Olive Muriel Carty (nee Bishop) was born in the residential seaside suburb of Brighton in Melbourne’s south-east on 24 March 1904. Olive had a modicum of privilege that would have afforded her many opportunities other women of the same generation were not able to experience. Olive is remembered with joy and fond memories for those important in her life – her family – and chose to direct her privilege to greater good in the form of the L.E.W Carty Charitable Fund to ‘assist or promote research into the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of physical or mental disorders of human beings,’.
Olive determined the bequest of $200,000, made to Trustees on 20 February 1980, be named the ‘L.E.W. Carty Charitable Fund’ in memory of her late husband whom she had loved, admired, and respected during their 26 years together.
Leslie Ernest William Carty was born on 31 January 1885 to pastoralists Richard Thomas Carty and Lucy Constance Hawkins. He married Elsie Carty (nee Armstrong) in 1917. However, 15 years later, having suffered a lengthy time in ill-health, Elsie died at the age of 40 years old.
Some four years later, on 21 March 1935, Olive Muriel Bishop walked down the aisle of St John’s Church in Toorak towards her soon-to-be husband, Leslie Ernest William Carty.
Olive Carty
L.E.W. Carty
What a shock it must have been for Olive to move from the bustling inner suburbs of Melbourne to join Leslie on the vast pastoral runs of Hamilton. He had lived his whole life on the family property known as Brisbane Hill.
From her early years in Hamilton, Olive became a member of the Napier Club. The Napier Club had – and still has to this day – an emphasis on community, volunteering, and charitability. Olive was capable, a strength that would have allowed her to flourish upon her move to Brisbane Hill.
Olive and Leslie continued to live and work at Brisbane Hill and contribute to the Hamilton community. Sadly, on 12 June 1961 at the age of 75 years, Leslie Ernest William Carty died from congestive heart disease. Olive was only 57 years old on the death of Leslie. She remained at Brisbane Hill for a short time before returning to live in Melbourne.
Olive’s vibrancy and vivaciousness was renowned within the family. She was not the shy and retiring type, she loved outrage and had a wonderful sense of humour. She always had an interest in medical matters and became fascinated by the change in societies attitude towards women.
As a result of her foresight and generosity, the Fund has made a strong contribution to the vibrant medical research community in Victoria and will continue contributing for years to come.
In 2023, Trustees commissioned Born & Bred Historical Research to conduct historical research, oral history interviews and record analysis of the life of Olive. The full research paper is available to download here.