Nellie Elizabeth Stronach

Stronach was the only child of John Stronach, a marine engineer who had immigrated from Scotland, and his wife Helen née McDonald. She was born in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney, and attended private school until she was 12 and, after this, she was educated by a governess until the age of 15. Because of her father's heritage and the work that he did Stronach and her family spent significant periods in Scotland during her childhood. In 1920 the family returned to Sydney where, alongside caring for her aging parents, Stronach became a partner in a tea and sandwich shop. In 1930 she joined the Young Women's Christian Association in Sydney and she ran their cafeteria from about 1935. This was possible as both her parents died in the 1930s which freed her from her caring responsibilities. == The Australian Women's Army Service ==

During World War II Stronach was 50 and considered to old to serve. To circumvent this she put her age back to 43 to be eligible to join the Australian Women's Army Service where she enlisted on 6 March 1942. She served first as a cook within the 2nd Ambulance Car Company, where she worked between Sydney and Tamworth. By June she was promoted to sergeant and then applied for a commission, but her true age was discovered and it was rejected. Despite this, promotion did continue and in May 1943 Stronach became a warrant officer and, in July 1943, was posted to the Australian Defence Canteens Service Club in Sydney. In September 1944 she was transferred to the Australian Army Canteens Service Women's Club in Melbourne. Stronach was discharged on 27 April 1945. == Post World War II ==

After the war Stronach became a YWCA philanthropic representative and worked with the army women's services. In this role she initially worked through a number of barracks in New South Wales and Victoria before, in 1947, she travelled to Japan as a YWCA welfare officer. In Japan she worked alongside the British Commonwealth Occupation Force at the 130th Australian General Hospital in Kure (a city within the Hiroshima Prefecture). In 1952 she was awarded an Order of the British Empire for ‘service to the troops far beyond the normal call of duty’. She remained in Kure until November 1953. She was a very popular staff member and was called 'Stronnie' by many. == References ==