Joan Streeter
Joan Streeter, OBE (née Ritchie; 25 April 1918 – 14 April 1993)[1] was an Australian naval officer.
Joan Streeter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 April 1918 Melbourne, Victoria |
| Died | 14 April 1993 (aged 74) Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/ | Women's Royal Australian Naval Service |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 1954–1973 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (1958–73) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Born in Melbourne, Streeter attended a business college and worked as a clerk before joining the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) in 1943. She was trained as an officer and served at the bases Penguin, Kuranda, Kuttabul and Rushcutter before the discontinuation of the service after the end of the Second World War. The service was reformed at the onset of the Korean War; Streeter, who had in the interim moved first to London and then to Canada, returned and was in 1958 named director of the WRANS. She served in this role until her retirement in 1973 and "was influential in developing government policy to encourage women to enter naval careers".[2] Significantly, in 1968 she spearheaded a reform to allow women to remain in WRANS after they were married.[3]
Streeter was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1964.[2]
References
- "Captain Joan Streeter". Oxford Reference. 2009.
- Kathryn Spurling (2017). "Streeter, Joan (1918–1993)". Australian Dictionary of Biography.
- Andrea Argirides. "Women in the RAN: The Road to Command at Sea". Royal Australian Navy.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by First Officer Elizabeth Hill |
Director of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service 1958–1973 |
Succeeded by Captain Barbara MacLeod |