Like other female staff, she remained in the bottom grade (Class VII) of the telegraphists' classification and salary scale. Min Stuart became increasingly frustrated at the lack of opportunities for advancement for women in the Post and Telegraph Department. to 2 a.m.), especially during the Second World War. The Murray system demanded stamina, dexterity and accuracy, and Stuart was soon an accomplished operator. This equipment, devised by New Zealand-born Donald Murray, simultaneously transmitted four messages each way at up to 40 words per minute it was first used in New Zealand in December 1921. In 1925, however, she became the first woman in Dunedin to operate the new Murray multiplex machine-printing telegraph system. Stuart initially worked on manual telegraph equipment, transmitting and receiving messages in Morse code incoming messages were transcribed onto telegrams. The work environment was at times uncomfortable: there was much heavy smoking, and Stuart faced antagonism from some male telegraphists, a number of whom found it difficult to settle back into office routines after war service. By 1933 she was the only woman among about 40 men in the office. As former servicemen returned to their jobs the number of women telegraphists declined. On 27 March 1917 Stuart was placed on the Post and Telegraph Department's permanent staff as a cadet at the Dunedin Telegraph Office. ![]() Their employment was considered a temporary wartime measure, however, and the training of women telegraphists ceased at the end of the war. ![]() By mid 1917 over 100 women had completed courses in telegraphy in the four main centres. She was part of a local intake of 25 women, aged between 18 and 21, who were to be trained as telegraphists to replace men conscripted for military service. She then studied shorthand and typing, and in 1916 joined the Post and Telegraph Department. Always known as Min, she attended Kaikorai, Union Street and North-East Valley schools and Otago Girls' High School.Īt the age of 16 Min Stuart began work as a dressmaker at Brown, Ewing and Company in Dunedin. Wilhelmina Magdalene Stuart was born in Dunedin on 9 August 1895, the daughter of Wilhelmina Catherine Bohning, a tailoress, and her husband, Abraham Francis Stuart, a compositor for the Otago Daily Times. Wilson, was first published in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography in 1998. Seal 'em with a kiss.This biography, written by A. ![]() Let the day die on the ocean In a tired and lonely mist It's over baby, can't we seal it with a kiss? I give you my surrender 'Cause there's no way to resist By-gone's baby, we can seal `em with a kiss Still this melody like thunder's Exploding in my ears I can't feed my hunger On the salt of wasted tears. I go to your places With the hope you might be thereįind more similar lyrics on Searching through the faces I try to taste you in the air. I packed my only suitcase 'Cause my plane was leaving soon In following your memory I would try the moon. ![]() Let the day die on the ocean In a tired and lonely mist It's over baby, can't we seal it with a kiss? I give you my surrender Cause there's no way to resist By-gone's baby We can seal them with a kiss. Now a melody like thunder's Exploding in my ears And the music keeps returning To drag me through the years. The first time we met You were dancin' on the beach Your body waved that motion So perfect and complete. Somewhere from the embers Of some forgotten song Coming words I still remember Sounding oh so wrong.
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