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Minnie May Forsyth 1878 - 1966

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• Birth	13 Sep 1878	High St Willoughby
  Gender	Female
  Died	30 Aug 1966	Sutherland Reg No 31387/1966
  Buried	Woranora Cemeter
  Person ID	I0425	Forsyth Tanners
  Last Modified	8 Jul 2020

  
  

  Father	Robert Forsyth,   b. 16 Apr 1848, Abbey St, Bermondsey, London ,   d. 1 May 1917, St Leonards
  Mother	Stephana Gates,   b. 1849, Gowdies, Kent, England ,   d. 23 Jul 1918, St Leonards Reg No 12962/1918
  Married	5 Apr 1871	Wesleyan Church Mowbray, Rd Chatswood, Sydney
  Family ID	F139	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Edmond Charles Gates,   b. c. 1874,   d. 5 Nov 1953, Sutherland Reg No 30200/1953
  Married	1901	Chatswood Reg No 933/1901
  Children	1. Edmond Keith Gates,   b. 1902, Burwood Reg No 20801/1902 ,   d. 7 Dec 1959, Sutherland Reg No 32848/1959   2. Robert William Forsyth Gates,   b. 28 Apr 1905, Burwood Reg No 11818/1905 ,   d. 13 Dec 1968, Newtown Reg No 40912/1968   3. Alice Frances Gates,   b. 1908, Burwood Reg No 34130/1908 ,   d. 17 Jan 1975, Reg No 2221/1975   4. Joyce Stephana Gates,   b. 21 May 1910, Evanston, Burwood Rd. Burwood. Burwood Reg No 24651/1910 ,   d. 27 Sep 1990   5. Bruce Forsyth Gates,   b. 28 Aug 1912, Burwood ,   d. 11 Feb 1990   6. Lynden James Forsyth Gates,   d. 30 Aug 1983
  Family ID	F165	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos		Minnie May Forsyth (1878 - 1966)
  		Minnie May Forsyth b 1878
  		Minnie May Gates
  		Minnie May Gates Honoured
  		Minnie May Gates Community Activities

  
  

  Documents

  Minnie May Gates

  
  

• Notes

  The Sydney Morning Herald Sat 18 May 1901 Page 1 GATES?FORSYTH.?March 27, in the Wesleyan Church, Gordon road Willoughby by the Rev J J Morris Taylor, Edmond Charles Gates, D.D.S, of Bur- wood, to Minnie May, eldest daughter of Robert For- syth, Esq., J.P., of Tyneside, High St Willloughby Woranora Cemetery Surname: GATES Type: Ashes First Name: MINNIE Other Names: MAY Date of Death: 30/08/1966 INTERRED ? Location Section Position EE ROSE GARDEN 13 0069 The Encyclopedia of Women & Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia Gates, Minnie May Occupation Community Worker Written by Shurlee Swain, Australian Catholic University Minnie Gates was born in the Sydney suburb of Willoughby, in 1878, the fourth of nine children of currier, Robert Forsyth and his wife Stephana. Educated privately she did not need to seek paid employment prior to her marriage to dentist, Edmund Gates, in 1901. The couple was to have six children. Gates' first venture into philanthropy came in 1928 when as honorary secretary of the Women's League of New South Wales she formed a sub-committee to welcome and assist young women coming to the city to work. In 1931 she stood unsuccessfully for Lane Cove Council in 1931 as a representative of the Women's League (Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 1931). Two years earlier she had become secretary of the Council for Social and Moral Reform, of which later she would become president, and an associate of the National Council of Women which also provided her with rich opportunities to display her leadership abilities. Working through the NCW Gates helped develop a hostel for homeless women during the Depression, taking full responsibility for its management when the Council withdrew its support in 1934. 'What can be better than for women to look after women', she asked. 'It's not spectacular but ... it is the work women should be doing' (Sydney Morning Herald, 26 September 1939). To oversee this work she founded the Big Sister Movement which she served as president for the rest of her life, extending the work to focus on aged care. In its early years the organisation also functioned as a club and employment agency for female clerical workers (Sydney Morning Herald, 7 December 1938). During World War II she offered the hostel as accommodation for munitions workers. She also became involved with Red Cross, and was a member of the committee of Royal North Shore Hospital from 1940 to 1960. Awarded the MBE in 1941, Gates died in 1966. A playground at Royal North Shore is named in her honour. Published Resources Newspaper Articles 'Woman Candidate', The Sydney Morning Herald (New South Wales), 27 October 1931, p. 13. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16825530. Details 'Clerical Workers' Club', The Sydney Morning Herald (New South Wales), 7 December 1938, p. 19. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17551765. Details 'Big Sister Movement', The Sydney Morning Herald (New South Wales), 26 September 1939, p. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27971146. Details Online Resources Pilger, Alison, 'Gates, Minnie May (1878 - 1966)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (ANU), c.2006, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gates-minnie-may-10284/text18193. Details See also 'Gates, Minnie May', The Australian Women's Register, National Foundation for Australian Women, http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE5091b.htm. Details Big Sister Movement Who doesn?t need a big sister? Miranda has been providing ?Big Sister? support since 1976, nearly 50 years after Minnie Gates and others from the National Council for Women opened a hostel for ladies and later a ?clerical club? to help them ?maintain their speed?. Mrs Gates used her own funds and furniture to provide accommodation to girls who moved from the bush to the city after World War I and during the Depression. In the early 1930s, Big Sisters also offered their ?helping hand?, taking in elderly women left homeless to ?be kind to the old lady?. In need of more space, the Big Sisters? hostels moved away from the city but in 1976 they consolidated their properties and built a two-storey brick hostel in Miranda that welcomed both elderly women and men. The Big Sister movement no longer operates the aged care home but the name and legacy of its founder?s remains.