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Diane Chandler,
a sixth generation Tasmanian, grew up on the hills of Hobart.
She attended Collegiate, a girls' school in the city. After
a year at secretarial college she joined the Commonwealth
Public Service. Coming top in the entrance exam, Diane worked
in the historic Customs House building near Constitution Dock.
After raising her
family for some dozen years, Diane returned to work as head
typist at the Lands Department and was subsequently asked
to apply for a position of clerk in the third division, which
had previously employed only males at relatively much higher
salaries. This
was a test case, she was the first female appointed to that
division.
From there, her
career fulfilled a long term ambition. In 1979 Hansard proceedings
were introduced in the Houses of Parliament in Hobart. Diane
became a sub-editor, coping with a continuous production line
of paper work and working to all hours - "sometimes till the
birds were singing!"
Published
by Maygog
Diane's
Diary
Being 17 in 1952
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