Florence Violet McKenzie (née Granville; 28 September 1890 – 23 May 1982), affectionately known as "Mrs Mac", was Australia's first female electrical engineer, founder of the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) and lifelong promoter for technical education for women.
Florence Violet McKenzie (Granville; 28 September 1890– 23 Mei 1982), yang akrab dipanggil "Mrs Mac", adalah insinyur listrik wanita pertama di Australia, pendiri Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC), dan seorang promotor pendidikan teknis bagi perempuan sepanjang hidupnya.
She campaigned successfully to have some of her female trainees accepted into the all-male Navy, thereby originating the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS).
Ia berhasil melakukan kampanye untuk memasukkan beberapa peserta didiknya yang perempuan ke dalam Angkatan Laut yang sebelumnya hanya diperuntukkan bagi pria, yang pada akhirnya membawa pada pembentukan Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS).
Some 12,000 servicemen passed through her signal instruction school in Sydney, acquiring skill in Morse code and visual signalling (flag semaphore and International Code of Signals).
Sekitar 12.000 personel militer mengikuti pelatihan di sekolah sinyal yang ia dirikan di Sydney, di mana mereka mempelajari keterampilan dalam kode Morse serta sinyal visual (semaphore bendera dan Kode Sinyal Internasional).
Described at the time as Australia's "Mademoiselle Edison", in 1922 she became the first Australian woman to take out an amateur radio operator's licence.
Pada tahun 1922, ia menjadi wanita Australia pertama yang memperoleh lisensi operator radio amatir.
Through the 1920s and 1930s, her "Wireless Shop" in Sydney's Royal Arcade was renowned amongst Sydney radio experimenters and hobbyists.
Selama dekade 1920-an dan 1930-an, "Wireless Shop" miliknya yang terletak di Royal Arcade, Sydney, terkenal di kalangan para eksperimentalis dan penggemar radio Sydney.
She founded The Wireless Weekly in 1922, established the Australian Electrical Association for Women in 1934, and wrote the first "all-electric cookbook" in 1936.
Pada tahun 1922, ia mendirikan The Wireless Weekly, dan pada tahun 1934, ia mendirikan Australian Electrical Association for Women.
In the 1930s, McKenzie turned her attention increasingly to teaching other women about electricity and radio.
Pada dekade 1930-an, McKenzie semakin fokus untuk mengajarkan wanita lain mengenai listrik dan radio, setelah mengamati kebutuhan tersebut selama bertahun-tahun bekerja di bidang ini.
In 1925, she told the Australian Woman's Mirror: "[T]here are such a lot of women experimenters [amongst my customers] that I would like to form a Women's Wireless Club."
Pada tahun 1925, ia menyatakan kepada Australian Woman's Mirror (Majalah mingguan di Autralia): "Ada begitu banyak wanita peneliti di antara pelanggan saya yang saya ingin mendirikan sebuah Klub Nirkabel Wanita.
In 1931 she told a Sunday Sun reporter that she wanted to see a course of lectures on domestic radio and electricity established in girls' schools and technical colleges.
"Pada tahun 1931, ia mengatakan kepada seorang reporter bahwa ia ingin melihat adanya kursus kuliah tentang radio dan listrik domestik yang diajarkan di sekolah-sekolah putri dan perguruan tinggi teknik.
The following year she took matters into her own hands, opening a Women's Radio College on Phillip Street in 1932.
Setahun setelahnya, pada tahun 1932, ia mengambil langkah konkret dengan membuka Women's Radio College di Phillip Street.
To this end in 1934 she founded an educational initiative, the Electrical Association for Women (EAW) at 170 King Street in the centre of Sydney, later moving a few blocks away to 9 Clarence Street.
Untuk mewujudkan hal ini, pada tahun 1934 ia mendirikan sebuah inisiatif pendidikan, Electrical Association for Women (EAW), di 170 King Street, di pusat kota Sydney, yang kemudian pindah beberapa blok ke 9 Clarence Street.
In 1939 McKenzie established the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) in her Clarence Street rooms – known affectionately as "Sigs".
Pada tahun 1939, McKenzie mendirikan Women's Emergency Signalling (WESC) di ruangannya di Clarence Street, yang akrab disebut "Sigs".
Her original idea was to train women in telegraphy so that they could replace men working in civilian communications, thereby freeing those skilled men up to serve in the war.
Ide awalnya adalah untuk melatih wanita dalam telegrafi agar mereka dapat menggantikan pria yang bekerja di komunikasi sipil, sehingga para pria terampil tersebut dapat dialihkan untuk bertugas dalam perang.
By the time war broke out, 120 women had been trained to instructional standard.
Pada saat perang meletus, sebanyak 120 wanita telah dilatih hingga mencapai instruksi standar.
McKenzie campaigned energetically to have some of her female trainees accepted into the Air Force and Navy as telegraphists.
McKenzie memperjuangkan agar beberapa peserta pelatihan wanitanya diterima di Angkatan Udara dan Angkatan Laut sebagai telegrafis.
Despite her suggestion being dismissed, some time later McKenzie and six trainees were provided third-class train tickets to Melbourne to meet with the Naval Board for testing.
Meskipun usulannya ditolak, beberapa waktu kemudian McKenzie bersama enam peserta pelatihannya diberikan tiket kereta kelas tiga menuju Melbourne untuk bertemu dengan Dewan Angkatan Laut dan menjalani ujian.
In 1957 she was elected a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Navigation.
Pada tahun 1957, ia terpilih menjadi Anggota Institut Navigasi Australia.
Captain Cook Cruises named a Richardson Devine Marine built ferry that operates on Sydney Harbour Florence Violet McKenzie in 2015.
Pada tahun 2015, Captain Cook Cruises menamai sebuah feri yang dibangun oleh Richardson Devine Marine yang beroperasi di Pelabuhan Sydney dengan nama Florence Violet McKenzie.