As why does that ‘Ol Alice’s restaurant song come
to mind, Eh?
Was doing my daily News trawl via my NFB Newsline
for The Blind’s telephone service. Where the New York Times Obituary section
had another of it’s Overlooked articles. This time chronicling the rather short
life of Alice Anderson.
For which like Mwah, Y’all are probably saying
Alice Anderson Who?
Anderson is featured in Loretta Smith’s 2019
book titled A Spanner in the Works: The extraordinary story of Alic Anderson
and Australia’s first All-Girl Garage.
And although the NY Times article said Her full
name was Alice Elizabeth Foley Anderson, She also seems to have been known as
Alecia Elizabeth Foley Anderson. Being born on June 8, 1897 in Melbourne,
Australia.
Love the NY Times description of Mechanic Alic
scowling at the camera with elbows out, eyebrows arched, Her Bob’ tucked
underneath a Chauffeurs cap. Wearing a shirt with a tie and a gloved hand jauntily
resting upon the steering wheel in a photograph taken in August, 1918.
As Alice grew up in the suburbs of Melbourne,
riding a bicycle, Horses and learning how to Shoot Guns. As Her father who was
an Engineer whose company landed the Australian patent for a Concreting
technique that revolutionized roads and bridges. Gave Alice a Hubmobile at age
18, while She worked as a Secretary for Her Dad’s Transportation company.
Alice quickly began badgering the mechanics to
teach Her how to drive, before beginning to hone Her driving skills over the
dangerous Black Spurs route, apparently in the rather large eight passenger Hubmobile!
After completing an Mechanics Apprenticeship, Alice
opened the first All Female Garage in Australia, and once of the first in the
world, where She only employed women, who She called Her Garage Girls. Eventually
training 29 ore more Garage Girls, with Anderson’s Garage also offering Chauffeur
services…
As the opening ceremony for the Garage featured
several female mechanics in shirts with ties and slacks serving sandwiches.
With a famous Opera singer and the future Prime Minister in attendance.
Anderson’s Garage performed all aspects of
mechanical repairs including what was called the “Once Over” service. Which
included doing the Get down and Get Under service routine on one of Alice’s
inventions. What essentially is known today as the mechanic’s Creeper…
Alice, along with co-driver Jessie Webb set out
in 1926 to become the first females to drive a vehicle from Melbourne to Alice
Springs, a journey of over 1,500 miles upon rugged, torturous, bone jarring,
rattling fillings Outback! Where most preferred the customary travel of Camels
instead!
As Anderson and Webb drove a Baby Austin, the
smallest car available, removing it’s doors in order to strap supplies onto the
Austin instead. Which included boiling acrid water and Alice shooting their
dinner when needed! With the pair being successful in their adventure…
Alice hadplans tobecome a pilot, but sadly Her life was cut short on September 17, 1926. When She was found dead at Her Garage after having accidently Killed Herself while cleaning two of Her Guns…
