Betty Judge

(1921-2016)

The remarkable Betty Judge was born on March 21, 1921. She become a champion runner- winning the World Record for the 330 and 880 yards in 1940, 1941 and 1947. Judge was the first woman in WA to achieve a Diploma in Physical Education and she coached Shirley Strickland, seven time Olympic medalist. She married politician Kim Beazley Snr in 1948.

Betty was the only daughter of Tom and Vera Judge of 23 Hamilton Street, East Fremantle. Betty was only 12 months old when her father Tom died. Tom’s service in Egypt with the 10th Light Horse left him so ill that, following his repatriation to Perth, he died, leaving Vera and Betty alone. They were sustained by a war pension, the Legacy organisation and a strong family. Betty's cousin Morris was like a brother to her. But, as for nearly half of the airmen who flew over Europe in the Second World War, he and his flight crew were killed on a mission over France. Her grandfather Edward William Heal, aged 93 years also died at the house in 1945. (reference) Having been so affected by war loss, throughout her adult years Betty always spent Anzac Day in reflective solitude. (reference)

Betty won a scholarship to Perth Modern School in 1938 and she began competing in 1939 in a wide variety of athletic events, including sprints and hurdles, but she excelled in the 440-yard and 880-yard events. She later became the youngest sports mistress at Perth Modern School and, with the help of Legacy, became the first woman in Western Australia to get a Diploma in Physical Education. Betty intended to teach and she won a scholarship for a diploma at Melbourne University.

2 March 1940 the Sunday Times reported:

'Betty Judge breaks world record', stating, 'the most outstanding performance of the day was that of Betty Judge, who followed up her record-breaking 440 yards last week by winning the Women's 880 Yards State Championship in 2 minutes 24.7 seconds, which broke the State record by 3.8 seconds, the Australian record by a half a second and the World record by a ninth of a second'. (reference)

2 May 1940 World Record Claim By W.A. Athlete- Miss Betty Judge, the young Western Australian athlete who won the Australian title for the 880 yards championship in Perth in record time, claims a world record for a distance of 300 metres which she ran in 39.9 seconds. This is 1/10th of a second faster than that recorded by Miss S. Howard In England In 1921. The distance of 300 metres is, however, one that is rarely run by women, and there Is no race for this distance on the programmes conducted by the Australian Women's Amateur Athletic Union. It is understood that even In England the distance is not a favored one.The secretary of the V.W.A.A.(Miss P. Cantwell), who saw Miss Judge run in Perth, was impressed by her style and believes that she may develop into a first class distance runner if carefully trained.(reference)

15 February 1941 the Mirror reported, 'World record time: Betty Judge's fast 300', declaring, 'World's record for women's 300 yards race was bettered today at Leederville Oval when Betty Judge covered the distance in 39.8 seconds’. (reference)

In June 1941  she was the focus of a large article in the Perth Social Magazine PIX (reference)

”When Miss Betty Judge was sports mistress at Bunbury High School in 1944 she conducted a National Fitness class for girls a few nights each week.” (reference)

In 1945 Betty was briefly engaged to Howard Warren Secomb from Victoria. He served and survived WWll but returned to Victoria where he married in 1949. (reference)

Competing during wartime entailed haphazard training and irregular competition but on 8 February 1947 the Perth Daily News reported:

'Girl beats own 880 record … Miss Betty Judge brilliantly lowered by half a second her own state and Australian 880 yards record at today's athletics at Leederville Oval.' (reference)

1947 At present sports mistress at Modern School, she is particularly interested in the rhythmic side of girls' physical education. With this in view she has joined the Patch Theatre Ballet and is doing a ten weeks' dancing course under Ted Shawn.(reference)

In June 1947 she also announced her engagement to Kim Beazely:

It seems that Miss Judge's fiance has been cropping up along her route ever since schooldays. "We were at Modern School at the same time," she said, "though he was a few years higher up." For a year while she was monitoring at Midland Junction Central School, Mr Beazley was on the staff. Then they crossed one another's paths again at the Adult Education Summer School in 1944, when he lectured on International Affairs while she organised physical instruction.(reference)

In 1937 Kim Beazley commenced work with the Education Department and his first job was at Richmond Primary School in East Fremantle.

7 February 1948 Betty Judge was featured on the Daily News front cover getting her hair done on the day of her wedding. (Reference) (Reference)

Betty looked after her family as a single parent, said her son Kim Beazley (Jnr) , while having the multiple tasks of looking out for her husband's back in the electorate, the party, and, more generally, in the pursuit of his political aspirations.Kim remembered Betty's protective instinct and generosity of love. There was always room at the Beazley table for one more. She would give comfort and hospitality to students of the Colombo Plan, young waifs, Aboriginal people, those in need of love and a good meal. One of the earliest memories of Kim Jr was of his mother's work in Fremantle Labor Women. He was frequently called upon to pick up Elsie Curtin from her residence in Cottesloe as his mother assembled branch members for regular meetings. Later, Betty was a powerhouse of Cottesloe Labor as membership officer. She thought nothing of door-knocking in that wealthy district. She believed that behind every door in Cottesloe was a family aching to join Labor. She door-knocked the very same streets that John Curtin had walked. (Reference) 

18 Dec 1948 Congratulations are being showered on Mr Kim Beazley, M.H.R. for Fremantle, and his wife on the birth of their first born, a son, at the King Edward Memorial Hospital on Tuesday. The child has been named Kim Christian. Mr. Beazley, who is 31, is the second youngest member of the Commonwealth Parliament. His wife (formerly Miss Betty Judge) was a prominent West Australian athlete and was sports mistress of Perth Modern School. (reference)

In 1954 Betty was taken to hospital with poliomyelitis. Her son, who had been in hospital with polio, had just returned home.(reference)

1954 POLIO VICTIM HAD MET QUEEN, PERTH, Mon. It was announced today that Mrs. Betty Beazley, wife of Mr. Kim Beazley, M.H.R. for Fremantle, contracted polio on February 20. She is now in isolation at her home in Claremont... and her condition is reported to be improving. Her son, who had been stricken with polio earlier, is now home also. Mrs. Beazley shook hands with the Queen at the opening of the Federal Parliament on February 15. (reference)

Kim Beazley Snr was the youngest member (aged 27) of the Federal Parliament at the time of his first election victory in 1945, and was the last surviving pre-1949 Federal politician when he died at Claremont on 12 October 2007. (reference)

Betty Beazley died in Nedlands on the 13th September 2016, aged 94

Researched by Dianne for www.streetsofeastfreo