record at Australian Women's Register

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Australian Women's Register

Resources for Jessie May Perkins

Selected resources (1)

Australian Women's Register

  1. Soldiers of the Queen : women in the Australian Army
    Bomford, Janette
    [2001]
    Published: Oxford University Press

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  1. Perkins Pat
    Created by hacott, 10 items.

  2. Perkins
    Created by rickmperkins, 47 items.

  3. another jessie whelan
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  1. Perkins, Jessie May
    ... Major Jessie Perkins MBE, RFD, ED (Retd) was the first Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC ...
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  1. Lucas Energy Announces Acquisition and Successful Revitalization of Jessie Perkins No. 1 Well
    PrimeZone Media Network
    [ Article : 2006 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.136)

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  2. Coming Home From Jail: The Social and Health Consequences of Community Reentry for Women, Male Adolescents, and Their Families and Communities
    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Daniels, Jessie; Crum, Martha; Perkins, Tiffany; Richie, Beth E.
    [ Article ]
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    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.103)

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  3. Fire! My Parents' Story.(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
    Perkins, Linda
    Booklist
    [ Article : 1998 ]
    View online (conditions apply)
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.102)

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  4. Coming home from jail: the social and health consequences of community reentry for women, male adolescents, and their families and communities.(PUBLIC HEALTH MATTERS)(Author abstract)
    Freudenberg, Nicholas; Daniels, Jessie; Crum, Martha; Perkins, Tiffany; Richie, Beth E
    The American Journal of Public Health
    [ Article : 2008 ]
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.081)

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  1. Website: Australian Women in War
    www.womenaustralia.info
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  2. Website: Australian Women's Archives Project
    www.womenaustralia.info
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  3. Website: Putting skirts on the sacred benches : women candidates for the New South Wales Parliament
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  1. Maury and Perkins Family Papers
    [ Unpublished ]
    Languages: ISO 639-2 eng
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  2. Southeastern Utah Oral Histories
    Gary Shumway
    [ Unpublished : 1963 ]
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  3. Deved Photograph Collection
    Thorne Studio
    [ Unpublished ]
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  1. Little women / Louisa May Alcott
    Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888
    [ Book, Audio book, Sound : 1800-2011 ]
    Languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, [16 others]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 152 libraries
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.145)

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  2. The yellow wallpaper / Charlotte Perkins Gilman ; afterword by Elaine R. Hedges
    Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935
    [ Book, Audio book : 1892-2004 ]
    Languages: English, Italian
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  3. Herland / by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ; with an introd. by Ann J. Lane
    Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935
    [ Book : 1915-2001 ]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 37 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.435)

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  4. Sex work & sex workers in Australia / edited by Roberta Perkins ... [et al.]
    NetLibrary, Inc
    [ Book : 1994 ]
    View online (access conditions)
    At 8 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.187)

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  1. Little women / Louisa May Alcott
    Alcott, Louisa May, 1832-1888
    [ Book, Audio book, Sound : 1800-2011 ]
    Languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, [16 others]
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
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    At 152 libraries
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.145)

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  2. The yellow wallpaper / Charlotte Perkins Gilman ; afterword by Elaine R. Hedges
    Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, 1860-1935
    [ Book, Audio book : 1892-2004 ]
    Languages: English, Italian
    read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
    View online
    At 47 libraries
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.618)

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  3. Celia Smith oral history tapes
    Bell, Jeanie
    [ Sound : 1988 ]
    Possibly online
    At AIATSIS AV Archive
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  4. Sheilas : a tribute to Australian women / John Larkins, Bruce Howard
    Larkins, John, 1943-
    [ Book, Audio book : 1976-1991 ]
    At 47 libraries
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  1. THE WORLD OF WOMEN Orange Blossom Coronet Holds Bride's Veil
    Examiner (Launceston, Tas. : 1900 - 1954) Tuesday 4 November 1947 p 5 Article
    ... place the embroidered broidered tulle veil worn by Jessie Ailene Perkins, daughter ter of Mr. F. Perkins and the late' Mrs. Perkins, when she married Henry George Armitage on Saturday. CAANON M. J. MAY celebrated the wedding at Holy Trinity, and the bride's brother, Mr. H. Perkins, gave her away. ... 246 words
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  2. IN DIVORCE. (Before Mr. Justice Owen.)
    The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Wednesday 9 December 1925 p 12 Article
    ... Shipway v Peter Benjamin Shipway, Calvert Tertius Toulmin v Ethel Rose Toulmin, Beatrice May ... Harding, Florence Ethel Perkins v William Perkins, Norman Bruce Lloyd v Elsie Teresa Lloyd, Henry Unsworth Grenhalgh v Victoria May Green-   Groen halgh, John Smith v Ethel Maud Smit ... 212 words
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  3. GRAFTON MEETING. LA BARTER WINS HANDICAP. GRAFTON, November 13.
    The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Monday 14 November 1932 p 4 Article
    ... Bernard (Imp.)-Pittsworth Lady, 8.8 (Neale), l; J. H. Bennett's Shy May, 8.1 (Ralston), 2; A. Flatley's ... 8.8 (Shipton); Mac Waulker, 8.6 (Farmer); Jessie Frlsko, 7.6 (Arundel); Query Palm, car. 8.1 ... 3 to 1 v. Resolve, 4 to 1 Beaunard and Birdman. 5 to 1 Shy May, 6 to 1 Bulimba and Query Palm, 8 to ... 474 words
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