Mary Alice Ward
Mary Alice Ward | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date South Australia, Australia |
| Died | July 27, 1972 (aged 75) North Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, pastoralist |
| Known for | Ownership and management of Banka Banka Station |
Mary Alice Ward (born 1 September 1896, died 27 July 1972) was an Australian educator and pastoralist, recognized for her ownership and management of Banka Banka Station. She was affectionately referred to as "The Missuss of Banka Banka."
Early life
Ward was the firstborn among eight siblings to John McEntyre, an engineer hailing from Victor Harbor in South Australia. By the year 1904, the family had moved to the gold mining regions of Western Australia, residing in towns such as Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie.
Career
Her teaching career commenced in June 1915 at Tunneys State School, and she attained her junior cadet training certification in 1916. From 1918 until 1924, Ward worked as a teacher in Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Carlisle. In 1924, she was elevated to head teacher and held this position at various schools before relocating to Wyndham, Western Australia, in 1932.
On 27 December 1932, she wed Philip "Ted" Ward, a stockman. The couple initially lived at Rosewood station near Wyndham, owned by Jack Kilfoyle, before participating in the Tennant Creek gold rush of 1935. Their prospecting efforts at Blue Moon resulted in gold discoveries valued at approximately $150,000. The Wards acquired Banka Banka cattle station in 1941, where Mary Alice cultivated a large garden.
Following Philip's passing in 1959, Mary Alice took over the management of Banka Banka along with other family properties. She also ran a butcher shop in Tennant Creek that sourced meat from an on-site slaughterhouse. Ward was noted for her commitment to the welfare of Aboriginal employees, providing them with training in domestic and station-related tasks. She maintained a frugal approach toward maintenance and resisted adopting new managerial techniques. Ward dismissed white workers who mistreated Indigenous Australians and purchased five homes in Tennant Creek for former staff members. Despite facing local resistance, she supervised the construction of a substantial red-brick building—known as the "Mary Ward Hostel" or "Pink Palace"—during 1968–69 to accommodate former employees and their families. This building later transformed into the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre, which supports over 130 artists from the Warumungu community and the Barkly Region.
Ward arranged childcare services for her Warumungu workers’ children and opposed government policies that sought to remove Aboriginal children from their families. She financed education for these children at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart school in Alice Springs until 1961, when a government-run school opened at Banka Banka bearing the motto 'Do it Well'.
Death and legacy
Due to declining health in 1970, Ward sold Banka Banka to American silver magnate Howard Hunt and returned to her birthplace in South Australia, settling in Adelaide. She passed away on 27 July 1972 at her residence in North Adelaide and was interred with Catholic ceremonies at Centennial Park Cemetery.