The March 24, 1938 edition of The News.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
As Women’s History Month ends, the life of Shepparton pioneer Olive Annie Hicken is back in focus.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Local historian John Dainton came across Olive’s name while working on an irrigation project.
“I used to drive past her house on the school bus and never realised for a minute what she had done,” he said.
Mr Dainton said Olive was deeply involved in community life, serving on numerous committees while supporting arrivals on the new irrigation settlements.
“I think the community was extraordinarily grateful at the time that someone like that was looking after them,” Mr Dainton said.
“The amount of time and effort she put into it was just unreal … she was a very influential person.”
Mr Dainton said Hicken Cres in Shepparton was named after her.
A page of the March 26, 1938 edition of The News.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Historic newspapers and material from the Shepparton Heritage Centre help paint a picture of Olive’s life.
Born in 1884, Olive was adopted by her aunt and uncle as a baby and spent most of her life in Shepparton.
She survived an abusive marriage and got divorced in 1912.
In 1927, Victoria became the last state in Australia to legalise female justices of the peace.
That same year, Olive became Shepparton’s first female JP, with local newspapers at the time describing her as “the lady for the job”.
Olive Hicken in 1958.
In 1928, she was one of the women responsible for forming the Country Women’s Association.
She served as president of the CWA Shepparton branch and went on to become state president in 1938.
Alongside these roles, Olive was a Children’s Court magistrate, probation officer, orchardist, honorary secretary of the Shepparton Baby Health Centre and a VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment member) during World War I.
She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1951.
Plaque in recognition of Olive Hicken.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Author Cheryl Phillips said she loved that Shepparton had a figure as significant as Olive.
“It’s important to shine a light on women behind the scenes,” she said.
Ms Phillips has documented the lives of regional women in her books Heart and Soul of the South Shepparton Community Centre, Stories of Inspirational Women, and Salt of the Earth: Inspirational Stories of Mooroopna and Ardmona Women.
“I thought, what were the women doing? There had to be a story behind the men,” she said.
“I wanted to focus on women who were extraordinary but who most people thought were ordinary.”
Ms Phillips said women’s history was often overlooked, with honour rolls in local towns dominated by men.
For Olive, who was described in a 1936 newspaper as “one of Shepparton’s most interesting women”, the question remains: how was she forgotten?
The March 24, 1938 edition of The News.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
16°C