Barbara Maxwell

Barbara Edweina Audrey Maxwell was born on 6 October 1932{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} in Rangoon, British Burma to the district commissioner. Her childhood was spent traveling to various posts with her family, including Bangalore, Mussoorie and Mysore, in India,{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} before they settled in Perth, Western Australia, in 1946, where she attended Girdlestone School.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}}

After her graduation, Maxwell began work as a typist in an office, but found the work uninspiring.{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} In 1952, she enlisted in the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps (RAANC),{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} and was first posted in Melbourne. Sent to Kure, Japan, where she remained for a year,{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} Maxwell served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} Returning to Healesville, Maxwell was made a warrant officer and assigned to the School of Army Health. She taught nursing assistants first aid, military law, and organisation for two years and then returned to Perth. Stationed in Karrakatta with the Citizen Military Forces, she taught for two additional years, before being assigned to the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) School in Georges Heights to take an officer's training course. In the middle of her training, because she could not gain rank without nurse training, she transferred from the nursing service to the regular army.{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}}

Graduating with the top academic prize for a cadet in 1960, Maxwell was made a platoon commander of the WRACC School's Recruit Training Wing with the rank of 1st lieutenant.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}}{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} After two years, she was posted in Melbourne as the Quartermaster at the WRAAC Barracks, where she remained until 1964, when she made captain.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} Her next post found her serving for a year as the only female staff officer of the Royal Military College, Duntroon. Maxwell was assigned to the Russell Offices of the Department of Defence in 1966 and worked as a liaison for families and their welfare.{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} Two years later,{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} she was sent as assistant director of the Anglesea Barracks in Hobart. She traveled throughout Tasmania as a recruiter for the next year.{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}}

In 1969, Maxwell returned to Georges Heights, was promoted to major, and was assigned as the senior instructor of the WRAAC School. Over the next several years, she participated in programs liaising with Austcare and the Australian Red Cross and was made chief instructor at the school.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} She taught seven basic training courses each year.{{sfn|Knuckey|1971|p=20}} In 1972, Maxwell married Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Starrett and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. With her new rank, she was posted at the Victoria Barracks in Paddington, as assistant director of the WRAAC Headquarters, Eastern Command.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} She served in Paddington until 1974, when she returned to the WRAAC School as Commanding Officer and the following year, was appointed as Staff Officer in Canberra, serving in the Directorate of Service Conditions.{{sfn|Cornish|1977|p=2}}

In 1977, Maxwell became the fourth Director of the WRACC, a full colonel,{{sfn|The Sydney Morning Herald|1977|p=3}} and the first occupant of the post who had not seen service during wartime.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}} She was honored with the National Medal and clasp in 1978, and retired from active duty the following year.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}}{{sfn|Kenny|2015|p=1162}} After her retirement, Starrett and her husband engaged in business and remained in the Army Reserves.{{sfn|Heywood|2002b}}

Starrett died suddenly on 17 May 1991 in Collaroy, New South Wales.{{sfn|The Sydney Morning Herald|1991|p=156}} She is remembered as the last director of the WRACC, as the post was discontinued when she retired.{{sfn||Heywood|2002a}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite news|last1=Cornish|first1=Bob|title=New director for WRAAC|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/HPR10016278/upload_binary/HPR10016278.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/HPR10016278%22|access-date=17 April 2018|publisher=Defence Press Service|date=25 May 1977|location=Canberra, Australia}}
• {{cite web|last1=Heywood|first1=Anne|title=Maxwell, Barbara Edwina Audrey (1932–1991)|url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0411b.htm|website=Women Australia|publisher=The Australian Women's Register|access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415130106/http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0411b.htm|archive-date=15 April 2018|location=Melbourne, Australia|date=12 December 2002b}}
• {{cite web|last1=Heywood|first1=Anne|title=Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) (1951–1985)|url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0388b.htm|website=Women Australia|publisher=The Australian Women's Register|access-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416120121/http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0388b.htm|archive-date=16 April 2018|location=Melbourne, Australia|date=25 November 2002a}}
• {{cite book|last=Kenny|first=Peter Francis|title=We Who Proudly Served|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQS9CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT1162|year=2015|publisher=Xlibris AU|location=Australia|isbn=978-1-5035-0584-1}}
• {{cite news|last1=Knuckey|first1=Marie|title=No bugles for the modern Major Barbara|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19317499/the_sydney_morning_herald/|access-date=17 April 2018|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 November 1971|location=Sydney, New South Wales, Australia|page=20|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
• {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Sydney Morning Herald|1977}}|author=|title=New director for WRAAC|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19317550/the_sydney_morning_herald/|access-date=17 April 2018|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=26 May 1977|location=Sydney, Australia|page=3|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}
• {{cite news|ref={{harvid|The Sydney Morning Herald|1991}}|author=|title=Starrett, Barbara Edweina Audrey (nee Maxwell)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19317728/the_sydney_morning_herald/|access-date=17 April 2018|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=18 May 1991|location=Sydney, Australia|page=156|via = Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}

{{refend}}

{{Authority control}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-mil}}

{{s-bef|before=Colonel Kathleen Fowler}}

{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps|years=1977–1979}}

{{s-non|reason=Post abolished}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Barbara}}

Category:1932 births

Category:1991 deaths

Category:Military personnel from Sydney

Category:Military personnel from Yangon

Category:Women's Royal Army Corps officers

Category:Australian colonels

Category:20th-century Australian military personnel

Category:Women in the Australian military