Additional Information

• Written on the back of the drawing:  Husband was a major in the army service in Alice.  Mrs Van Senden held office as President and responsible for having the new pictures made.  She was also responsible for most of the tree planting around Alice.
• Came to live in Alice Springs after war.  Had lived in converted flat on verandah of Old Courthouse in early 1950s.  Initiated Old Chooks competition.

Image - A Couple of Good Old Boilers

A Couple of Good Old Boilers Mrs Van Senden was the president of the CWA and came up with the idea of the "Chooks". She was responsible for most of the tree planting around Alice Springs. She came to the town after the World War II and lived in a converted flat on the verandah of the old courthouse in the early 50's. She and Mrs J Rice were longstanding members. Mrs Rice and her husband were newsagents.

ct for NPWHF

Image - A Couple of Good Old Boilers

A Couple of Good Old Boilers Mrs Van Senden was the president of the CWA and came up with the idea of the "Chooks". She was responsible for most of the tree planting around Alice Springs. She came to the town after the World War II and lived in a converted flat on the verandah of the old courthouse in the early 50's. She and Mrs J Rice were longstanding members. Mrs Rice and her husband were newsagents.

ct for NPWHF

References

• Petrick, Jose.  (2010, November).  The History of Alice Springs through Landmarks & Street Names.  St Marys, South Australia:  Openbook Howden Design and Print.  p. 198. VAN SENDEN AVENUE Dudley Van Senden, J.P. – Government officer. Dudley Van Senden came to Alice Springs during World War II as an Army officer.  He returned with his wife after the war and held an administrative position in the Municipal Section of the NTA, which operated before the Town Council was established. Mr Van Senden was instrumental in planting many trees in Alice Springs and in particular, the gum trees in Gap Rd.  … After his wife’s death, he went to Elkedra Staion as bookkeeper … Mrs Van Senden, an ardent CWA member, was President of the Alice Springs Branch from 1953-54.  While in office, she had the brilliant idea to have humorous caricatures of well-known CWA members drawn as fowls, by local cartoonist, Butch Peverill.  Peverill sketched several members as hens, accentuating their characteristics. Lil Bloomfield and Mrs Minnie McLeod, wives of pioneering pastoralists, were shown as two old brown feathered boilers wearing bonnets, driving a sulky.  The picture was entitled Two Hens from Oodnadatta. Another two were Mrs Kathleen Sneddon a Past President and Mrs Mary Kranz, who always wore eye-shades and were ardent cyclists.  Mrs Kranz always held up an umbrella as a sun-shade when she cycled and her little fox terrier Zuki, ran beside her.  Peverill sketched the two slim hens wearing eyeshades, frantically pedalling bicycles, complete with Zuki and the sun-shade.  This work of art was entitled The Alice Olympic Bicycle Race. The framed pictures were hung on the CWA Hall walls and provided great intrigue and humour for years.  After the CWA ceased functioning, the priceless treasures were given to the McDouall Stuart Branch of the National Trust, NT, who loaned them to the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Alice Springs.
• The NPWHF "CWA caicatures by Butch Peverill & George Scott Brown" states her husband's name was Dudley Van Senden, and that his job was "Government officer."