A different path: Nancy Osborne’s Unusual Career

In this episode, we listen to Arts graduate Nancy Osborne, talk about what it was like to be an independent career woman in the twentieth century. We hear about her uni days, career in London during the 1930s and work as a WREN during World War II.


Interested to learn more?


More on Nancy’s career in the UK before WWII: SYDNEY GRADUATE. (1935, July 11). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 14 (Women's Supplement). Retrieved September 7, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171...


Brief history of the WRENS: https://ornc.org/our-history/royal-na... (https://ornc.org/our-history/royal-na...)



Longer history of the WRENS: https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peop... (https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peop...)



A promotional film for the WRENS held by the Australian War Memorial: WRNS [Women's Royal Naval Service] Visit the University of


Sydney Archives: https://usydarchives.recollectcms.com/  (https://usydarchives.recollectcms.com...)


Listen to the full interview with Nancy: https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au... (https://archives-search.sydney.edu.au...)