Photographs from Library & Archives NT : PH0044/0019 - Auntie Billie - Advertiser Collection and PH0149/0055 - Billie Pitscheneder,
Honours and awards
British Empire Medal (BEM) 1977.,
Queen's Jubilee Medal 1977.,
Citizen of the Year, Darwin Australia Day Committee 1988.,
Biographical notes
Norma 'Billie' Pitscheneder first came to Darwin on a holiday from October through to December 1941. Unfortunately this was the start of the Pacific War and she was evacuated back to Perth but it was long enough for her to fall in love with Darwin. In June 1942, Billie joined the Australian Women's Army Service as a transport driver and was stationed in Melbourne. The climate did not suit her and she fell ill leading to a return to Perth and a discharge from the service. Norma moved to Darwin permanently in 1948. While working as a cook, with a local contractor feeding some ninety men every day, she began her own catering company. Her company provided school lunches to the children at the infant, primary and high schools.
In the early 1950s, Billie began to be involved in charity events. This led to a long association with numerous charities such as the Red Cross, Lions, Blind Society and the Country Women's Association. For example, after the Chinese Temple was destroyed during Cyclone Tracy, Billie helped raise funds for the Chung Wah Society by standing outside Woolworths and collecting donations.
Billie, who came to be known, by the people of Darwin, as "Aunty Billie", married Peter (Karl Richard) Pitscheneder in 1961. She gave up her catering company and moved with her husband to Howard Springs. Aunty Billie may have given up her business but she continued to be involved with charity work. When Peter died suddenly in 1977, Aunty Billie moved back to Darwin to be closer to her friends and to her work. Aunty Billie moved in to a new set of Housing Commission flats in Parap and they were named Pitscheneder Court in recognition of her tireless work for the community.,
Subject
Women,
Northern Territory,
File type
image/tiff,
image/tiff,
Related materials
Annual reports. Country Women's Association of the Northern Territory, 1970-2000.,
Northern Territory dictionary of biography. Darwin : Charles Darwin University Press, 2008. 920.9429 NORT,
Dusty, Slim and Joy McKean. Another day, another town. Sydney : Pan Macmillan Australia, 1996. B781.642 DUST,
"End of an era", Northern Territory News, 22 May 2002, p.10.,