president treasurer community leader
Born Thelma Florence Olsen in Sydney, she was the daughter of Norwegian seaman Olaf Olsen and his wife Florence Beatrice, née Street Clair, who was born in Melbourne. Her mother married Carl Gustav Sundstrom in 1912. Thelma attended Fort Street Girls" High School before graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts in 1928.
University of Sydney.
She subsequently taught at Meriden School and travelled abroad. Her husband died in 1946. The following year she stood as the Country Party candidate for the seat of Dubbo in the state election.
Thelma Harvey was the first woman endorsed by the Country Party to contest an election in Australia.
Kirkby continued to contest elections for the Country Party but was not elected. She represented New South Wales at the Associated Country Women of the World conference in Toronto in 1953, and continued to be active in the community.
They divorced in 1968. Bate was honorary secretary (1957-1959) and president (1959-1962) of the CWA, when she became known for her strong support of the inclusion of Aboriginal women in the CWA. She was treasurer of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs in the 1960s and was appointed Commander of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1969.
She died in 1984 at Gordon.
