Dorothy Sargent Coombe (17 March 1896 – 27 November 1982) was an early Australian trade unionist. She was a long-running assistant secretary of the

Australian Government Workers Association The Australian Government Workers Association was an Australian trade union representing workers employed by state and federal governments, despite its name based only in South Australia. It was founded on 26 May 1906 by Ernest Roberts as the Sou ...

, setting a record in this capacity, and was the first woman in South Australia to advocate in the Industrial Court. She was often referred to as Miss Coombe. Coombe began with the Government Workers Association as a typist, and was subsequently promoted to assistant secretary in 1917. She also served a stint as union treasurer from 1919 alongside her existing role. She was described as "one of the most popular union officials in the state" in 1920, winning recognition for "her special efforts on behalf of the association during the tribunal and reference board cases". In 1928, she became the first woman in South Australia to appear before the Industrial Court in the absence of union secretary

Frank Nieass Frank Keen Nieass (25 October 1886 – 28 August 1967) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly, representing East Torrens East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or poi ...

. It was reported in 1930 that she had been appointed union secretary upon Nieass' election to parliament, which would have made her one of the first woman union secretaries in Australia; however, Nieass was ultimately reappointed as a part-time secretary following a restructure of union management. She retired from the union as assistant secretary on 6 August 1948 after 32 years with the union; it was reported that her service was "believed to be a record for a woman union official".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coombe, Dorothy Sargent 1896 births 1982 deaths Australian trade unionists