39. From Nurse to Cop
Early in her career as a nurse, Lillian Armfield was exposed to Sydney’s darker side while working in an insane asylum. In 1915, Sydney formed a Women’s Police Force – the first of its kind in Australia – and encouraged nurses and asylum workers to apply. Lillian fit the bill on both counts, so she signed up.
Despite numerous hurdles placed in her way – gender discrimination and sexism were orders of magnitude worse back then – Lillian was badass enough to overcome them and soldier on. She became Australia’s first female detective and worked for over thirty years fighting crime and busting criminals.