Sheila Mary McClemans, (3 May 1909 – 10 June 1988) was an Australian servicewoman, lawyer, barrister and company director. She set up the first all female law firm in Western Australia and was the first female barrister to appear before the

Supreme Court of Western Australia The Supreme Court of Western Australia is the highest state court in the Australian State of Western Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters (although it usually only hears matters involving sums of A$750,00 ...

Early life

Sheila McClemans was born to Ada Lucy Walker and William Joseph McClemans in

Claremont, Western Australia Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on the north bank of the Swan River. History Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, Jo ...

on 3 May 1909. She attended the

Perth Modern School , motto_translation = Knowledge is Power , location = Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia , country = Australia , coordinates = , mapframe-stroke-colour = #C60C30 , mapframe-marker-co ...

Legal career

McClemans was one of the first graduates of the law school at the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...

in 1930. She was admitted to the Bar on 16 May 1933. When McClemans and her friend Molly Kingston were unable to find work in a law firm they set up the first all woman law firm in Western Australia. She was the first woman barrister to appear before the

. McClemans held several leadership roles in the legal profession including secretary of the Western Australia Law Society, foundation member of the Western Australia Legal Aid Commission, and the State Parole Board of Western Australia.

Military service

McClemans enlisted in the

Women's Royal Australian Naval Service The Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was the women's branch of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). In 1941, fourteen members of the civilian Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) were recruited for wireless telegraphy work at ...

(WRANS) in 1943 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. She entered the first WRANS officer training course at in Westernport, Victoria, and rose to the rank of chief officer and was appointed Director of the WRANS from 1944.

Awards

McClemans was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in 1951, and a

Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

in 1977. She was also awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...

in 1977. Her portrait painted by

Nora Heysen Nora Heysen (11 January 1911 – 30 December 2003) was an Australian artist, the first woman to win the prestigious Archibald Prize in 1938 for portraiture and the first Australian woman appointed as an official war artist. Early years Heyse ...

is in the collection of the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

, Canberra.

Personal life

McClemans married Frank Morrison Kenworthy (1899–1976) in 1949. She died in

Dalkeith, Western Australia Dalkeith is an affluent suburb of Perth, Western Australia within the City of Nedlands. The suburb is surrounded on three sides by the Swan River. History The suburb takes its name from a cottage built in 1833 by Captain Adam Armstrong and his ...

, on 10 June 1988.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McClemans, Sheila 1909 births 1988 deaths Australian Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Australian military personnel of World War II Australian Officers of the Order of the British Empire Australian women lawyers Lawyers from Perth, Western Australia People educated at Perth Modern School University of Western Australia alumni Women in the Australian military 20th-century women lawyers