Elizabeth Ward became a Life Member of the AASW in 1973; she was the first President to hold two terms of office, in 1966 and again in 1974. Commitment to her profession, deep roots and purpose for life.

Born in England to an English father and Austrian-born mother, Elizabeth and her siblings moved to Sydney with their mother after the war. After initial work in social studies, she trained to be a social worker.

Beth has described her entry into the profession:
• I had trouble getting to the point where my career coalesced but once I got into the third year of my course, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
• Everyone didn’t quite get why you wanted to do social work, but I knew what it meant. I understood the value of work.

She worked with former prisoners of war, then as a Medical Social Worker at Royal North Shore Hospital, one of Sydney’s most prestigious hospitals. She also supervised students and held leadership roles with the AASW and the Australian Council of Social Service.

Elizabeth helped establish minimum standards for social work education in Australia. She was actively involved in early psychiatric social work education, and in 1981 co-authored a chapter in “Community Mental Health”.

Beth worked at Newcastle Hospital before taking on a leadership role at Royal North Shore Hospital, where she worked until her retirement in 1984. She was known for her wit and compassion. A lifelong advocate for ethical practice, her legacy lives on in the AASW and the generations of social workers she mentored.

— by John Lawrence & Emeritus Professor Judith A. Brown

Elizabeth Cliffe features in the AASW NSW Branch Living Histories Project.