Trudy Kentish

1921 - 2002.

Gertrude Florence Kentish or Miss Trudy Kentish achieved the Trained Primary Teacher's Certificate at Melbourne Teachers College in 1941 and was granted a National Fitness Scholarship to study physical education at the University of Melbourne. She was awarded a Diploma in Physical Education (1945); Bachelor of Arts (1956) and Bachelor of Education (1960). She lectured in Physical Education at Ballarat Teachers' College and before taking up

a position at Geelong Teachers College, was seconded to the British Commonwealth

Occupation Forces in Japan to teach children of servicemen at Army Headquarters. Miss Kentish was appointed to Frankston Teachers' College in 1959. She was made vice principal in 1973 and deputy director in 1979, a position she held until her retirement in 1981.

Trudy Kentish was foundation president of the Peninsula Branch of the Victorian Women Graduates Association (later the Australian Federation of University Women) and attended the United Nations International Women's Year Conference in Mexico City in 1975. She was also a member of the Mornington Peninsula Soroptimist Club and former regional president of Soroptimist International Victoria, 1977-78.

Melbourne University Archives hold a substantial collection of biographical material relating to Trudy Kentish, including her notebooks (lecture notes) 1943-1952 on courses, preventative work, history, modern problems, musical appreciation, body mechanics, diet and hygiene, muscle structure, kinesiology, anatomy and physiology, summary of activities; exercises, methods notes, lessons notes 1944; dance tunes, choreographical notes, folk dance; nursery songs, dance group program 1944-1952: see Melb Uni Archives Accession Number: 80/166.

The photo below, from the Monash University Archives, shows second year students in the Trained Primary Teachers' Certificate course, Frankston Teachers' College, in 1961. Trudi Kentish, Vice-Principal, is seated in the centre of the front row.