Frieda Barfus

She attended Brighton State School in Victoria, Australia and in 1907 earned a full scholarship for the Stott and Hoare's Business College,{{cite news |date=1907-07-13 |work=Brighton Southern Cross |author= |title=News of the week |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/1076471805/?match=1&terms=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=4 |location=Victoria, Australia }} graduating in 1909.{{cite news |date=1909-03-27 |work=The Argus |author= |title=Incorporated Phonographic Society, London |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/10704901?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=20 |location=Melbourne, Australia }} In 1911 she completed the Junior Public Exams at the University of Melbourne.{{cite news |date=1911-01-16 |work=The Age |author= |title=University of Melbourne |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/196189339?searchTerm=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=9 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}

In the 1920s she was a teacher at Toorak College, Victoria,{{cite news |date=1962-05-15 |work=The Age |author= |title=Fifteen years with GIS |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/122321373/?match=1&terms=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=10 |location=Melbourne, Australia }} where she first heard about the Girl Guide movement. She also taught at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School.{{cite news |date=1949-07-16 |work=Morning Bulletin |author= |title=Girl Guides aid in rehabilitation |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56910928?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=8 |location=Queensland, Australia }} She eventually left her teaching career to join the Victoria Guides' headquarters.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author=Elaine Moran |title=Frieda Victoria Barfus "Yabinga" |magazine=Matilda |location=Victoria, Australia |edition=Vol. 46 No. 5 |publisher=Girl Guides Australia |page=2}}

In 1942 she joined the administration of the Australian Women's Land Army. After WWII, she was invited by the National Fitness Council to help run holiday camps as Warden-Matron for under privileged children at Point Lonsdale.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author=Elaine Moran |title=Frieda Victoria Barfus "Yabinga" |magazine=Matilda |location=Victoria, Australia |edition=Vol. 46 No. 5 |publisher=Girl Guides Australia |page=2}}

She moved to England in 1947 where she joined the Guide International Service (GIS) and was soon posted to Hanover, Germany. She was recalled to England the following year and worked at the GIS headquarters in London.{{cite news |date=1962-05-15 |work=The Age |author= |title=Fifteen years with GIS |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/122321373/?match=1&terms=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=10 |location=Melbourne, Australia }} When the GIS office closed in 1962, she returned to Australia.{{cite magazine |date=December 1968 |author=Rosa Ward |title=In memoriam |magazine=The Guider |location=London, UK |edition=Vol. 55 No. 12 |publisher=Girl Guides Association |page=424}}

Barfus's early Guiding career encompassed the following roles:

• Captain of 1st Toorak College Company, one of Australia's earliest Guide companies in Toorak, Victoria in 1920{{cite news |date=1938-02-22 |work=The Age |author= |title=Three Guide Awards |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206745136?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=3 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}
• Head of training, Victoria Girl Guides{{cite news |date=1927-08-10 |work=The Age |author= |title=Training Classes |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206179329?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=13 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}
• Secretary to head of tests and badges, Victoria{{cite magazine |date=August 1930 |author=Frieda Barfus |title=Headquarters notices |magazine=Matilda |location=Victoria, Australia |edition=Vol. 6 No. 7 |publisher=Girl Guides Australia |page=2}}
• Captain, 1st Melbourne Ranger company{{cite news |date=1938-02-22 |work=The Age |author= |title=Three Guiding awards |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206745136?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=3 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}
• Camp advisor, Victoria Girl Guides{{cite news |date=1929-11-27 |work=The Age |author= |title=Guide Camps |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/203266102?searchTerm=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=17 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}
• Chair, Ranger committee, Victoria{{cite news |date=1929-05-22 |work=The Age |author= |title=Ranger Day |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205017395?searchTerm=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=16 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}
• Assistant State secretary, GGA{{cite news |date=1938-10-11 |work=The Age |author= |title=Various Notes |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205190251?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=16 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}

In the 1930s, Barfus was a regular contributor to Victoria Girl Guiding's magazine, Matilda and would write regular Guiding columns for The Age, a Melbourne newspaper.{{cite news |date=1936-04-07 |work=The Age |author=Frieda Barfus |title=The world flag and what it means |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/205266472?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=3 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}

In 1935 she was sponsored by the Western Suburbs Division to travelled to Perth, Western Australia to deliver a series of training sessions and camps. While there she spoke about the Great Depression and its impact on Guiding saying, "[Guiding] has given them something to hang on to – congenial companions and in many cases the work they have learned while guiding has stood them in good stead."{{cite news |date=1935-09-26 |work=The West Australian |author= |title=Effects of the depression |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32906132?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=11 |location=Perth, Australia }}

She played a significant role in the development of Victoria Guide House and was awarded the Beaver "for exceptionally good service to the movement"{{cite news |date=1938-02-23 |work=The Argus |author= |title=Guiding awards made |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11151049?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=7 |location=Melbourne, Australia }} in 1937 for her efforts.{{cite news |date=1938-02-22 |work=The Age |author= |title=Three Guiding awards |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206745136?searchTerm=%22Miss%20F%20Barfus%22 |page=3 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}

Within the Guiding community Barfus was known as Yabinga which, according to her obituary in The Guider magazine, is Aboriginal for "elder sister". It was chosen for her at a Guide camp in 1927.{{cite news |date=1962-05-15 |work=The Age |author= |title=Fifteen years with GIS |url= https://www.newspapers.com/image/122321373/?match=1&terms=%22Frieda%20Barfus%22 |page=10 |location=Melbourne, Australia }}

Barfus joined the Guide International Service (GIS) as a volunteer in 1947 after passing "a rigorous test" in Australia.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author= |title=In memoriam |magazine=The Guider |location=London, UK |edition=Vol. 55 No. 11 |publisher=Girl Guides Association |page=405}} She travelled to Germany, via England, to perform welfare work with 136 Team. She subsequently joined the GIS office in London and made frequent speeches about GIS and its work. As the relief efforts in Germany slowed down, she turned her attention to the GIS "adoption scheme". This scheme took displaced people who could not be relocated overseas because of ill health and put them in touch with "sympathisers" in the UK. Barfus created over 1,000 "adoptions", many of which were still in place at the time of her death. After the GIS disbanded in 1954 Barfus took on the task of "sorting thousands and thousands of papers" deciding which to destroy and which to archive.{{cite magazine |date=December 1968 |author=Rosa Ward |title=In memoriam |magazine=The Guider |location=London, UK |edition=Vol. 55 No. 12 |publisher=Girl Guides Association |page=424}}

When Barfus' work with GIS wound down, she was appointed Guider-in-charge at Our Ark, the first GGA world centre in London. She held this position from 1953 to 1959.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author= |title=In memoriam |magazine=The Guider |location=London, UK |edition=Vol. 55 No. 11 |publisher=Girl Guides Association |page=405}} During this period she oversaw The Ark's move from Palace Street to Earl's Court, where it was renamed Olave House. Once it was up and running, she retired and returned to Australia in 1962 but remained involved with the Guiding movement, as a member of the VGGSC and the Trefoil Guild, where she gave many talks about the GIS.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author=Elaine Moran |title=Frieda Victoria Barfus "Yabinga" |magazine=Matilda |location=Victoria, Australia |edition=Vol. 46 No. 5 |publisher=Girl Guides Australia |page=2}}

After returning to Australia in 1962, she joined the Victorian Girl Guides State Council.{{cite magazine |date=December 1968 |author=Rosa Ward |title=In memoriam |magazine=The Guider |location=London, UK |edition=Vol. 55 No. 12 |publisher=Girl Guides Association |page=424}}

After Barfus died a memorial fund was established by the Australian Girl Guides Association.{{cite magazine |date=November 1968 |author= |title=Miss F V Barfus Memorial |magazine=Matilda |location=Victoria, Australia |edition=Vol. 46 No. 5 |publisher=Girl Guides Australia |page=144}}

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Category:1892 births

Category:1968 deaths

Category:Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting

Category:Girlguiding officials

Category:Scouting pioneers

Category:Guide International Service volunteer

Category:Australian Women's Land Army members