Jessie Marian Robertson (1 July 1909 — 22 June 1976) was an Australian radio broadcaster and community leader. Robertson was born in West Perth, Australia, to Scottish-born journalist Robert Robertson and his wife Agnes, who would go on to become a member of the

Australian Senate The Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives (Australia), House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter ...

. Jessie attended Thomas Street State and Perth Modern schools, and after training as a home science teacher founded Phoebe's School of Domestic Art in 1931. She was a radio announcer on

6IX 6IX (stylised as 6iX) is a commercial radio station in Perth, Western Australia, broadcasting a classic hits and oldies format from its studios in Osborne Park. First broadcast in 1933, the station is currently owned and operated as a joint vent ...

from the mid-1930s and became known as "Phoebe the Early Cook" or "Aunt Judy" for her cooking and children's shows respectively. In December 1941, Robertson enlisted in the

Australian Women's Army Service The Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) was a non-medical women's service established in Australia during the Second World War. Raised on 13 August 1941 to "release men from certain military duties for employment in fighting units" the servi ...

and was commissioned

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in January 1942. She transferred to Victoria in May 1943 and was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 28 July. Her appointment ended with the war on 21 December 1945. She returned to her radio programs and revived many of her previous characters; she co-hosted the community program "Help Your Neighbour" from 1951 and covered

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

's visit in 1954. Robertson was a foundation member (1946) of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Perth, leading the Australian delegation to the seventh international congress at

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

in 1956. She was also a foundation member of the AWAS Association of Western Australia (1947), the Soroptimist Club of Perth (1958) and the King Edward Memorial Hospital auxiliary (1958). She was state president of the National Council of Women (1956–1959 and 1966–1972) and of the Australian-Asian Association (1960–1965) and international president of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association (1961–1964). She stood several times as a Country Party candidate for federal office, but was defeated. She was elected to Mundaring Shire Council in 1969 as the first female alderman, and was deputy president from 1972 to 1974. Robertson died in 1976 of hypertensive heart disease at Alfred Carson Hospital,

Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth ** Claremont Football Club, West Australian Footba ...

, and was cremated with Presbyterian forms.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Jessie 1909 births 1976 deaths People from Perth, Western Australia National Party of Australia politicians Australian women in World War II Australian radio personalities Australian women radio presenters Australian people of Scottish descent Western Australian local councillors Women local councillors in Australia 20th-century Australian women