Ethel May Eliza Zahel
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Ethel May Eliza Zahel (nee Kemp) (3 February 1877 – 9 April 1951) was an Australian public servant and schoolteacher who was born in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.[1] On 6 November 1895, she married Mark Charles Zahel, solicitor, at her parents' home in Mackay.[2][3] In 1905, she moved to Thursday island with her husband who died there on 4 June 1907. Ethel accepted a permanent appointment to the Torres Strait Islands teaching service dated on 15 June 1909. She moved to Yam Island with her daughter Ethel Lorenza, who died a few months later.[4]
In October 1909, she opened a school on Badu (Mulgrave Island) and lived in the household of Frederick Walker, a former missionary. In 1915 she was given control of the Papuan Industries Ltd. 'company boats', owned by Islanders and signed authorizations for provisioning the vessels and payments made for pearl-shell and trochus brought back to Badu.[4]
Australia's declaration of war against Japan in World War II led to her evacuation from the Torres Strait on 29 January 1942 and she then retired from the public service.[4] She died in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 9 April 1951.[1]
