Mayse Young
Mayse Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date North Queensland, Australia |
| Died | March 20, 2006 (aged 93) |
| Occupation(s) | Publican, pastoralist |
| Known for | Managing hotels in Northern Territory; cattle grazing; autobiography "No Place for a Woman" |
Mayse Young OAM (19 July 1912 – 20 March 2006) was a notable Australian publican and a trailblazer in the hospitality sector of the Northern Territory. She managed several hotels across Pine Creek, Katherine, and Darwin.
Early life
Young was born in North Queensland to parents George and Elizabeth Dowling. Raised in a family of railway workers who frequently relocated, her upbringing was humble; she did not wear shoes until she was eleven and attended school only when it was possible.
Life in the Northern Territory
In 1927, Young’s family moved to the Northern Territory, where they constructed the Pine Creek Hotel during the 1930s, initially residing in a nearby tent. The establishment became a central gathering place, renowned for Young’s kindness and her rapport with miners, stockmen, and travelers alike.
She married Joe "Bogga" Young, a construction laborer, in 1933. During the Second World War, the couple was evacuated to South Australia and operated a hotel in Crystal Brook. Upon returning to Pine Creek after the war, they discovered their pub had been emptied and repurposed as a soldiers’ recreation center.
Starting from 1950, Young owned and managed multiple hotels including Darwin’s Seabreeze (which was later destroyed by Cyclone Tracy), as well as Katherine’s Commercial Hotel and Katherine Hotel, while continuing to run the Pine Creek Hotel. Alongside her hospitality ventures, she expanded into cattle grazing by owning several cattle stations—all while raising seven children.
In 1991, she released her autobiography titled No Place for a Woman, co-written with Gabrielle Dalton, which detailed her journey as a woman entrepreneur in predominantly male industries.
Young was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1994 in recognition of her contributions to the community. She died in 2006 at the age of 93.
Resources
A collection of Mayse Young’s photographs was gifted to Library & Archives NT and is available online; many of these images capture early aviation, an area of particular interest to her.