Shirley MacIntosh

(1924-2007)

Shirley MacIntosh, survived a tumultuous childhood, and lied about her age, to join the WAAAF, with her sister Bette, at the start of WWll. After the war she worked, for many years, as a Metro Bus conductress in Fremantle.

Shirley Olive MacIntosh was born on the 19 February 1924 at 199 Park street, Subiaco, WA.

Her mother Rosina Alice Ducie (1904-1973) had been born in Tooting, Surrey, England and had arrived as a 13 year old, on the Australind, on 8 May 1911. She married Harold James Neil MacIntosh, a Motor driver, on 10 April 1923 in Perth.

After Shirley, Rosina and Harold then had a son Robert, who tragically died at 6 months, in 1926. (reference) A second daughter, Betty ‘Bette’ Rose was born in 1927:

1927: On Nov 13, at Narrabeen Hospital, 23 Coolgardie-street, Subiaco, to Mr. and Mrs. MacIntosh, 25 Olive-street, Subiaco- a daughter (Betty Rose). Both well. (reference)

Rosina was heartbroken over losing her son:

Jun 1929- MacIntosh- In loving memory of our little son, Bobby, who died June 11, 1926. Safe in the arms of Jesus. Inserted by his loving father, mother and sisters, Shirley and Betty. (reference)

Perhaps as a consequence of loss and grief, the marriage seems to have broken down and because she could not manage, Rosina put her two young daughters into an orphanage. She moved to Cue on the Goldfields, where, on 13 Dec 1932, Rosina, calling herself ‘Jean Elizabeth Macintosh’ married Martin Joseph Oates, an engineer. She told Oates that she had no children. Then, after 12 months of marriage, she brought her two girls to Meekatharra, where they were living; saying they were the children of her dead brother, and Martin agreed to keep them. In April 1935 however Oates somehow met Harold Macintosh and was told of their marriage, and that the children were his. Oates applied for dissolution of the marriage in July 1936 – the judge saying "He can have extra time to find out the woman is a spinster this time." (reference) This was granted in April 1937.

As their home life was not good, at the commencement of WWll, both Shirley and Bette lied about their age to get into the WAAAF. Shirley enlisted in Perth (service no 103088) and served in the RAAF from 1939-1948.

During the war their mother was known as Jean Alice Standing and lived with George Henry Theodore Standing at 16 Bay Road, North Fremantle (1943- 1958). George worked as a Storeman, possibly on the Railways.

After the war, in 1948, Harold James Nell Macintosh, was granted a divorce from Rosina Alice Macintosh (known as Rosina Alice Standing), on the grounds of desertion and adultery (hers). (reference)

“In 1936 I was subpoenaed as a witness when a man named Oates claimed a decree of nullity of a marriage with my wife,” said Maclntosh. “Petition was granted. My wife did not appear and I identified her by photographs.” Mr. Justice Wolff granted a request, based on the fact that Harold wanted to remarry before Xmas, for the decree absolute to go through in 4 months. (reference)

Harold remarried Evelyn M Russell in 1949 and in 1951 Rosina married George Standing and they moved to live in South Terrace, South Perth. (reference)

In 1946 Shirley’s sister Bette married Eric C Scudds and they had two daughters Leonie (married Graham Campbell) and Janet. The two girls were brought up by Nana Jean Standing. Bette later married Keith Boyd they had two sons, Philip (d 2019) and Mark. The Boyd’s moved away to live in Moree, NSW. In later life Bette became a Jehovah’s Witness and their family life was sadly punctuated with domestic violence.

After the war Shirley started work with the Metro Bus Company as a Ticket Conductress. The Metro Bus Depot was in Short Street, behind the Fremantle Post office. There she met Metro Bus Driver Hector McDonald (1924-1997) and they continued to work together, after they married in Fremantle in 1948.

Hector was the second oldest child of four children and had been born in Gage Roads, Fremantle, on a ship.  He left school in Grade 6 to become a Bakers apprentice. He later worked for Hammersley Iron, at Ansett Airlines as a Coach Driver and then as a commercial Tour Bus Driver. Shirley and Hector McDonald first lived 18 Solomon St, Beaconsfield, and later at Knutsford St. Finally they lived in a weather board, State Housing house, on a quarter acre block at 52 High Road, (later became McGregor St, Palmyra, where they brought up two daughters: Gail McDonald (1955) who married Philip Chance, and Debbie McDonald (1959). The children went to Palmyra Primary School, then John Curtin High School.

Shirley’s mother Rosina Alice Standing died 21 March 1973 in Astley St, Gosnells, when she was 69 years old. George Standing died three years later in 1976, aged 88, in Armadale. Both were cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.

Hector died on 18 January 1997, aged 72, in South Lake, and was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.

Shirley McDonald died on the 7 February 2007, aged 82, in Hilton.

Researched and written by Shirley’s daughter Debbie McDonald, 2021