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New Norfolk Girl Tasmania's
First Woman Architect
TASMANIA has its first woman archi
tect. Today, Miss Margaret Keitha
Findlay, a New Norfolk girl, enters
the architectural branch of the Public
Works Dept., Hobart. Her plan en-
visages homes that will lessen the la
bours of the home-maker.
Miss Findlay has the double honour
of being the first woman to qualify in
Tasmania as an associate of the Royal
Australian Institute of Architects, and
the first woman enrolled as a registered
architect in Tasmania. After having
overcome numerous obstacles, she, wit:.
Mr Charles Crawford, last year open-
ed the way for a young architect to
qualify by examination in Tasmania for
admittance to the institute, and they
were the first who had so qualified in
the past 10 years.
On leaving school Miss Findlay be-
came articled to Mr A. T. Johnston,
architect, Hobart. A year after the
completion of her articles, she joined
Australian Newsprint Mills Pty. Ltd..
at the beginning of its big programme
of house construction, as architectural
draughtswoman. Fifteen months later
the architect left the company, and from
that date Miss Findlay carried the full
architectural responsibility. She per-
sonally designed more than 60 resi-
dences to suit the varied requirements
of the mill staff in the new suburb of
New Norfolk
Born at Scottsdale, she is the daugh-
ter of the late Col W. K. Findlay, of
the 40th Battalion, and early this week,
with her mother, left New Norfolk to
reside in Hobart.
Stressing the importance of domestic
architecture to women's healtn and
happiness, Miss Findlay in an inter-
view, said: "As an architect I am in-
terested deeply in the beauty and sound
construction of adequate homes, but as
a woman architect I urge that the ut-
most consideration be given to the thou-
sands of women who today, within their
homes, walk in a year scores of un-
necessary miles, and make thousands of
unnecessary movements in doing their
normal household duties. The cumu-
lative amount of wasted work is ap-
palling.
"The wear and tear of health and
temper, reactions on health and hap-
piness in the home, and the ultimate re-
action upon the character and mental
attitude of the Australians of the gener-
ations ahead, are of extreme import-
ance."
MISS KEITH A KIN DLA X Today enters the architectural branch of the Public Works Dept.. Hobart. Help
MISS KEITHA FINDLAY
Today enters the architectural
branch of the Public Works Dept..
Hobart.
Such cases of repetition in the house-
wife's work offered the greatest scope
for improvement, and a great oppor-
tunity to make life easier and happier
for women-an opportunity that might
be seized or wasted in the programme of
home-building which was to be under-
taken.
"I think women architects and house-
wives should have some say in the plan-
ning of the new homes," said Miss
Findlay, who laid special emphasis on
the planning of kitchens. These, she
said, should be an efficient, pleasant
workshop for culinary duties.
The need for proper town planning
also holds particular interest for Miss
Findlay.
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