City of Swan remembers Ethel Warren

Published on 19 December 2019

The City of Swan community remembers the significant contributions of Bullsbrook resident Ethel Warren, who passed away aged 95.

City of Swan Mayor Kevin Bailey said Mrs Warren's contributions have been profound, and she has left a lasting impact on those around her. 

"I offer my sincere condolences to Ethel’s family and friends," he said.

"We will always remember and honour Ethel's life - she remains in the hearts of everyone in the City of Swan community."

In January 2017, Council resolved to recognise the service to community provided by Mrs Warren through the naming of Ethel Warren Bullsbrook Community Centre.

Ethel May Warren was born in 1923. She spent most of her life in the Bullsbrook area and was always highly involved in the local community.

Mrs Warren was a founding member of the Bullsbrook Historical Society, instrumental in setting up the Bullsbrook Museum and a long term staff member at the Bullsbrook Community Kindergarten.

She started her working life helping her parents on the family farm in Muchea before moving to Cottesloe with her family in 1941.

There Mrs Warren took a job at the Claremont Can Factory with the Army before joining the Women’s Australian Naval Service (WRANS) where she worked as a cook.

Not long after, in 1943, Ethel met her husband Colin who was stationed locally with the army.

The couple had two daughters and moved back to Colin’s family property in Bullsbrook where she became immersed in the local community, worked for a number of well-known local businesses and leased the iconic Ginger’s Roadhouse Café.

Ethel then took a position at the Bullsbrook Community Kindergarten before moving to the new Pre-Primary, where she remained for ten years until her retirement.

Ethel at the opening of the Bullsbrook Community Centre in 2017

Ethel and her family at the Bullsbrook Bowling Club

During the construction of the Ethel Warren Bullsbrook Community Centre