She later studied shorthand and became a member of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Department in 1916, in the midst of World War I. Stuart and other women of a similar age were trained as telegraph operators to replace the men off at war.
After the end of the war in November 1918, men gradually took back their positions as telegraphists, and the number of women became less and less.
[1] Stuart was disgruntled with the deficiency in opportunities for promotion for women in the Post and Telegraph Department.
With the stream of more women to the field with the outbreak of World War II, the lack of equal treatment became more prominent.
She volunteered at a local church, took courses in carpentry, and was a part of a professional women's club, among other things.