Thea Stanley Hughes (born around 1907, died after 1990) was an Australian writer and health advocate, president of the Women's League of Health in Australia.

Early life and education

Thea Stanley Hughes was born in England, raised in Australia, the daughter of writer J. Stanley Hughes. She earned a bachelor's degree at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

. She studied dance with Ruby Ginner and Irene Mawer in London, and trained as a health educator at the Bagot Stack Health School in England.

Career

In 1935, Hughes brought the work of Mary Bagot Stack and

Prunella Stack Ann Prunella Stack OBE (28 July 1914 – 30 December 2010) was a British fitness pioneer and women's rights activist. She was head of the Women's League of Health and Beauty which her mother Mary had founded in 1931. In 1953 she led a multira ...

to Australia, and was founder and president of the Australian Women's League of Health, based in Sydney. She established branches across Australia, including in Melbourne, Perth, and Adelaide. Her work with the league, which continued into the 1950s, encouraged Australian women to pursue physical fitness through exercise, diet, hygiene, and outdoor recreation. The organization also offered pre-natal and post-natal relaxation and exercise classes. One of the League's signature events was a mass public gathering of women for outdoor exercise, often led by Hughes. Hughes opined against high-heeled shoes, and that good posture, grace, and muscle tone were more conducive to health and beauty. "Freedom can only be achieved through health. If you are unhealthy, you are a slave to your body," she instructed her followers. "The only way to achieve enduring health is by regular exercise." She invited German modern dancer Anny Fligg to tour Australia in 1937 and 1938, giving demonstrations and lectures. Hughes wrote biographies of Australian historical figures for young readers, including

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Ernest Giles William Ernest Powell Giles (20 July 1835 – 13 November 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer who led five major expeditions to parts of South Australia and Western Australia. Early life Ernest Giles was born in Bris ...

, and

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. Some of her writings reflect her interest in anthroposophy and other forms of

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. She also recorded audio books, including biographies of Helen Keller,

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, and

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Selected works

* ''Antidote: Gleanings from the "Movement"'' (1950) * ''Adventure in Movement, a New Approach to Physical Training'' (1953) *''Discovery in the Modern World'' (pamphlet, 1970) *''Movement; League of Health'' (1972) *''Men in the Making'' (1975) *''Towards Self-Development'' (1976) *''Movement: For Those Who Would Bestir Themselves'' (1976) *''Twentieth Century Question: Reincarnation'' (1976) *''For Your Spare Half Hour'' (1978) *''The Unknown Drug'' (1978) *''Towards Social Health'' (1979) *''Dear Humanity'' (1979) *''Enduring Deeds in Science, Exploration & Leadership'' (1980) * ''James Cook'' (biography, 1981) *''Alternative Thinking'' (1982) *''Arthur Phillip'' (biography, 1982) *''Warnings'' (1983) * ''Matthew Flinders'' (biography, 1984) * ''Weaving Threads of Destiny'' (1987) *''Ernest Giles Reveals the Mystery of the Centre of Australia'' (1988) * ''For Your Spare Moment: An Anthology'' (1990) * ''Conservation for the Young and the Young in Heart'' (1991) * ''Thinking into the future'' (1993)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Thea Stanley Australian women writers Australian health and wellness writers Australian health activists