[2] Alfred trained at Deaconess House in Melbourne, and in 1944 was placed at St Marks' Fitzroy.
[3] Nevertheless, she continued to campaign for change, often joined by close friend and ally Barbara Darling, who later became an assistant bishop in Melbourne.
[2] In 1979, Alfred was appointed chaplain at the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, becoming the first woman to hold the position and[3] that year she was also given Permission to Officiate.
[1] Rayner made a promise to Alfred that when her ordination as a priest became a possibility, he would do so regardless of time constraints.
[6][7] In 2001, Alfred was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for her achievements as head deaconess and for being the first woman ordained as a priest in Melbourne.