Ethel May Prior was born on 26 August 1907 at Solomon Town, near Port Pirie, South Australia. She was the only child of Harry Prior and Bertha Priscilla Eliza Prior, formerly Keast, who had married at Kapunda on 5th March 1891. Ethel’s father was a Railway Guard stationed at Port Pirie when Ethel was born, but the family moved to Willunga for Henry to take up the position of Porter when the new Willunga to Adelaide railway opened in 1915.
Ethel completed her primary and secondary education at Willunga. She trained as a teacher and was appointed as Supplementary Teacher to Grade 7 pupils at Seaviw School, commencing on 1 July 1926 on a annual salary of 110 pounds. She also taught at Willunga Pubic School.
Ethel Prior was appointed as a clerical officer with Willunga District Council in around 1933, six years before the outbreak of WWII. Her career with the Council was to continue for 27 years.
In 1934, Ethel became housekeeper to Basil G Dunstan, then District Clerk of the Willunga Council, living at ‘Glantawe’ in St Andrews terrace. She cared for Basil’s 7-year-old son Martin, often being referred to as his guardian.
During World War II Ethel was seconded to the State Government and for 4 years she was employed in the Department of Agriculture. She was involved in the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) organisation, set up in 1938 to train civilians on the response to possible air attacks, and was appointed Executive Officer of Civil Defence for District 30 – which included the Willunga area. As a Civil Defence employee based in Headquarters, she was one of only two women in South Australia awarded a Black Badge for her work. She was also appointed a Justice of the Peace.
After the War, Ethel Prior resumed her clerical work with Willunga District Council. She supported many community organisations and initiatives including the Comfort Fund and the re-establishment of the Red Cross at McLaren Vale and Willunga. She facilitated the move of Willunga CWA into the unused Church of Christ building in High Street and organised numerous fund-raising events and activities for injured footballers, the Anglican Church Fair fund, the Methodist Church funds, the Willunga CWA, the Band of Hope and the Willunga Show. She was secretary and treasurer of the Willunga Red Cross Branch and an active member for 36 years. In March 1949 she set up a fund for the purchase of a book prize for the six successful Intermediate pupils of the Willunga Higher Primary School
Other activities included the Civic Farewell and presentation to Mrs Lincoln Goode and daughter Kitty in November 1950 and organising the 1950 Willunga Debutante Ball. In 1951, the Jubilee Year, Ethel offered a prize for the best essay on the “History of Willunga”, written by a Willunga school pupil. At her home “Glantawe” in August 1953 she entertained the wives of official guests who attended the Centenary Dinner for the Willunga District Council.
In August 1957 Ethel Prior was appointed as Assistant District Clerk of the Willunga District Council, reportedly a unique appointment for a woman in local government in SA.
Ethel Prior died at Willunga on 10 February 1975, aged 67 years. She was memorialised as the Loving Guardian of Martin Dunstan and Loved Aunt of Peg (Martin’s wife) and his children Jeffrey, Stephen and Jenny. Ethel was buried in the Willunga Methodist Cemetery.
