General News
4 May, 2023
Resident reflects on win
AS Australia’s Women’s Weekly magazine marks 90 years, Camperdown local Jocelyn Banks remembers a competition she entered in 1955.
AS Australia’s Women’s Weekly magazine marks 90 years, Camperdown local Jocelyn Banks remembers a competition she entered in 1955.
Ms Banks, who will be turning 90 this year, won the Peter Mitchell Will Quest competition in 1955.
When reflecting on this achievement, Ms Banks said she was “over the moon” when she won.
“I had telegrams from all over the place, most of them I’ve still got,” she said.
“It was quite a difficult examination that we had to do, and then we had to go through a board of examiners and do an oral examination.
“It was very exciting; the prize was over £500, which in 1955 was a lot of money, and it was quite a credit to have won from 20 finalists that finished up at the University of Sydney at the last judging.”
Ms Banks said the competition required the ability to ride a horse, knowledge of caring for children, and a knowledge of current affairs.
“It was sort of made to fit for me because I had my own horse and I was a mother-child nurse, so I entered, and I won the first one.”
Ms Banks said the competition was just one of many things she had done in her life.
“It’s fun to look back at it and read the letters and telegrams from people who are all long dead, because they were all older than me,” she said.