Ethel Marian Sumner Casey, Baroness Casey, (; 13 March 1892 – 20 January 1983), commonly known as Maie Casey, was an Australian pioneer

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

, poet, librettist, biographer, memoirist and artist. She was married to Lord Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia from 1965 to 1969. Australian prime minister

Sir Robert Menzies ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part ...

referred to her as "

Lady Macbeth Lady Macbeth is a leading character in William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Macbeth'' (). As the wife of the play's tragic hero, Macbeth (a Scottish nobleman), Lady Macbeth goads her husband into committing regicide, after which she becomes quee ...

Early life

Ethel Marian Sumner Ryan was born in 1892, younger child of Victorian-born parents, Sir Charles Snodgrass Ryan, a prominent Melbourne surgeon, and his wife, Alice (née Sumner) Lady Ryan. She is also the granddaughter of Charles Ryan and Marian Cotton ( John Cotton's daughter). She became known as "Maie" at an early age. Rupert Ryan was her brother. She was related by blood or marriage to leading Victorian families; one of her father's sisters married Lord Charles Montagu Douglas Scott, son of the 5th Duke of Buccleuch.Profile
Australian Dictionary of Biography, adb.online.anu.edu.au; accessed 8 June 2018. Casey grew up on

Collins Street, Melbourne Collins Street is a major street in the Melbourne central business district, central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was laid out in the first survey of Melbourne, the original 1837 Hoddle Grid, and soon became the most ...

. Her father had his residence and surgery on the same street. Casey was educated privately, and when she was 14 years old she left Australia to attend St George's Boarding School in

Ascot, England Ascot () is a town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It is south of Windsor, east of Bracknell and west of London. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the Royal Ascot meeting ...

. After some time she accompanied her brother to

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

. Her brother Rupert, a member of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

(1940–52), married Lady Rosemary Hay, daughter of the 21st Earl of Erroll. Casey wanted to go to university, but was blocked by her father due to the ill health of the sister of his colleague Sir William Stawell, Florence Melian Stawell, during her time at Cambridge in the 1890s. During World War I, she served as a VAD nurse.

Marriage to Richard Casey

Maie Ryan married Richard Casey on 24 June 1926, at St James's Parish Church, Westminster, London. She supported him in his public life. The couple had two children. His career saw them live successively in Canberra, Washington, Cairo, and India, where, during the last years of the Raj, she was Vicereine of Bengal. In

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

she was an eloquent advocate of the United States joining the Allied cause.

Associates

During a journey in 1939 to join her husband who was leading a legation to Washington. she re-met Pat Jarrett. Jarrett was a journalist known for her coverage of women's sport and they became firm friends. Casey employed Jarrett as her secretary and in 1941 she became her husband's press liaison officer. In

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, she was a confidante of wartime leaders

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

, Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery and

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

as well as an indefatigable war worker; in Bengal she fought to raise the status of Indian women, discussed political affairs with

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

. Pat Jarrett helped her and her husband entertain

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

and Louis and

Edwina Mountbatten Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma (' Ashley; 28 November 1901 – 21 February 1960), was an English heiress, socialite, relief worker and the last vicereine of India as the wife of (the then) Rear Admiral The 1st ...

. Casey also associated with

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

Patrick White Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was an Australian novelist and playwright who explored themes of religious experience, personal identity and the conflict between visionary individuals and a materialistic, co ...

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...

Cecil Beaton Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was a British fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as costume designer and set designer for stage and screen. His accolades ...

Sidney Nolan Sir Sidney Robert Nolan (22 April 191728 November 1992) was one of the leading Australian artists of the 20th century. Working in a wide variety of media, his oeuvre is among the most diverse and prolific in all of modern art. He is best known ...

and Cynthia Reed Nolan. When in London in 1942,

Caroline Haslett Dame Caroline Harriet Haslett Order of the British Empire, DBE, Justice of the peace, JP (17 August 1895 – 4 January 1957) was an English electrical engineer, electricity industry administrator and champion of women's rights. She was the fir ...

threw a lunch for her at the Forum Club with distinguished guests including Lady Cripps and

Margaret, Lady Moir Margaret, Lady Moir, OBE (née Margaret Bruce Pennycook) (10 January 18645 October 1942) was a Scottish lathe operator, engineer, a workers' relief organiser, an employment campaigner, and a founder member of the Women's Engineering Society (WE ...

. They maintained contact via airmail correspondence and gifts, gave letters of recommendation for international visitors to each other and met up during her visits to the UK. In 1943 she wrote to Haslett "''I have a great belief in women, and I believe we should play an increasing part in world affairs. Not only directly; as much by persuasion and influence and by influence as through direct action ... You particularly can and I am sure will influence the women you come into contact with towards active participation in the future, not only in practical deeds but in thought and interest''."

Literary works

Casey published three autobiographical works. ''An Australian Story, 1837–1907'', published in 1962 discussed the history of four generations of her family. ''Tides and Eddies'' was published in 1966 and an account of her early married life. In 1980, ''Rare Encounters'' included the reminiscences of Lady Edwina Mountbatten, Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Dame

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early twentieth century, and was the f ...

and her mother in law, Evelyn Casey. Casey also published in 1975 a biography on Nellie Melba entitled ''Melba Re-visited''. She further produced two volumes of verse, ''Verses'' in 1963 and ''From the Night'' in 1976. She further co-authored ''Early Melbourne Architecture 1840–1888'' in 1953. Casey further wrote a libretto to Margaret Sutherland's opera '' The Young Kabbarli''.

Interest in the arts

Casey was a painter and illustrator. She attended the

Westminster School of Art The Westminster School of Art was an art school in Westminster, London. History The Westminster School of Art was located at 18 Tufton Street, Deans Yard, Westminster, and was part of the old Royal Architectural Museum. H. M. Bateman descri ...

in London and in Australia associated with the George Bell School in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. Here she met and became a lifelong friend of fabric designer and artist

Frances Mary Burke Frances Mary Burke (10 January 1904 – 14 October 1994) was an Australian artist. She holds a significant place in the development of Australian design and evolution of Printed textiles, printed textile design in Australia. She is recognised ...

In 1944, Casey commissioned Burke to create a fashion textile design. It was called "Bengal Tiger" and Casey was photographed by

wearing the ensemble. She illustrated

Ellis Rowan Marian Ellis Rowan (30 July 18484 October 1922), known as Ellis Rowan, was a well-known Australian artist and botanical illustrator. She also did a series of illustrations on birds, butterflies and insects. Life Marian, the daughter of Maria ...

's 1961's ''Wild flower Hunter'' and her own book, ''An Australian Story''. She was made a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

. She was a member of the International Committee appointed to judge a work of sculpture to honour the "Unknown Political Prisoner", and she had a long association with the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Aviation

Casey and her husband had their first flying experience when in Britain for the coronation of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

in 1937. On their return to Australia they took flying lessons and once they had earned their licences, bought a yellow

Percival Vega Gull The Percival Vega Gull was a 1930s British, four-seater touring aircraft built by Percival Aircraft Limited. It was a single-engine low-wing , wood-and-fabric monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Design and development Built by Pe ...

aeroplane, and built an airstrip at Edrington, Berwick, near Melbourne, which they had inherited and flew between their homes. In 1950 she became the first patron of the Australian Women Pilots' Association (AWPA) at its inaugural meeting at

Bankstown Bankstown is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 19 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown region. Bankstown is the administrative centre ...

, New South Wales on 16 September 1950 and in October 1953 flew her

Miles Messenger The Miles M.38 Messenger is a British four-seat liaison and private owner aircraft built by Miles Aircraft. Design and development The Messenger was designed to meet an informal request from a group of British Army officers for a robust, slow ...

plane in Australia's first all-woman air race. In 1954 Casey became of member of the

Ninety-Nines The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots, also known as The 99s, is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Foun ...

, an American women pilots organisation founded by

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...

and continued to fly a

Cessna Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufactu ...

well into retirement.

Further patronage

In January 1960, Richard Casey was made a

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...

of the United Kingdom House of Lords, and she became Baroness Casey. After his retirement as Governor-General of Australia (1965–69), they purchased a house built by

Eugene von Guerard Johann Joseph Eugene von GuérardHis first name is variously spelled "Eugen", "Eugene", "Eugène", one source mentions "Jean" (instead of "Johann"); his surname is spelled "Guerard" or "Guérard". The most frequent combination is that used by t ...

East Melbourne East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. East Melbourne recorded a population of 4,896 at the 2021 ce ...

, and her last years were spent in Berwick. Lady Casey was appointed a Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(AC) in 1982 and died in January 1983, aged 90.

References

External links

ADB entry for Maie CaseyAustLit entry for Maie Casey

''Dictionary of Australian Artists Online'' biography of her art career

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casey, Maie Casey, Baroness 1892 births 1983 deaths Spouses of Australian governors-general Companions of the Order of Australia Australian aviators Australian opera librettists Place of birth missing Spouses of life peers Wives of knights British baronesses by marriage Australian women memoirists Australian women biographers Australian women dramatists and playwrights Women librettists Writers from Victoria (state) 20th-century Australian painters 20th-century Australian women writers 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights Australian women aviators 20th-century Australian memoirists 20th-century Australian women painters