Ethel May (Monte) Punshon

Ethel May (Monte) Punshon (8 November 1882 – 4 April 1989) was an Australian artist and teacher. She was known for her kindness to interned Japanese during the second world war. After she reached the age of 100, she came out, joined MENSA, wrote her autobiography, was given a decoration by Japan, and was an ambassador for Expo 88.

Life Punshon was born in 1882 in the Australian state of Victoria in Ballarat.

In 1910, she had a twelve year relationship with a woman named Debbie. They lived together until Debbie left her for another woman. Debbie died two years later and Punshon had no more long-term relationships. and was Punshon's Japanese teacher, was one of the internees. In 1987 her autobiography, Monte-San: The Times Between : Life Lies Hidden, was published, but it did not mention her girlfriends.

She joined MENSA when she was 103 and when she was 105 she was made a roving ambassador for World Expo 88. She was given the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1988. Punshon died in 1989 in the Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg.