In 1933 Natalia Davies founded the Defence Society in South Australia. As President of this group she was able to obtain information from the Home Office in England, and directed the training of the women members. After the war started training covered first aid, home nursing, motor engineering, elementary electrical work and fire drill. Later classes also covered map-reading, pistol shooting and unarmed defence.
Natalia Davies was born in Wales to a South Australian woman Florence, who after separating from her husband Latimer Davies, decided to return to South Australia. Nat, as she preferred to be called, trained as a teacher at Adelaide Teachers' College from 1924-25, subsequently attended the University of Adelaide and began her teaching career in 1926 at Uraidla Public School. She subsequently moved into girls' technical schools in 1939, remaining in that field until her death in 1951. She was an active unionist, serving as treasurer of the Women's Assistants' Association from 1934-37. On the formation of the Women Teachers' Guild in 1938, Davies served as its liaison officer from 1938-42 and its vice-president from 1945-49.
Her close friend Amylis Laffer endowed the Natalia Davies prize for first-year history at the University of Adelaide.
OccupationTeacherPlace of Birth[1] Place of ResidenceAdelaide
