Mrs Gladys Mary Jessie Beatrice FORSYTH (nee
Field), (1897 - 12 April 2003)
Born at home in London, Gladys lived an amazing life of adventure and
achievement. Her first job at age 16 was 'nannying' in India and then
Mesopotamia (Iraq) where she experienced the first of three evacuations.
Arriving in Australia in 1920 she subsequently became a triple certificated
nurse and this led to her arriving in Rabaul in December 1928. Nursing at
Namanula hospital she met and married Dick Forsyth in 1933. The second
evacuation took place as a result of the 1937 volcanic eruption when Rabaul
residents were evacuated to Kokopo. The third evacuation was on the Macdhui in
December 1941 just prior to the Japanese invasion of Rabaul. Sadly her husband
Dick went down on the Montevideo Maru.
Nursing and bringing up her daughter Beatrice involved her for the next 60 years
until she turned 78 years of age. Nursing also allowed her to travel widely to
England, Switzerland, France, Africa, New Zealand and around Australia. Gladys
became a qualified wool-classer and achieved A+ results in Advanced French when
70 years of age. She was always optimistic and positive in outlook, and this
helped her cope with many hardships throughout her life. Gladys was also one of
the very special friends of Roma Bates with both sharing many interests of
motherhood and travel and always keeping in touch. Roma recalls that Gladys was
a very good cook - she made and sold cakes daily in the Burns Philp store in the
1930s. These were very popular among the 'singles' fraternity. Another anecdote
Roma recalls was during the 1937 eruption - the population was waiting to be
evacuated at Nordup beach with their few, but precious, possessions and Gladys
had the family cat in a pillowslip.
Gladys is survived by one daughter, four grandchildren and six great
grandchildren.
Pat Johnson (Una Voce - June 2003)
