 She was known to have dismissed white employees because of their ill treatment of Aborigines.She acquired five houses at Tennant Creek for her old retainers and, despite objections from the local town management board, arranged for construction in 1968 and 1969 of a large red-brick building to house former employees and their relatives.The "Mary Ward Hostel," as it was known in addition to the "Pink Palace," was later used for a range of community purposes.