Ellen 'Nellie' Jewell Flower

Ellen 'Nellie' Jewell Rice, daughter of Thomas Clarke Rice (1837-) and Ellen Jewell (1837-), was born in Clifton, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom on 12 March 1858.

Emigrated to Ashburton, New Zealand around 1878 with her parents and siblings.

In 1880 she married Henry George Flower, a confectioner, son of Marshall Flower (1824-1892) and Louisa Bush (1831-1890) in New Zealand. Ellen and George had seven children in New Zealand.

Ellen Louisa Jewell (1858-1942)
Grace Flower (1883-1965)
Marshall William Henry Flower (1884-1971)
Nellie Flower (1886-1961)
Gladstone Jewell Flower (1888-1968)
Eric Morley Flower (1890-1917)
Cyril Cecil Flower (1894-1973)

Henry came from a musical family and both were active the in amateur musical and theatrical scene in Ashburton.

In 1893 Ellen signed a petition for women's voting rights in NZ.

She and her husband then moved to Perth. In 1905 was living in Leederville, where she was the president of the St Barnabus Girls Guild. In 1911 she was voted inaugural president of the North Fremantle District Nursing League.

In 1921 she was the president of the Cottesloe Women's Service Guild. She was very active in welcoming new immigrants to Perth/Fremantle along with a Sister Bessie.

In 1922 while living in Otway St, Swanbourne, she ran as a candidate for Claremont Council (North Ward).

Ellen was active in women's peace movement in the post-WWI years. In 1924 she was appointed as a delegate to represent WA for the International Council of Women conference at presentation 'The Prevention and Causes of War', nominated for this role by the International Women Suffrage Alliance.

The Myola Club began as Flower's Literary Circle through an arrangement she made with Lionel Logue to coach a group of women in the art of speech making and chairing a meeting. She officially opened the new Myola Club building at 6 Stirling Road, Claremont, on April 30th, 1935.

Ellen died on 23 May 1942 aged 84.