Australia Day Women's Ceremony

Since 1961 the National Council of Women of Victoria Inc (NCWV) and the Australia Day Council (Victoria) have come together to conduct a ceremony to honour the Pioneer Women of Australia and in particular, Victoria.

The Ceremony has been held in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Garden in King’s Domain each January. Guides Victoria have generously provided a Colour Party for the raising and lowering of the Australian Flag. The Australia Day Council has undertaken to see to the music, microphone and flowers for the Guest Speaker. NCWV has undertaken to arrange for chairs to be placed in the garden, the sheaf of flowers for the Memorial Plaque as well as in discussion with the Australia Day Council (Victoria) to invite a Guest Speaker. The City of Melbourne through its Parks and Garden Department has assisted in many ways over the years as without their invaluable assistance it would not be possible to hold the Ceremony in these Pioneer Women’s Gardens. The Minute’s Silence was introduced to honour all pioneer women at the request of the Australian Church Women.

Events

1961	Dr (later Dame) Margaret Blackwood DBE speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1962	Mrs G N Frost – now Dame Phyllis Frost AC DBE DSocSc(Hon) speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1963	Mrs R R Gordon speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1964	Mrs E W (Marjorie) Tipping speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1965	Mrs E W Tipping speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1966	Dame Mabel Brooks DBE speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1967	Mrs G N Frost – now Dame Phyllis Frost AC DBE DSocSc (Hon) speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1968	Mrs R R Gordon speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1969	Mrs Breen – later Dame Marie and Senator for Victoria speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1970	The Lady Casey (Associate NCWV) speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1971	E Utassy speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1972	Dr Elizabeth Turner speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1973	Matron V Bullwinkel speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1974	Mrs A W (Betty) Burton (Past NCWV International Secretary) speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1975	Mrs J G Norris – Later Dame Ada speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1976	Mrs Douglas Keep speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1977	Mrs Mary Hoban speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1978	Miss Patricia Kennedy speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1979	Miss Pat Waller speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1980	Patsy Adam Smith AM speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1981	Mrs Edith Hall speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1982	The Hon. Mrs Justice Lusink speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1983	Dame Beryl Beaurepaire DBE speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1984	Dr Marion Adams speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1985	Miss Edith Dawson speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1986	Ms Deborah Towns speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1987	Miss Wilma Hannah speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1988	Cr Leckie Ord - Lord Mayor City of Melbourne speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1989	Mrs Maurine Goldston – Morris OAM LDIC FRGS speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1990	Ms Georgia Richter speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1991	Dame Phyllis Frost AC DBE DSocSc (Hon) speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1992	Dr Janet McCalman speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1993	Mrs Jean Cheshire GCSJ OAM speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1994	Mrs Elizabeth Proust speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1995	Mrs Shirley Horne AM speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1996	Prof. Brian Lloyd speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1997	Sharon Firebrace speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1998	Ivan Deveson - Lord Mayor City of Melbourne speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
1999	Mrs Sylvia Gelman MBE speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
2000	Melba Marginson, Hong Vo, Medina Idriess speakers at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
2001	Gracia Baylor AM speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
2002	Dr Shirley Sampson BA Bed PhD JP speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony
2004	Rabbi Aviva Kipen speaker at the Australia Day Women's Ceremony

Related Corporate Bodies

• National Council of Women of Victoria (1902 - )

  [1961 - ]

Books

• Forty years on : women still pioneering : a collection of speeches from the Australia Day Women's Ceremony, Pioneer Women's Garden, King's Domain, Melbourne, National Council of Women of Victoria, Melbourne, 2002, 66 pp. [ Details... ]