Historical information

This photograph is held in the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute Audio Visual Collection. Please contact BMI for all print and usage inquiries.

Norma Lillian Henshall nee Sterritt biography (by son in law Rod Sharp)

Norma was born on the 14th November 1912.

She was a forward and independent child and always did what others would not consider appropriate at that time and you could say she was a hit of a rebel.
Norma worked in Fairweather's in Pleasant Street and while she was there was taught to drive.
She later drove Fairweather's Taxi being one of the first ladies to do so in Ballarat.

Norma put her age up from 17 to 18 so she could get her license earlier and purchased an Austin 7 red sports car complete with a fishtail back.

Norma taught herself the fundamentals of developing photographs and in 1938 rode her man's bicycle around Ballarat taking photographs of the various businesses decorated to celebrate the centenary of Ballarat.

During the Second World War with her husband serving overseas in the Middle East Norma enlisted in the Army and served from 1942 through until 1945 as an Ambulance driver in the 3rd Ambulance and was stationed at Camp Pell which was located adjacent to the Melbourne Zoo. Norma transported wounded servicemen to the various hospitals around Melbourne.