Mavis Parkinson
Mavis Parkinson was born in Ipswich on 10 November 1915 and from an early age wanted to be a missionary for the Church of England. Her parents refused to let her go until she turned 21 years of age. After training in Brisbane and Sydney, she left for the Anglican Mission at Gona in Papua in 1940.
She was still there teaching kindergarten children, when the Japanese invasion forces landed on the beach near the mission in 1942. Mavis, along with her fellow missionary May Hayman and Father James Benson escaped into the bush. They spent five weeks running and hiding in the jungle before the two women were separated from Father Benson and eventually captured by the Japanese. After several days in captivity they were taken to Popondetta, where they were bayonetted to death together with one of the native students who had tried to protect them.
Mavis was one of eight missionaries who gave their lives in a similar manner, all still revered as the New Guinea Martyrs.
You can find a photograph of Mavis in the wonderful database “Our Women, Our State“, on the Queensland Government website.
Information taken from “Our Women, Our State” by the Queensland Government.