[ { "Title\/Name": "Dundas, Roslyn", "Entry ID": "AWE0163", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dundas-roslyn\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Feminist, Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Australian Democrats, Roslyn Dundas was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) representing the electorate of Ginninderra, in 2001. She was the youngest woman ever to be elected to an Australian Parliament, but was unfortunately defeated at the 2004 election.\n", "Details": "After being educated via the public school system Dundas commenced her Bachelor of Arts degreee at the Australian National University. In 2000 she was General Secretary of the ANU student body as well as a member of the National Union of Students' National Women's Committee.\nDundas has worked as a trade union organiser and as a young women's development co-ordinator at the YWCA. She was a participant in the National Youth Constitutional Forum in 2000 and was selected as a reserve for the National Youth Roundtable 2001. In 2008 she was appointed Director of the ACT Council of Social Service. Dundas was the CEO of Ausdance from January 2013 to October 2016.\n\u00a0\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vote-1-roslyn-dundas\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/contributors-roslyn-dundas-ausdance-website\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-relating-to-the-pamela-denoon-lecture-series-1989-2013\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Gallagher, Katy", "Entry ID": "AWE0165", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gallagher-katy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian, Senator, Union organiser", "Summary": "A member of the Australian Labor Party, Katy Gallagher was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Parliament of the Australian Capital Territory, representing the electorate of Molonglo, in October 2001. She was re-elected in 2004, 2008 and 2012 and served as Chief Minister from 16 May 2011 to 2014.\nIn 2014 Gallagher resigned from the ACT government to seek preselection to the Australian Senate. She was appointed to fill the casual vacancy caused by the retirement of Senator Kate Lundy in 2015, and elected in her own right a year later, in 2016. After a brief interruption during the parliamentary eligibility crisis of 2018, when she was forced to stand down because she had not renounced her British citizenship prior to her nomination in 2016, she was re-elected as Senator for Canberra in 2019.\nIn 2022, she was appointed Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Vice-President of the Executive Council, and Minister for the Public Service in the Labor Government.\n", "Details": "After receiving her secondary education in Canberra, Gallagher obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Australian National University, graduating in 1990. She was a project worker for the Woden Community Service and from 1994 to 1997 worked for People First ACT, an organisation providing advocacy and support to individuals with an intellectual disability. She has been active in the community and union sectors for over ten years. She has advocated for both adults and children with intellectual disabilities and for the industrial interests of workers as a Community and Public Sector Union national organiser.\nWhilst an MLA for the ACT, Gallagher held a variety of portfolios, including Regional Development, Health and Higher Education, Community Services and the Office for Women. She held the positions of Deputy Chief Minister and Treasurer before she became Chief Minister in 2011.\nAs a senator in opposition, Gallagher served as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness, and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on State and Territory Relations. She was promoted to Shadow Minister for Small Business and Financial Services in 2016, the year she was also appointed as Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate. In 2020 she served as Chair of the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19. In 2022, she was appointed Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Vice-President of the Executive Council, and Minister for the Public Service in the Labor Government.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/katy-gallagher-mla\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/senator-the-hon-katy-gallagher-parliament-of-australia-website\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0375-canberra-centenary-time-capsule\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0154-majura-womens-group-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Curley, Sylvia", "Entry ID": "AWE0767", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/curley-sylvia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Advocate, Farmer, Local historian, Nurse", "Summary": "Sylvia Curley qualified as a nurse in 1926 and spent her early years of nursing in country New South Wales. She worked for the Canberra Community Hospital (later known as the Royal Canberra Hospital) from 1938 until her retirement in 1966 as deputy matron. In her 'retirement' years she ran a nursing employment agency in Canberra and was a strong advocate for changes to nurses' education. In 1994 she donated her family home, Mugga Mugga, to the people of Canberra and oversaw its development into an environmental education centre. Sylvia Curley was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 8 June 1992 for her services to nursing, to local history and to the National Trust.\n", "Details": "Sylvia Curley was born into a pioneering Canberra family and grew up on Duntroon estate, before moving to Mugga Mugga homestead in 1913.\nShe trained as a nurse at Goulburn for four years, and at Leeton and Narrandera she developed her lifelong commitment to patient care and student nurses education. As matron at Gundagai, in five years she changed a run-down hospital to one described by the then New South Wales (NSW) minister for health as 'the cleanest and best of its size', which she achieved through influencing administrators and community fundraising. During her time there she took leave without pay to further her training in New Zealand and Sydney.\nCurley returned to Canberra in 1938 to take up the position of sub-matron of the then Canberra Hospital, only to find that the hospital had been the subject of a royal commission. Staff morale was very low and a group of nurses had resigned in protest at the actions of the hospital board and the sacking of the previous matron. Not to be deterred, she set about improving the hygiene of the kitchen, management of food supplies, menus, diets and she paid from her own salary for a Coolgardie safe to be built when the hospital board refused. Curley also introduced the tray system for patient meals.\nConcerned at the lack of social lives and the rule of no visitors to nurses quarters Curley organised hospital balls and dances, largely funded from her own pocket, which were great successes and attracted up to 800 guests. She organised fetes and other fundraising events for a student nurses reference library, and for years she lobbied hospital management for improved nursing training and superannuation.\nCurley went on largely self-funded study tours to New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, and reported back on developments in hospital practice and nurse training, showing Australia to be behind the times. Her efforts saw the establishment in 1957 of the Nursing School in Canberra, the second in Australia, which was based on a model she had seen in New Zealand.\nIn 1964 a nursing home on the site of the former nurses quarters at Canberra Hospital was named in Curley's honour. In 1966, after twenty-nine years at the Royal Canberra Hospital, she retired from nursing, but without superannuation she was forced to continue working and she started an employment agency. This she ran for twenty years, during which time a dental nurse training course at Canberra Technical College was established at her suggestion and she lobbied for a medical records course for secretaries.\nOn retiring she set herself the project of documenting the history of the Canberra region, most of which she knew first hand, and was anxious for children to understand how things were in Canberra's past.\nAt the age of 91 she was recognised with a Medal in the General Division of the Order of Australia for services to nursing, local history and the National Trust.\nAfter the death of her last family member, she maintained her family's Mugga Mugga property herself in excellent condition, receiving praise from the Department of Agriculture on her management of the farm. In 1995 Curley bequeathed the historic 17ha property to the people of Canberra, and established an education centre for environmental studies and turned the homestead into a cottage museum, which she said was the only museum in Canberra to contain original pieces of property of a pioneering family.\nIn 1998 her memoirs were published documenting her life at Duntroon and Mugga Mugga and her 'three careers' as a nurse, employment consultant and lessee farmer. At her 100th birthday thanksgiving mass, she described the Mugga Mugga education centre as her vision and dream. She died in the same year.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-long-journey-duntroon-mugga-mugga-and-three-careers\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/curley-sylvia-1898-1999-biographical-entry\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Beaumont, Marilyn Kay", "Entry ID": "AWE0858", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/beaumont-marilyn-kay\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Counsellor, Industrial organiser, Nurse", "Summary": "Marilyn Beaumont was born in Canberra. She trained at the Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney between 1968 and 1971. She came to Adelaide in 1980 and worked in a counselling capacity with the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment Board. In 1981 she became a Liaison Officer for the South Australian Branch of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation and in 1982 she successfully contested an election for Secretary of that association. She later took up the Federal Secretaryship.\n", "Events": "Inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2007 - 2007)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-marilyn-kay-beaumont-sound-recording-interviewer-joan-durdin\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Hill, Cheryl Anne", "Entry ID": "AWE1602", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hill-cheryl-anne\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Political candidate", "Summary": "Cheryl Hill was well known and respected in Canberra. She was a Liberal Party member in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly election for Bulli in 1991 and in the House of Representatives election for Fraser in 1996. The following year she stood as an Independent in the Fraser by election. She resigned from the Liberal Party prior to the by-election of 1997, because of the party's attitude to race and immigration. In August 2002, Cheryl Hill was named as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary club of Canberra South.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/putting-skirts-on-the-sacred-benches-women-candidates-for-the-new-south-wales-parliament-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Sharpe, Penelope (Penny) Gail", "Entry ID": "AWE2079", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sharpe-penelope-penny-gail\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Councillor, Parliamentarian, Policy adviser", "Summary": "Penny Sharpe was elected to the NSW Legislative Council on 11 October 2005 for the balance of the term of service of Hon. C. M. Tebbutt (resigned). She is a member of the Australian Labor Party. She was re-elected in 2011. In 2015 she resigned to contest the Legislative Assembly seat of Newtown but was unsuccessful. She was then re-appointed to the Legislative Council to fill her own vacancy.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/putting-skirts-on-the-sacred-benches-women-candidates-for-the-new-south-wales-parliament-2\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Holt, Margaret", "Entry ID": "AWE2196", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/holt-margaret\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Taekwondo", "Summary": "Margaret Holt was World Champion in Tae Kwon Do in 1994. During the week of competition, she won three gold medals in an open competition that included men.\nIn 1992, she dressed as a man in order to compete in the knock-out Karate Championships, only revealing her true identity after she had won the title.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Powell, Katrina", "Entry ID": "AWE2368", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/powell-katrina\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Hockey player, Olympian", "Events": "Member of the Hockeyroos (1996 - 1996) \nMember of the Hockeyroos (2000 - 2000) \nMember of the Hockeyroos (2004 - 2004)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Miller, Gail", "Entry ID": "AWE2397", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/miller-gail\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Olympian, Water Polo Player", "Events": "Member of the Australian Women's Water Polo Team (2000 - 2000)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Brown, Joanne", "Entry ID": "AWE2404", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/brown-joanne\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Olympian, Softball Player", "Events": "Member of the Softball Team (1996 - 1996) \nMember of the Softball Team (2000 - 2000)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "McCue, Helen", "Entry ID": "AWE2718", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mccue-helen\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Educator, Nurse, Refugee Advocate, Researcher", "Summary": "Helen McCue is best known as a co-founder of Rural Australians for Refugees (2001). A trained nurse educator she worked with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the Middle East in 1981, was then seconded to the United Nations Relief and Works Organisation (UNRWA) in Lebanon, and subsequently worked as a volunteer in refugee camps in Beirut 1982-83. In 1984 she co-founded the trade union aid body Australian People for Health Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA), and was its first Executive Director and regional adviser in South Africa and the Middle East until early 1994. She founded the Women Refugee Education Network (1996) and the Wingecarribee Community Foundation (2001), and was involved in the establishment of Wingecarribee Reconciliation Group (1997).\n", "Details": "The daughter of Phyllis ne\u00e9 O'Connor, a typist in the public service, and John Burns, a hairdresser, Helen's family had strong links with the Canberra community. Her maternal grandfather was a bricklayer on old Parliament House, and her paternal grandfather, a linotype operator for the Canberra Times, established the printers' union in Canberra. She has two siblings. Educated at local Catholic schools she became a nurse and trade union representative at Canberra Hospital. She married Kevin McCue in 1970 (dec.1979) and travelled with him to London where she obtained further qualifications in nursing. On her return to Australia she completed a diploma in teaching and a degree in nursing education in Adelaide in 1979. She visited China in 1977 and 1978.\nAfter completing a Masters in Health Personnel Education at the University of NSW in 1981, McCue worked with the World Health Organisation in the Middle East in 1981-82, evaluating nursing services for the United Nations. She was then seconded to the United Nations Relief and Works Organisation (UNWRA) in the Bekaar Valley in Lebanon. Following the Sabra-Shatila massacre she left the UN and worked as a volunteer in refugee and other camps in 1982-83. In 1984 she initiated and co-founded with Cliff Dolan the trade union aid body, Australian People for Health Education and Development Abroad (APHEDA), to provide training for workers in refugee camps. Initially its Executive Director, she later worked for two years as its regional adviser in South Africa and the Middle East until early 1994, when she returned to work as a volunteer in refugee camps in Lebanon.\nMcCue moved to the Southern Highlands in late 1994 and in 1996 she founded the Women Refugee Education Network (WREN), an education advocacy group to bring women to Australia to talk about their work in refugee camps. In 1997 she, with others, started the 'Sorry Books' in response to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) report on the Stolen Generations and was involved in the establishment of the Wingcarribee Reconciliation Group. In 2001 she founded and was the inaugural chairperson of the Wingcarribee Community Foundation, which provides support to local youth, aged, palliative and respite care, Indigenous and environmental concerns in the Southern Highlands. In 2001 she, Susan Varga and Anne Coombs established a network of refugee support groups, Rural Australians for Refugees, which quickly spread to other rural towns across Australia.\nSince completing a PhD in political science on women in Islam at the University of New South Wales in 1999, McCue has held various academic positions including that of Visiting Honorary Associate at the University of New South Wales School of Politics and International Relations 2001-04, Associate Lecturer, Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong 2002-03, and in 2005 she taught a course on Women in Islamic Civilisation at the ANU Centre for Continuing Education. Since August 2005 she has been a Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam at Melbourne University, researching Muslim women in Australia, and has completed a book on Palestinian refugee Olfat Mahmood, Return to Tarshir, which she hopes to publish. She has received a number of awards in recognition of her work with refugees, international development and reconciliation, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/helen-mccue-interviewed-by-ann-mari-jordens-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Martin, Merran", "Entry ID": "AWE2741", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/martin-merran\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Teacher", "Summary": "Merran Martin has taught English to migrants and refugees in Canberra since 1985. From 1973-75 she worked in the Department of Immigration teaching English in a migrant hostel, as a shipboard education officer, and in its Migrant Education Section in Canberra. Fluent in French and German from childhood she also taught English in Europe in the early 1970s. She is currently Education, Placement and Referral Officer, Special Preparatory Program Manager and Home Tutor Scheme Coordinator in the Adult Migrant English Program at the Canberra Institute of Technology.\n", "Details": "Merran Martin was born on 6 February 1948 in Canberra, the daughter of Les Smith and Mauva Carney, whose ancestors had been pioneer settlers in the district. Her father served in the Navy during the war before joining the Commonwealth Public Service, becoming one of the founding officers of the Department of Immigration upon its formation in 1945. Merran was educated at St Patrick's primary school in Canberra before attending a French school and the International School in Geneva for three years when her father was posted to the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration in 1958. She returned to Canberra in 1961, fluent in French and German, and completed her high-school education at Canberra Catholic Girl's High School, Braddon, now know as Merici College.\nOn leaving school, Merran trained at Sydney Teachers College and taught languages in NSW high schools for three years. From 1971-72 she travelled in Europe, teaching English and learning Italian in Rome. On her return to Australia she completed a degree in modern languages at the University of New England, and joined the Department of Immigration teaching migrants and refugees at the Endeavour Hostel Coogee, NSW, before undertaking a voyage as a shipboard education officer in 1974. On her return to Canberra she worked in the Migrant Education Section of the Department of Immigration, resigning in 1975 to raise her four children.\nAfter completing further training in English as a second language at Canberra College of Advanced Education, Merran taught English to migrants at Bruce TAFE from 1985 to 1988, when she joined a commercial firm teaching English to international students. She returned to teaching at the ACT TAFE (now the Canberra Institute of Technology) in 1991 where she taught newly arrived students and initiated a program of English tutorials for traumatised refugees at TRANSACT, now known as Companion House. Merran is currently Education, Placement and Referral Officer, Special Preparatory Program Manager and Home Tutor Scheme Coordinator in the Adult Migrant English Program at the Canberra Institute of Technology, and intends to retire at the end of 2007.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/merran-martin-interviewed-by-ann-mari-jordens-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "O'Connor, Cassandra Stanwell", "Entry ID": "AWE4282", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/oconnor-cassandra-stanwell\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Journalist, Parliamentarian, Political advisor", "Summary": "A member of the Tasmanian Greens, Cassy O'Connor was elected to the Tasmanian Parliament in the House of Assembly as a representative for Denison in July 2008. She was elected in a recount after the retirement of Greens colleague, Peg Putt. She was re-elected in 2010.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Robinson-Val\u00e9ry, Judith", "Entry ID": "AWE4294", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/robinson-valery-judith\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Sydney, New South Wales", "Occupations": "Academic", "Summary": "Dr Judith Robinson-Val\u00e9ry was a leading international figure in the study of French literature. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Sydney, staying at the Women's College while Betty Archdale was in charge, and received her doctorate at the Sorbonne, Paris.\nRobinson-Val\u00e9ry was the first woman to be appointed a full professorship at the University of New South Wales, taking up her appointment in the foundation chair of French and as the head of the school of Western European Languages on 21 February 1963.\nIn 2005, she was awarded France's highest decoration, the Legion of Honour (Chevalier).\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/judith-robinson-valery\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/archives-of-judith-robinson-valery\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-judith-robinson-valery-academic-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Walpole, Susan", "Entry ID": "AWE4431", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/walpole-susan\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Commissioner, Lawyer, Public servant", "Summary": "Sue Walpole was appointed the Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 1993, becoming well-known in the role. She assisted with education campaigns which were designed to make the Sex Discrimination Act more accessible and available to women. She held the position until 1997.\n", "Details": "Sue Walpole completed her tertiary education in New South Wales. She qualified in Law and Jurisprudence at the University of New South Wales in 1977 and in 1987 completed a Diploma in Media Management at Macquarie University's Graduate School of Management.\nShe has worked in Industrial Relations as a national industrial officer with the Administrative and Clerical Officers Association. In 1985 she was employed as a Commonwealth public servant before accepting a position with the Australian Broadcasting Commission as Federal Head of Human Resources for Television.\nOn completion of her role as Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 1997, in 1999 she took on the position of Manager of the Industry Fund and Business Development at SuperPartners. In 2002 she held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Practice Board of Victoria and in 2006 she was appointed General Counsel and Company Secretary at UniSuper. At the same time she was a member of several boards including the Nurses Board of Victoria, Westernport Water Board, Victoria Legal Aid, Zena Women's Services and VicForests. She is currently a Member of the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/federal-sex-discrimination-act\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-sue-walpole-lawyer-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Berry, Yvette", "Entry ID": "AWE4847", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/berry-yvette\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Yvette Berry was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory representing the seat of Ginninderra for the Australian Labor Party at the 2012 election.\n", "Details": "Yvette Berry has followed in her father's footsteps to enter the ACT Legislative Assembly. She has lived in the electorate all her life. Before her election to parliament she was a community organiser for United Voice, a union which represents workers in the caring industries.\nSince her election in 2012, Berry has been appointed Minister for the following portfolios from 2015: Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Housing, Community Services and Social Inclusion, Multicultural and Youth Affairs and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Social Inclusion and Equality. Following the 2016 ACT election, Berry was appointed Deputy Chief Minister in the Labor Government. She also assumed portfolio responsibilities for Education and Early Childhood Development, Housing and Suburban Development, Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Sport and Recreation, and retained portfolio responsibility for Women.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/if-it-was-good-enough-for-dad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/berry-yvette-legislative-assembly-for-the-australian-capital-territory-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Burton, Pamela Melrose", "Entry ID": "AWE4850", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burton-pamela-melrose\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Author, Lawyer, Solicitor", "Summary": "Pamela Burton, lawyer and author, was born and brought up in Canberra. Apart from working holidays in London in 1964 and 1970, Pamela has lived her life in the Canberra and the Bungendore district. After studying law at the Australian National University she worked on a range of cases involving environmental and social justice issues and has been involved in various government tribunals and committees. She was one of the first women to establish a legal firm in Canberra, following Mrs Bruna Romano and Margaret Elizabeth Reid. In 2010 Burton's biography of the first woman high court justice, Mary Gaudron, was published.\nPamela Burton was interviewed by Kim Rubenstein for the Trailblazing Women and the Law Oral History Project. For details of the interview see the National Library of Australia catalogue record.\n", "Details": "Pamela Melrose Burton was born in Canberra on 30 June 1946, the third and youngest daughter of Cecily Margaret Wear (born Nixon, later Parker) (1916-2007), psychologist and John Wear Burton (1915-2010), Head of the Department of External Affairs (1947-1950).\nAlong with her older sisters Meredith (1941-) and Clare (1942-1998), Pamela grew up on farms at Tuggeranong and in the old Weetangera district. She attended Telopea Park Primary and High School, initially travelling there and back on dirt roads in old Commer van buses run by the federal government.\nThe Burton family lived a strong Methodist ethic extending back to the days of John Wesley himself through Pamela's paternal grandfather, Methodist Minister and President of the Methodist Conference (from 1931), Rev. John Wear Burton (1875-1970). Pamela and her sisters were involved in National Methodist Church (now Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest) through their teens, for the ethos and community rather than dogma or religiosity. Family life was imbued with a strong sense of social justice and respect for all people regardless of social status. The farm often buzzed with guests from Canberra's political and academic community with lively political conversation and enjoyment of John Burton's home-brewed beer.\nAs an Australian National University (ANU) student, Pamela worked summers in Papua New Guinea. As a law student, she assisted on the magistrates' training course. One the course's first students later became prime minister of Papua New Guinea, Sir Michael Somare.\nWhile working in Papua New Guinea Pamela fell in love with geographer Dan Coward (now Huon). They married in Canberra in 1968 and Pamela used the name Coward for the next decade.\nPamela Coward graduated BA (1968), Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) (1970) and Master of Laws (1976) from the Australian National University and commenced practice as an employed solicitor in 1971.\nIn 1973-74 Pamela acted for the group that, on ecological and aesthetic grounds, challenged the Federal Government's right to construct a telecommunications tower on Black Mountain near central Canberra. The High Court found in favour of the government and construction went ahead however the case made legal history as the first environmental law case of its kind to be launched on a 'class-actions' basis on behalf of the local community. She played a major role in implementing the Cooperative Housing Initiative for quality affordable community housing in Canberra out of which 'Urambi' the first cooperative housing development was born.\nFaced with barriers to women becoming partners in legal firms, in 1976 Pamela founded her own firm, Pamela Coward & Associates. She was keen to provide more accessible legal advice for the vulnerable and financially challenged members of the Canberra community. As a woman, she was unable to borrow money so Pamela and her then husband, Dan Coward, mortgaged their family home to establish the firm. Encouraged and assisted by Dan, she aimed to create a legal practice that was people-focussed. She established a warm, welcoming atmosphere aided by Dan's bright paintings and a policy that there would be no desks or barriers during interviews between client and lawyer. It was important to her that the practice was egalitarian; she shared the care for the joeys she brought into work from her farm with the young woman who was the office 'gopher'.\nTwo men and a woman joined Pamela in partnership; solicitor Adrienne O'Connor becoming the first female partner engaged as a principal of a Canberra law firm.\nWord rapidly spread around Canberra that Pamela Coward & Associates was willing to act for people on legal aid, social security recipients, injured workers, the disadvantaged, victims of discrimination and environmental groups; the firm grew rapidly and taking on a 'no-win no-fee approach, forced test cases in matters such as passive smoking and repetitive strain injuries. The firm developed a large practice in workers' compensation and family law.\nIn order to be in a position to offer affordable services Pamela computerised her firm to provide the necessary efficiencies; Pamela Coward and Associates became one of Australia's first fully computerised law firms. Her commitment to low-cost conveyancing led to public clashes with other firms before the Canberra legal profession abandoned its minimum fee scales and moved ACT legal firms into a competitive era which benefited clients.\nYears later, Pamela met a business studies lecturer from the University of Canberra who told her that they used Pamela Coward & Associates as a case study for a successful alternative business model. Pamela said she was dumbfounded: \"I didn't think in business models - I just wanted to bring law to the people, make it more accessible and affordable.\"\nIn the late 1970s Pamela Burton and Dan Coward adopted sisters Amanda and Cassandra Rowland, aged 6 and 7, whose parents had died. Pamela and Dan now enjoy three grandchildren.\nPamela's marriage to Dan Coward ended in the early 1980s and she lived with Canberra journalist Alan Ramsey for close to a decade. In 1986 Pamela was diagnosed with advanced secondary breast cancer. Wishing to see Pamela Coward & Associates continue to thrive she worked right through 18 months of radiation and chemotherapy treatment, celebrating the end of treatment with 10 days on a Greek Island with her sister Meredith and niece.\nPamela sold Pamela Coward & Associates in 1990 to practise as a barrister of the ACT Supreme Court. Two significant accidents had followed her cancer treatment which saw her going to the Bar on crutches. As a barrister she specialised in litigation, acting for both plaintiffs and defendants, and some large medical negligence cases on behalf of the ACT Government and its medical professionals.\nPamela's concern for achieving better and fairer outcomes in citizen-government disputes led her to accept part-time appointments to a range of government tribunals and committees. Appointments included the role of Chair of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal in its first ten years of existence from 1976, Senior Member of the Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal from 1995 and member of the ACT Parole Board from 1991-2001. Since 2006 Pamela has been an ACT Mental Health Official Visitor.\nFrom 2000, Pamela spent five years as legal counsel for the national Australian Medical Association assisting in the resolution of the medical indemnity crisis and rolling out an education program on the new privacy laws for medical practitioners.\nFrom Moree to Mabo: the Mary Gaudron story, Pamela's biography of Australia's first woman High Court Justice Mary Gaudron, was published in 2010 by UWA Publishing. In November 2012 The Waterlow Killings: A Portrait of a Family Tragedy, was published. It is the true story of the tragic death of art curator, Nick Waterlow and his daughter Chloe Waterlow. In April 2016 Pamela's novel A Foreign Affair was published by Ginninderra Press.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-waterlow-killings-a-portrait-of-a-family-tragedy\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-moree-to-mabo-the-mary-gaudron-story\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/deviant\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/environmental-law-in-sydney-the-law-relating-to-pollution-control-and-waste-management-in-the-sydney-metropolitan-region-1970-1975\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-law-and-the-citizen\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-battle-of-black-mountain-an-episode-of-canberras-environmental-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pamela-burton\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pamela-burton-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burton-was-a-patriotic-public-servant-not-a-traitor\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pamela-burtons-defence-of-her-father\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rev-j-w-burton-new-methodist-president\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-power-of-sisterhood\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-lawyers-as-active-citizens\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pamela-burton-interviewed-by-kim-rubenstein-in-the-trailblazing-women-and-the-law-oral-history-project\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-pam-burton-lawyer-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Lomax, Alice Christina", "Entry ID": "AWE4862", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lomax-alice-christina\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Majura, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Campsie, New South Wales, Australia", "Occupations": "Publican, shopkeeper, Teacher", "Summary": "Alice Mayo was a third generation Australian, the daughter of William Mayo and Mary Ann Warwick. Her grandfather, Albert Mayo, had arrived as a convict in 1839 and lived and worked in the Duntroon area. Alice Mayo married Harold Vere Chumleigh in 1913. They were divorced in 1934 and she married Ferdinand Lomax in 1935. She worked as a school teacher as well as running a florist shop in Double Bay and a lingerie shop in Penfold's Buildings in Sydney. She played the piano as well as tennis. She grew up in Majura and lived between there and Sydney until the time of her second marriage. She and Ferdinand Lomax ran hotels at Boree Creek and Brown Mountain before retiring to Batehaven. Ferdinand Lomax died in 1969. Alice Lomax lived to the age of 101, only moving to a Nursing Home at the age of 99.\n", "Details": "Alice Mayo had one brother and seven sisters, one of whom was married to Claude Lomax. She also had extended family in the Canberra area; several uncles having settled there. She seems to have come from a family of independent women. Her mother was a postmistress in Canberra before her marriage in 1880, while in 1907 the 'Misses Mayo' were running the Majura Refreshment Rooms in Queanbeyan. A year later another 'Miss Mayo' offered board and residence in the same town. In 1911, Alice Mayo's sister, Elizabeth, took up a position as a probationary nurse at Queanbeyan Hospital.\nAlice Mayo's first husband, Harold Vere Chumleigh was a soldier, a colourful character who appears to have reinvented himself and had several wives. Alice Chumleigh sued for divorce in 1934 on the grounds of desertion. Her husband had been transferred to Townsville in 1928. Alice Chumleigh was living with her sister, Ethel Sells, who had divorced her own husband in 1922, in Marrickville in Sydney.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/chumleigh-harold-vere-1880-1970\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-alice-christina-lomax-canberra-pioneer-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Craik, Wendy", "Entry ID": "AWE4890", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/craik-wendy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Chief Executive Officer, Public servant, Scientist", "Summary": "Wendy Craik has been described as 'a woman of many firsts' (Wisdom Interviews). In 1992, she became head of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) a position she relinquished in 1995 when she created another precedent by becoming the first woman to lead the National Farmers Federation. She was the first female Chief Executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission (2004 -2008) and has held numerous positions on boards and advisory councils, including President of the National Competition Council (2002), Chair of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (2000) , Chair of the National Rural Advisory Council, member of the Productivity Commission (2009 -) and chair of the Board of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (2010 - ). In 2000 she worked in private industry as Chief Executive of Earth Sanctuaries Limited - a listed company pioneering a private approach to wildlife conservation. Currently (2013) she is also on the boards of the WorldFish Center and Dairy Australia and is on the Council of the University of South Australia.\n", "Details": "Wendy Craik was born in Canberra in 1949 and her early childhood paralleled the post-war development of Canberra. Her memories of a happy childhood in a small town include watching Lake Burley Griffith filling up, and visiting a market garden called Leo's every week to get the family vegetables, on the south side of what is now King's Avenue Bridge. She attended Griffith Primary School, and Telopea Park High School and had what she described as 'a childhood like any other 1950s childhood', growing up with her three sisters in Griffith. (Interview) The house was imbued with public service culture, where a focus on education was important. Her father was a federal public servant promoted to the position of Auditor-General, her friends were generally the children of public servants, and her mother worked at the Australian National University as a research assistant once Wendy and her sisters were all in school. Wendy was the only one of them to pursue a long term career in the public service.\nAfter completing school, Craik began a B.A at the Australian National University (ANU) but discovered that tertiary History and English were not as interesting and challenging as she had found them to be at high school, so she switched to studying science. She particularly liked Psychology and Zoology and settled on Zoology because the study of ecological systems - how change in one part of a system can impact upon the whole system - appealed to her. She completed an honours thesis in 1972, a study of a freshwater ecology in a stream running through a Canberra suburb, which set her on a course for postgraduate study. Discovering that she was interested in working in water, and preferring marine environments for their variety, she went to where the expertise existed, in Vancouver, Canada. The Canadian experience was rewarding, but after a while the rainy and grey climate of the Pacific Coast got to her; she knew she needed to live in a place where there was more sun. She completed her PhD and returned to Canberra, where she had a job in the Department of the Environment waiting for her. What started as a three month rotation in the GBRMPA as part of basic training for a Graduate APS trainee became a seventeen year appointment.\nCraik began working for the GBRMPA in Townsville in May 1978 and loved the work surveying recreational and commercial fishermen about fish movements on the reef. It was important work designed to establish a baseline of data relating to the reef ecology and to develop maritime charts that had not been updated since Captain Cook had sailed the coastline in the eighteenth century. To be successful, she learned very early of the importance of developing good relationships with stakeholders, so that decisions made to save the environment could be regarded as negotiated, rather than imposed. After a long stint of doing fieldwork, Craik stayed on dry land, working as a research manager who commissioned the field work tasks. Looking to challenge herself, she undertook the Australian Public Service Executive Development Scheme which she describes as a 'fabulous year of professional development.' (Interview)\nIn 1992, Craik was appointed head of the GBRMPA, at a time when the work was at its most rewarding and most challenging. Chief amongst the challenges was the need to balance protection of the reef against reasonable development, especially by tourism operators. And because there was a lot of job diversity within the authority, she was exposed to many opportunities that developed her leadership skills. But in 1995, after seventeen years in Townsville, she and her husband decided that they needed a change of environment, professionally and environmentally. The position of Executive Director of the National Farmers Federation (NFF) was available and Craik was the successful applicant.\nNeedless to say, taking on the task of managing the member organisations of such a diverse lobby group as the NFF presented a whole raft of new challenges. There were some important issues to resolve during her tenure, including managing the different philosophical and political attitudes of the members to free trade and native title, and working through the impact of the Melbourne Waterfront Dispute in 1998. Moving to a GST created issues for her members, as did the impact of new technological platforms. Craik freely admits that she did not realise what she was getting into when she took the job on. But there was some important lessons to be learned about the skills required to lead an industry advocacy organisation; first and foremost, the job of an Executive Director is to represent the members, not get ahead of them. By definition, this makes implementing organisational change difficult. 'You can't make it if the members don't want it.' (Interview)\nAfter five years at the NFF, Craik was interested in rising to new challenges. In 2000 She moved to Adelaide to take up the position of CEO at Earth Sanctuaries, a publicly listed company that tried to bring together private funding and eco tourism as a way of building flora and fauna conservation projects. The concept was forward thinking in a scientific sense, but difficult to achieve in a commercial sense. She moved on from Earth Sanctuaries after a couple of years, fully supportive of the concept, particular the intention to involve the private sector in the business of conservation. 'I think a lot of people won't take conservation really seriously unless there is some kind of dollar value attached to it,' says Craik. (Wisdom Interviews)\nRoles Wendy has taken on since leaving Earth Sanctuaries include: Chief Executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission ; President of the National Competition Council; Chair of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority; Chair of the National Rural Advisory Council and consultancy for AcilTasman. She is currently (2013) a member of the Productivity Commission and chair of the Board of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.\nCraik has never felt that being a woman has held her back in her career, but acknowledges that this is not the case for all women. She has always felt in control of her own destiny and believes that a career characterised by movement has not only been good for her, but for the organisations she has worked for. 'People and organisations need to move on every six to eight years, she thinks. 'Organisations can benefit from new-blood semi-regularly.' She's been fortunate that family circumstances have enabled this sort of portability. (Interview) Diversity of experience has helped develop her as a leader.\nSo has good training, which is why she supports the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation. The APS Executive Development Program helped her to understand that an important key to good leadership is 'recognising who you are, what your values are, how you react in situations and seeing yourself as other do.' Good training programs give individuals the opportunity to reflect on these keys. Another important key is being prepared to take risks. 'Life is a bit boring if you don't take risks,' says Craik and advises women on the leadership track to, 'Beg for forgiveness, don't ask for permission!' ( (Interview)\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-wisdom-interviews-wendy-craik\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wendy-craik-interviewed-by-nikki-henningham-in-the-women-and-leadership-in-a-century-of-australian-democracy-oral-history-project-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Staib, Margaret Mary", "Entry ID": "AWE4891", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/staib-margaret-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Air vice-marshal, Chief Executive Officer", "Summary": "Air Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib was the Australian Defence Forces' (ADF) most senior female officer when she took over as Airservices Australia CEO on October 15, 2012. As the ADF's senior logistician, AVM Staib served as Commander Joint Logistics and played a key role in implementing a $2.4 billion logistics reform program under the 2009 Australian Defence White Paper. In the 2026 Australia Day Honours she was appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 'for significant service to business, to the aviation sector, and to the freight and logistics industry.'\n", "Details": "Margaret Staib spent thirty-one years with the Australian Defence Force before joining Air Services Australia as CEO in October 2012. In 2009, she was appointed a joint logistics commander and air vice-marshal before making the move, which made her the highest ranking woman in the Australian military.\nBorn into an air force family in Canberra in1962, the family moved around a fair bit when Staib was young. Obviously, she was no stranger to military life, but is wasn't until she attended a jobs fair in her last year at high school (at Merici School) that she decided to follow that path herself. She joined the RAAF in 1981, completed her Bachelor of Business at the University of Southern Queensland in 1983 and graduated as a supply officer.\nHer first posting was to Darwin as the Assistant Facilities Officer. Most of her early career was spent learning basic level logistics and stock control. Throughout the 1990s her career in logistics developed and she served as the Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command and then the newly formed joint service Commander Support Command. This career progression helped her to understand the ways in which teamwork lay at the heart of a smooth functioning military. 'In the air force, we operate very much as a team,' she says. 'A lot of things come together to fly a plane.'(Where my ideas come from) While working to gain this experience, she studied a Masters of Business Logistics through Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology to gain the theoretical perspective. In 2000 Staib's contribution and leadership in the field of ADF Aviation Inventory Management was recognised when she was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross.\nStaib travelled to the Pentagon for a two year exchange in 2000, gaining experience in working with other military and commercial groups. She was there to work on electronic supply chain models and after her day 3 at her posting was quite overwhelmed by the scale of the operation and it had an impact on her ability to do her job properly. 'I found out there were 13,500 people in one building; that's the size of my air force,' she observed. Every time she got overwhelmed, she'd try to get herself back on track by focusing on the mantra 'Margaret, that's not what you are here to do.' (Where my ideas come from) It must have been effective, because her service with the US Air Force was recognised with the United States Meritorious Service medal after her posting.\nFurther study - a Masters of Arts in Strategic Studies, completed in 2005 at the Australian Defence Force Academy - accompanied her appointment to the position of Director of Planning and Logistics - Airforce in 2002 on her return from the U.S. A string of other logistics posts, including Director Logistics Support Agency- Airforce (2006-7) and then Director-General Strategic Logistics (2007-9) followed. In 2009 she spent a year as the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy and was appointed as a member in the Military Division of the Order of Australia. In that same year she was promoted to air vice marshal.\nAir Vice-Marshal Margaret Staib was appointed Commander Joint Logistics in January 2010 a position, as described by ex - Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese as one in which Air Vice-Marshal Staib 'planned, coordinated and delivered logistics support for Australian Defence Force operations and exercises overseas and in our own backyard.' (Logistics Gun Shoots to Airservices Australia's Top Rank) She played a key role in developing and implementing the $2.4 billion logistics reform program - a major initiative of the 2009 Australian Defence White Paper.\nStaib has managed to progress her career despite being a widowed mother of twins. She was seven weeks pregnant when her husband was killed in an aircraft accident. It wasn't until she was about twenty weeks pregnant that she discovered she was having twins. 'That was a bit of a struggle but the air force was so supportive,' she says. 'People ask me how I coped. It was almost binary: you choose to cope or not and once you've made the decision the rest falls into place.' (Where my ideas come from) \nA hallmark of her success as a leader is her ability to recognise the areas she can influence and her regular conduct of 'organisational health checks', by getting out and talking to people. 'I'm very conscious of structures that can mask what people are feeling. So it is very much about getting out and talking to people and having an honest conversation.' (Where my ideas come from) Another is recognising that pace of change, when a leader has a mandate to make change, must be managed very carefully. 'There's always a danger with the new-broom approach, you don't want to break a system with unintended consequences,' she said. 'I like to put my feet under the table and get to know the organisation from the inside.' (New Chief of the air) \n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/where-my-ideas-come-from\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/new-chief-of-the-air-to-unite-factions\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/logistics-gun-shoots-to-airservices-australias-top-rank\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/website-of-the-royal-australian-air-force-air-power-development-centre-air-vice-marshals-l-z\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Jones, Caroline", "Entry ID": "AWE5154", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jones-caroline\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Occupations": "Broadcaster, Journalist", "Summary": "Read more about Caroline Jones in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Events": "Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism - Australian Story (2013 - 2013)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Perkins, Rachel", "Entry ID": "AWE5264", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/perkins-rachel\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Director, Producer, Writer", "Summary": "Read more about Rachel Perkins in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Stivens, Maila", "Entry ID": "AWE5318", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stivens-maila\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Anthropologist", "Summary": "Read more about Maila Stivens in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Thornton, Sigrid", "Entry ID": "AWE5336", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/thornton-sigrid\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Actor", "Summary": "Read more about Sigrid Thornton in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Events": "Officer of the Order of Australia (AO): For distinguished service to the performing arts as a film, television and stage actor, and to professional arts organisations. (2019 - 2019)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Ballard, Angela", "Entry ID": "AWE5448", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ballard-angela\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Track and Field Athlete", "Summary": "Angie Ballard was paralysed as a result of a car accident as a child. Her first Paralympic Games were in Sydney (2000). She went on to win a bronze medal in Athens (2004) and two silver medals at the Paralympic Games in London (2012). She was a gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.\n", "Events": "Athletics - 1500m T54 (2014 - 2014)" }, { "Title\/Name": "Flanagan, Anna", "Entry ID": "AWE5492", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/flanagan-anna\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Hockey player", "Summary": "Anna Flanagan began playing hockey when she was five years old. She made her international debut when she was eighteen and went on to represent Australia as a member of the Australian women's hockey team at both Olympic and Commonwealth Games.\n", "Events": "Member of the Hockeyroos (2014 - 2014)" }, { "Title\/Name": "Aitchison, Jenny", "Entry ID": "AWE5586", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aitchison-jenny\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Managing Director, Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Jenny Aitchison was elected as the Member for Maitland representing the Australian Labor Party in the Legislative Assembly of the New South Wales Parliament in 2015.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Yates, Heidi", "Entry ID": "AWE5636", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yates-heidi\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Lawyer, Solicitor", "Summary": "Heidi Yates is Head of General Practice at Legal Aid ACT, a position she has held since 2015. A well-known solicitor and human rights advocate, Heidi has been appointed to roles including Executive Director of the ACT Women's Legal Centre, advisor to the ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner and a Clinical Education Convenor at the ANU College of Law.\nHeidi's professional reputation is well-established at a national level as an advocate for the development and funding of free legal services across Australia (particularly for victims of family violence) and as a trailblazer in gender-related law reform.\nHeidi has also been a spokesperson and advocate at a local and federal level for the removal of legislative discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. She has undertaken this work through roles including spokesperson for the community law reform group 'Good Process' and as the inaugural chair of the ACT LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council.\nAfter just two years of practice, her work was recognised when she won the ACT Law Society's Young Lawyer Award in 2008. In 2011, Heidi was also a state finalist in the Young Australian of the Year Awards.\nGo to 'Details' below to read a reflective essay written by Heidi Yates for the Trailblazing Women and the Law Project.\n", "Details": "The following additional information was provided by Heidi Yates and is reproduced with permission in its entirety.\n\nThe principles of social justice have been a constant in my life, taking root early and ultimately informing my decision to pursue a career as a legal practitioner and law reform advocate. Born in Canberra, the second of four children, I grew up in a supportive family and community where the big questions were asked and debate was encouraged. I was a curious small person, and I asked a lot of questions.\nSchool should have been a good fit for me and although I did well academically, the experience was not without its challenges. In third grade we were asked to count how many corners there were in different geometric shapes. When we got to circles, a classmate quickly volunteered that a circle did not contain any corners. I put my hand up and alternatively suggested that circles have infinite corners, but that they are too hard to count because they are so close together. I was hauled in front of the class and told that 'nobody likes little girls who are too smart for their own good.'\nLooking back, I recognise I was only one of an infinite number of girls and young women who were 'put in their place' for providing an insightful response. Although it was an upsetting experience as a 9 year old, it ultimately revealed to me a more complex world, and marked the beginning of my aspirations to 'level the playing field' for those who may otherwise go unheard.\nI completed my education in the ACT and, like many of my peers, took a gap year after Year 12. I worked as an administrator, a piano teacher, an academic tutor, a netball coach and a boarding house 'mum' at a small boarding school in Suffolk before returning to Australia in 2000 to study Arts\/Law at the Australian National University (including an exchange year at McGill University, Montreal in 2002-03).\nLegal Practice\nI had tossed up between doing social work or law at University. I settled on Arts\/Law with a Women's Studies Major, but never intended to practise as a lawyer. Instead of applying for a corporate clerkship at the end of my fourth year of law studies, I obtained an internship at the ACT Office of the Community Advocate. I had heard about the Office through my mother's work and it sparked my interest as a place where 'non-lawyers' undertook community-based advocacy for vulnerable clients.\nIn 2005, I was accepted into a graduate program in the Australian Public Service. I had applied to the department in which my father, a career public servant, had spent the bulk of his working life, keen to understand that world and the workings of government. It was the era of WorkChoices and when I found myself tasked with contributing to the creation of industrial relations policy aimed at stripping rights and entitlements from vulnerable workers, something had to give. I began seeking other options.\nIn mid-2005 I joined the Legal Aid Office (ACT) as the Primary Dispute Resolution Program Manager. The interview panel noted that I had limited experience for the role but, in part due to my raw enthusiasm, offered to let me 'give it a crack'. I began my Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice whilst managing the program and subsequently took on my first solicitor's role in the Legal Aid Domestic Violence and Protection Orders Unit.\nWorking on the 'treadmill' of cases churning in and out of the Magistrates Court, I became keenly aware of the systemic issues impacting the operation of the Domestic Violence Order system. In 2007, I joined the Women's Legal Centre (ACT & Region) as a solicitor, welcoming an environment where my client work could be complemented by law reform and community education roles. The holistic approach of Community Legal Centres has always appealed to my sense of efficiency. It makes good sense when doing casework to identify recurring legal problems and then develop community education and law reform proposals to prevent and mitigate them. The efficacy of grassroots organisations pushing to improve systems, rather than tackling cases one at a time, has consistently driven my interest in law reform.\nIn 2013, I spent an inspiring year working as an Advisor to ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Helen Watchirs, before being appointed as the Women's Legal Centre (ACT & Region) Executive Director. In this role, I fought hard (and successfully) to safeguard the Centre when the Federal Government brought the axe down on funding for the legal assistance sector. My work was part of a national campaign, highlighting the appalling social and economic consequences of cutting legal support for vulnerable Australians. In particular, I advocated the essential role of specialist, front-line legal services for women subjected to Domestic and Sexual Violence.\nIn 2015, I returned to Legal Aid ACT as Head of the Commission's General Law Practice. The position offered the opportunity to increase delivery and coordination of education, outreach and duty legal services to vulnerable clients across the region, particularly those isolated due to experiences of domestic violence, trauma and\/or cultural marginalisation.\nLaw Reform \nI have had an enduring interest in the intersections between gender, sexuality and the law that has driven my systemic law reform work. I work from the premise that Australia's federal system provides unique opportunities for lawyers to work together, either as a unified voice for federal change, or as colleagues exchanging expertise to inform incremental state reform. Such reform is often 'organically' improved as individual jurisdictions observe the operation of new law or policy and seek to address any weaknesses or inconsistencies in their subsequent implementation. In this context, I have worked with colleagues across Australia to improve law relating to issues including relationship recognition, domestic violence and gender identity.\nI have been appointed to a range of national law reform roles including as convenor of the National Association of Community Legal Centres (NACLC) Human Rights Network; convenor of the NACLC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex( LGBTI) Network; and convener of Women's Legal Services Australia, the peak national body for women's legal services in Australia. I have also been appointed to various government advisory bodies including the ACT Victims Advisory Board, the ACT Law Reform Advisory Council and as the inaugural Chair of the ACT LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council.\nMy professional engagement with law reform has been complemented and augmented by my involvement in community-based advocacy. In 2002 when I was undertaking my Arts\/Law degree, the ACT Assembly passed a motion to remove legislative discrimination against LGBTI people. I joined a group of local community members intent on making this motion a reality. As a media spokesperson, community facilitator and legal consultant for the 'Good Process' lobby group, I was one of many Canberrans who rode the wave of political controversy surrounding parenting laws, discrimination legislation and Federal overturn of the 2006 Civil Unions Act.\nIn 2014, the ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction to remove the requirement for sexual reassignment surgery as a prerequisite for change of legal sex, and to introduce a third legal sex category. My involvement in the 10 year push for this reform included representing transgender discrimination complainants; sitting as a member of the Law Reform Advisory Council tasked by the ACT Government to consider these issues; volunteering as a legal consultant to community-based intersex and transgender organisation 'A Gender Agenda'; and chairing the ACT LGBTIQ Ministerial Advisory Council whose advice was sought on the details of the amending legislation. The passing of amendments to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2013 with bipartisan support in March 2013 was monumental, setting a new bar for recognition of sex and gender in Australian law.\nLegal Education and Good Governance\nSince 2008, I have been regularly involved in the teaching work of the ANU College of Law. As a course convenor, guest lecturer, tutor and assessor I have welcomed the opportunity to engage future colleagues in various aspects of social justice, in particular, about how experiences of intersectional disadvantage can impact an individual's experience of the law. Reflecting the 'hands-on' focus of other client-focused degrees such as medicine and allied health, I believe that clinical law programs provide a crucial opportunity for students to 'practise' legal practice and better understand how the law is experienced by different parts of the community. Clinical courses are also a great opportunity to promote pro bono work with community legal centres as part of a well-rounded legal education and indeed, a well-rounded legal career.\nI have also made significant contributions to the broader community through volunteer board and committee work. Although a strong interest in corporations law may not generally be considered a 'natural fit' for a social justice lawyer, I have become a strong advocate of good governance. In 2012, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship from the ACT Office for Women to undertake the Australian Institute of Company Directors 'Company Directors Course' and have since worked as a consultant and facilitator with a range of organisations to streamline their risk-management and strategic frameworks. My board roles have included the National LGBTI Health Alliance Ltd, the Welfare Rights and Legal Centre Ltd and more than a decade on the ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service Board including three years as Chair during a time of significant organisational change.\nThe future\nToday, I commute to work in Canberra from the home I share with my partner, child, dog (on loan) and a growing number of chickens in Gundaroo Village, NSW. My work spans casework; community education and engagement; working with community and government on law reform; education of future lawyers; upskilling of community organisations to achieve their goals through good governance; and experimenting with our unruly vegetable patch.\nI haven't stopped asking questions.\n\nWhat are the limitations of an adversarial system where one party can't access legal representation? \nHow can the law recognise the diversity and lived experience of sex and gender? \nHow can the law protect survivors of domestic violence, and how can legal services best empower survivors to stay safe and move forward? \n\nThese are questions that are unlikely to be answered in my lifetime, but I value the chance to be an active part of the dialogue.\n\n", "Events": "Winner - ACT Law Society Young Lawyer of the Year Award (2008 - 2008) \nFinalist - Young Australian of the Year (2011 - 2011) \nSpeaker - 10th Anniversary of the Human Rights Act event (2014 - 2014)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-lawyers-as-active-citizens\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Simms, Marian Jane", "Entry ID": "AWE6053", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/simms-marian-jane\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Academic, Political scientist, Public servant", "Summary": "Professor Marian Simms is internationally prominent for her work in the fields of gender studies and political science, ethics governance and Indigenous research policy. She has held senior academic and administrative roles in Australia and New Zealand and has long-standing interests in research culture and governance in New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa and Australia. She is a former president of the Australasian Political Studies Association (APSA), a former editor of the Association's journal, and has published prodigiously. Marian has attended the Women's Caucus of APSA from its inception. From 2011 to 2016 she was Executive Director for Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences at the Australian Research Council.\n", "Details": "Marian Simms was born in Canberra and lived in the nearby country where she attended a country primary school, followed by Lyneham High School in Canberra. She won a Commonwealth University Scholarship and one of the University Scholarships awarded to the top 10 students in the ACT.\nAt the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Marian studied Arts\/Law and graduated with honours degrees in History and Political Science. Her honours supervisor, L F 'Fin' Crisp influenced her work. While he supported her academic research, Crisp's belief that the private sphere, rather than the public, was particularly important for women inspired Marian's commitment to address the gender gaps in his otherwise authoritative contributions to Australian political history. At the time Thelma Hunter was an enthusiastic first-year tutor of Marian, who introduced students to a wider societal perspective in her political sociology lectures and through her supervision.\nAfter graduation, Marian took up a teaching fellowship at the University of Adelaide rather than taking up a PhD scholarship at the ANU. After twelve very interesting months at the Adelaide Politics Department she accepted a postgraduate scholarship for a Master of Arts in Political Science at the University of Melbourne. She soon moved her research to La Trobe University when offered a Commonwealth Scholarship for a PhD. She was co-supervised by Joan Rydon, who had a prodigious knowledge of Australian and British politics and was Australia's first woman professor of politics (1975). While Joan provided great critical insights into her PhD research on the Menzies Government and Public Enterprises, she was less supportive of Marian's research on women's activism of the period.\nMarian presented her postgraduate research at conferences in Australia and the United States and had papers published in Women's Studies: International Quarterly (edited by Dale Spender), and Politics (the forerunner to the Australian Journal of Political Science). Noted political psychologist Fred Greenstein's visit to Melbourne University brought Marian in contact with a group of influential women scholars from the United States of America who invited her to present her work in the USA. These scholars included Judith Stiehm, Joyce Gelb, Rita Mae Kelly, Jane Bayes and Mary Hawkesworth. Under Kelly's leadership, several of this group were crucial to the establishment of the Gender, Globalization and Democratization Committee of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) in 1998, and the Globalization, Gender and Democratization Research Committee of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) in 2002.\nAs a postgraduate student at both Melbourne and La Trobe, Marian lectured part-time at the University of Melbourne. This provided her with valuable experience and a platform for subsequent appointments at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (from 1990 the University of Canberra) and the ANU. She returned to her undergraduate university, the ANU, in 1985 as Lecturer in Political Science and was promoted to Senior Lecturer and then Reader, acting as Head of Department in 1996-97. She taught Political Science 1 for many years, and supervised many Honours, Masters and PhD students, some of whom are now senior academics and public servants. Marian also enjoyed visiting fellowships to the Research School of the Social Sciences during this time to work on several projects including the Ageing and the Family project (part-time 1985-86) and then the Reshaping Australian Institutions project (1995-96) where she worked on the future of Australian political parties.\nIn 2002 she was appointed Chair in Political Studies and Head of Department at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, the first woman to serve in these roles. In 2009, Marian returned to Australia as Head of the School of History, Heritage and Society at Deakin University, Melbourne. In 2011, Marian was appointed Executive Director, Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences at the Australian Research Council (ARC).\nAs an early career academic at the ANU, Marian was part of a small group, which established the first national survey of political candidates that included questions about attitudes to gender, among other things, that were being used in US and United Kingdom (UK) surveys. Marian subsequently used the gender questions in a set of surveys administered to Australian party elites in the mid-1990s funded by the ANU under the ARC's small grants scheme. The Hon. Joan Kirner cited some of this research in the Victorian Parliament to illustrate that Labor Party conference and council delegates supported Affirmative Action as a gender equity strategy. The work was published in Australian and international journals and edited collections. In collaboration with Pippa Norris (US) and Joni Lovenduski (UK) and others, Marian also examined candidate selection systems for their role in the political under-representation of women and minority groups.\nMarian became involved in the Women's Caucus of the APSA when it was founded by Carole Pateman and Marian Sawer at the 1979 APSA conference in Hobart. During her years as Executive Director at the ARC (2011-16), she presented regular reports to the Caucus's Annual General Meeting on how women fared in ARC funding and updated the group on ARC's gender and workforce policies.\nAs a co-editor of the Australian Journal of Political Science (2011-16) she ensured that its annual reports showed the gender statistics in terms of submission and acceptance rates and publishing patterns, such as single versus multiple authorship.\nMarian's publications list includes 5 authored\/co-authored books, 9 edited\/co-edited books, over 50 chapters in edited collections, a prodigious number of journal articles, conference papers, monographs, reports and published public lectures. She was awarded research funding by the ARC and its predecessor schemes, the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), the National Council for the Centenary of Federation, and the Sequi-Centenary Council of New South Wales. An edited collection of papers on women and politics, presented at sessions of the Women's Caucus of APSA in the early 1980s, prepared for Politics, was subsequently edited by Marian for Longman Cheshire (Australian Women and the Political System, 1982). In 1984 Allen & Unwin published A Women's Place co-authored with Marian Sawer; a substantially revised second edition was published in 1994. Her books on political parties commenced with A Liberal Nation (Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1982), followed by The Paradox of Parties: Australian Political Parties in the 1990s (edited) (Allen & Unwin, 1997).\nMarian's continuing interest in gender regimes was reflected in articles, chapters and seminar papers on gender and leadership, exploring the opportunity structures and barriers to women's political contributions, including a 2008 article in Signs: The Journal of Women, Culture and Society, and research comparing Margaret Thatcher and Helen Clark published in Paul 't Hart and John Uhr's book Public Leadership: Perspectives and Practices (2008). Her work on the emergence of democracy included an edited book on the 1901 election (2001), a book on the origin and evolution of New South Wales democratic institutions, From the Hustings to Harbour Views (2006), her inaugural professorial lecture on 'Settler Democracy' in Australia and New Zealand (2004), and her co-edited volume on Political Parties and Democracy: Africa and Oceania (2010). This work both explained and critiqued these processes including their limitations in terms of equal representation for women and Indigenous people.\nMarian is active in the administration and evaluation of research. From 2005 to 2009 she was the inaugural convenor of the Humanities Research Cluster on Political Communication, Policy and Participation at the University of Otago. The cluster sponsored research on political communication in British, Australian and New Zealand elections, research workshops for postgraduates, public lectures and several high-profile visitors. From 2003 to 2006 she chaired IPSA's Research Committee on Gender, Globalization and Democratization. The Swedish Research Council invited her to chair the process for selecting and evaluating new centres of research excellence in 2006 and 2008, and she served two terms as a member of the Social Science panel of the Performance Based Research Funding Evaluation in New Zealand (equivalent of Australia's Excellence in Research for Australia). She reviewed the South African Indigenous Knowledges Program for the South African National Research Foundation; the final report was published in 2015. She has served on numerous boards and committees, including Deakin University's Institute of Koori Education.\nOther activities have included the Quality of Governance Study Group, associated with the American Society for Public Administration, and the Gender and Politics Group, associated with the American Political Science Association.\nIn her role as Executive Director for Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences at the Australian Research Council from 2011 to 2016 Marian 'contributed significantly to Australian research, including undertaking extensive outreach to promote and improve the ARC's research workforce policies, to support early-career researchers, women researchers, researchers re-entering the workforce after career-breaks and Indigenous researchers. She also contributed to national research ethics reviews.' (ARC media release, 29 Nov 2016).\nFrom October 2014, Marian was Adjunct Professor at Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia and from 2015 she was Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, ACT, Australia. She was appointed a Fellow of St Margaret's College, University of Otago in 2003.\nThis entry was sponsored by a generous donation from the late Dr Thelma Hunter.\n", "Events": "'For contribution made to Australian society', specifically for her research on the 1901 election. (2003 - 2003) \nUniversity of Southern California (1988 - 1989)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/political-science\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-legacies-of-federation-the-case-of-the-1901-general-election\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/arc-welcomes-associate-professor-therese-jefferson-and-thanks-professor-marian-simms\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-womans-place-women-and-politics-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-and-the-political-system\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-womans-place-women-in-australian-and-british-politics\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/political-science-women-and-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-who-caucus-feminist-political-scientists\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Goddard, Rebecca (Bec)", "Entry ID": "AWE6161", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/goddard-rebecca-bec\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Australian Rules Football Player, Coach, Policewoman", "Summary": "Bec Goddard was the coach of the 2017 Australian Football League Women's (AFLW) premiership team, the Adelaide Crows. She was also the recipient of the 2017 Football Woman of the Year Award.\n", "Details": "At the conclusion of the inaugural AFLW season and as coach of the premiership team, the Adelaide Crows, Bec Goddard was awarded the 2017 all-Australian Coach award. In 2015, she was also named AFL Football Woman of the Year (honorary).\nPrior to being appointed the Adelaide Crows coach, Bec spent many years coaching, umpiring and playing AFL in both the ACT and South Australia. She has also been employed by the Australian Federal Police since 2001.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Holt, Isis", "Entry ID": "AWE6280", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/holt-isis\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Track and Field Athlete", "Summary": "Isis Holt won a gold medal in the T35 100m at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.\n", "Events": "Athletics - T35 100m (2018 - 2018)" }, { "Title\/Name": "Hunter, Meredith", "Entry ID": "AWE4353", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hunter-meredith\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Meredith Hunter was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory representing the electorate of Ginninderra for the ACT Greens from 2008 to 2012. She was also Leader of the Greens for this period.\n", "Details": "Meredith Hunter was born in Canberra in 1962; her grandmother Mary Stevenson was the first woman to serve on the ACT Advisory Council from 1951 to 1959. Hunter was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory representing the electorate of Ginninderra for the ACT Greens from 2008 to 2012. She was also Leader of the Greens for this period and negotiated the agreement with Labor to support their minority government.\nHunter was the Chair of the Climate Change, Water and Environment Committee and a member of the Justice and Community Safety Committee. At the 2012 elections, Hunter narrowly lost the fifth seat in Ginninderra to Yvette Berry of the Labor Party.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/life-after-politics-hunter-starts-new-career-but-puzzles-over-loss\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/meredith-hunter-act-greens-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Payne, Alicia Emma", "Entry ID": "AWE24070460", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/payne-alicia-emma\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Economist, Parliamentarian, social activist", "Summary": "Alicia Payne grew up in Canberra, encouraged by her family to develop a strong sense of community service, and began volunteering from an early age. She trained as an economist at the University of Sydney, and worked on economic and social policy, focusing on poverty and inequality, beginning her career at the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling. She joined the Australian Labor Party in 2006 and worked as a political staffer to a senior federal ALP minister, shadow minister and opposition leader before entering politics herself at the 2019 election when she was elected to the seat of Canberra. She was re-elected in 2022.\n", "Details": "Payne was born and brought up in Canberra, the daughter of Stephen (journalist and public servant) and Patricia (n\u00e9e Handsaker, teacher and political scientist). She completed her schooling at Lake Tuggeranong College. Her parents and grandparents were all involved in community service, encouraging her from childhood to develop a strong sense of the importance of contributing to one's community and valuing the right to vote.\nShe went on to a Bachelor of Economics (Social Science) degree with Honours in Political Economy \u00a0at the University of Sydney where she first became politically active in the Refugee Action Collective protesting Australia's treatment of asylum seekers. While in Sydney, Payne also became very involved as a volunteer in the drop-in centre at the Newtown Mission. Her experiences there cemented her determination to take up the fight against poverty and inequality, especially through achievement of fair wages and an effective social security system.\nOn returning to Canberra, Payne joined the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling at the University of Canberra as a Research Fellow (2005-2009). She worked on projects including costs of tertiary education, expenditure of low income households, sustainable urban development, and labour market reform. Payne met and married Ben Phillips (economist and social researcher at the ANU) while both worked at NATSEM. They have two children, Paul (2018) and Elena (2020).\nPayne worked as a policy analyst at the Commonwealth Treasury from 2010 to 2015. She also continued her community work and activism through this period, including as President of the Belconnen Community Service and as a volunteer serving breakfasts at the Early Morning Centre in the city.\nPayne joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 2006 and before and after her time at Treasury worked as a political staffer to senior ALP ministers: as research adviser to Lindsay Tanner, Minister of Finance (2009-2010); senior adviser on social policy to Bill Shorten, then Leader of the Opposition (2015-2016); and chief of staff to Jenny Macklin, Shadow Minister of Social Services (2016-2018). In the same period she served as a member of the ALP's Administrative Committee (ACT) from 2010 to 2019, was a delegate to the ALP National Conference in 2011, and was Junior Vice-President of the ALP (ACT) from 2016 to 2018.\nAlicia Payne was elected to the seat of Canberra in the House of Representatives in 2019. During her first term, when Labor was in opposition, she served on committees dealing with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and Public Accounts and Audit, and as secretary of the Parliamentary Labor Party First Nations Caucus Committee. She was re-elected at the election of 2022, when Labor became the government, assuming roles including Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories, member of the Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS, member of the House Economics Committee and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Labor Party Social Policy Caucus Committee.\nIn 2022, with Labor colleague Luke Gosling, Member for Solomon, she moved a private member's bill which successfully overturned the 'Andrews legislation' which had removed the rights of the ACT and the Northern Territory to determine their own legislation, specifically in relation to euthanasia.\nIn 2023 she initiated the Canberra Forum, an innovative approach to deliberative democracy to broaden the range of advice available to her from the broader Canberra community.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ms-alicia-payne-mp-parliament-of-australia-website\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/alicia-payne-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Stephen-Smith, Rachel", "Entry ID": "AWE24070513", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stephen-smith-rachel\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Canberra-born Rachel Stephen-Smith was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory as a Member for Kurrajong in 2016, after a career in public policy across Federal and ACT Governments and non-governmental organisations. She was appointed a Minister in the Labor Government, holding portfolios in Community Service and Social Inclusion, Multicultural Affairs, Government Services, Employment and Workplace Safety, Urban Renewal, Health, Disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, and Children, Youth and Families. She has a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the Australian National University and a Master of Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland in the United States.\n\u00a0\n", "Details": "Rachel Stephen-Smith was born in the Australian Capital Territory in 1974. The daughter of two academics who moved to Australia from the United Kingdom, she grew up in O'Connor in Canberra's inner north. She was educated at local public schools, O'Connor Coop, Turner Primary, Lyneham High and Dickson College.\nStephen-Smith describes her upbringing as not lavish but fortunate and educationally privileged, and it was assumed and expected that she would attend university. She enrolled in a Bachelor of Economics at the Australian National University (ANU) in 1990 and graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) in 1994. She is the fourth generation of women in her family to receive a tertiary education. The book Remarkable Relations: The Story of the Pearsall Smith Women was inspired by her unusually well-educated for their time female ancestors.\nFollowing university, Stephen-Smith was first employed as a Policy Officer at the Productivity Commission (1995-1997) and a Project Manager at Consumers' Health Forum (2000-2001). She has been appointed to several public service roles and has worked as an advisor on health and community services to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (1997-1998, 2001-2003). She was Chief of Staff and Principal Advisor to Victorian Senator Kim Carr (2005-2009, 2014-2016)\u00a0 during his tenure as Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, which led to a posting as Minister-Counsellor at the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC (2010-2012) where she worked to promote Australian research and science.\nAs an active member of Canberra's equestrian community, Stephen-Smith is a qualified Riding for the Disabled Coach and was a Committee Member for the National Capital Horse Trials and ACT Equestrian Association (1992-2009), a Board Member for Pegasus Riding for the Disabled (2000-2004) and committee member of the Equestrian Park Management Group (2014-2016).\u00a0 She was President, Vice President and Event Director of the National Capital Horse Trials Association (2014-2016, 2004-2009) and has been involved in community activities as Treasurer, ANU in the USA Foundation (2012-2014) and Volunteer Project Manager and Construction Crew Leader for Habitat for Humanity of Washington DC (2012-2014).\nAfter leaving the Embassy of Australia, Stephen-Smith remained in Washington DC for another two years with her partner Michael and studied a Master of Real Estate Development at the University of Maryland (2012-2014). She moved back to Canberra in 2014, along with Michael, who returned to DC shortly after as he could not find work in Australia. Stephen-Smith was elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly as a Member for Kurrajong in 2016. Her inaugural speech paid tribute to Michael who took his own life in November 2015 at age 44.\nShe was appointed a Minister in the Labor Government immediately following her election, holding the portfolios: Community Services and Social Inclusion (2016-2018), Multicultural Affairs (2016-2018), Government Services and Procurement (2018-2019), Employment and Workplace Safety (2016-2019), Disability (2016-2019), and Urban Renewal (2018-2020).\nShe is currently Minister for Health (from 2019), Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs (from 2016) and Minister for Children, Youth and Families (from 2016).\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/meet-your-assembly-rachel-stephen-smith-the-diplomat\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/acts-newest-politicians-speak-of-family-tragedy-childhood-abuse-during-inaugural-speeches\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stephen-smith-rachel-legislative-assembly-for-the-australian-capital-territory-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Clay, Jo", "Entry ID": "AWE24081258", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clay-jo\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Environmentalist, Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Greens Party, Jo Clay was elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly as one of the five members for Ginninderra on 20 October 2020. She is the ACT Greens spokesperson for Arts and Culture, the Circular Economy and Transport, Active Travel and Road Safety. She has served on several committees, including as chair for the Planning Transport and City Services since December 2020, Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity from December 2021, and as chair of Health and Community Wellbeing.\n", "Details": "After graduating in 1994 from Radford College in Canberra, Clay obtained her degree in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the University of Wollongong in 2000. She worked as a Legal Officer and Senior Legal Officer at the ACT Attorney-General's Department from 2001 to 2003 and later as Project Manager with the ACT Law Society from 2004 to 2008. From childhood, Clay has been concerned about climate change and has become committed to urgent action. This commitment to environmentalism translated into her professional career, and she began working as an Operational Policy and Business coordinator for ACT NOWaste in 2004.\nIn 2016 Clay became co-founder and CEO of the recycling company Send and Shred with national recycling expert Grahan Mannall. While running that business, she decided to set up a personal project with her family, The Carbon Diet, with the aim of cutting their household emissions, aiming for a 75 per cent reduction of their carbon footprint. Clay blogged about her Carbon Diet from 2018 to 2020.\nClay's commitment to tackling the climate crisis led her to run for the electorate of Ginninderra at the 2020 ACT general election. In her inaugural speech to the Assembly on 3 December 2020 she spoke of how it had never occurred to her to enter politics, but that she wanted more environmentalists at every level in parliament, leading her to ask 'if not her, then who?'\nClay has been a member of the Standing Committee on Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity, and she introduced a bill to amend legislation to ban fossil fuel company advertising at Canberra sporting venues. She has also been a strong advocate for a 'circular economy' strategy, supporting Labor's draft public consultation strategy in 2022.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clay-jo-legislative-assembly-for-the-australian-capital-territory-website\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/never-fly-again-go-vegan-it-was-too-hard\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/how-parenthood-led-jo-clay-mla-to-stop-running-from-climate-change-and-start-fighting-it\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-carbon-diet-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Orr, Suzanne Patricia", "Entry ID": "AWE24081465", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/orr-suzanne-patricia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian, Town planner", "Summary": "Suzanne Orr was first elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly in 2016, representing Labor in the electorate of Yerrabi. She was re-elected in October 2020. \u00a0Following her secondary schooling, Orr worked for a decade in the hospitality and tourism sector. Having gained degrees from the Australian National University and the University of Canberra, she worked as an urban planner before election to the Assembly.\n", "Details": "Suzanne Orr was born in Canberra in 1982, the child of Beverley (nee Pratt) and David Orr who were both public servants. Orr grew up in the suburb of Giralang and, in her inaugural speech to the ACT Legislative Assembly, cited the joys of neighbourhood cricket and attending Brownies. She completed her primary schooling at Scullin (which became Southern Cross) Primary and Lyneham Primary and her high schooling at Lyneham High. The connection to place and community which infused her inaugural speech had deep family roots with Orr paying tribute to both her grandfathers for their strong contributions to their communities. She acknowledges the formative role played by her grandmothers, particularly in the development of her values. Orr's maternal grandparents lived in Canberra, and she admired her grandmother who, although paralysed, lived her life to the fullest. Orr has noted that over the course of her life her family fostered more than 200 children. Her mother, Beverley Orr, has been recognised in the ACT and nationally for her work as an advocate for marginalised and vulnerable children. Orr has observed that the care of her grandmother and sharing her life with other children taught her that 'we can do a lot to help each other, but sometimes we can't solve all the problems ourselves' and that 'government has a big role to play in helping when people need extra support'.\nFollowing schooling, Orr embarked on a decade long career in hospitality and tourism in Canberra. Her first job, in the town centre of Belconnen was with Sizzler with later jobs including cafes and restaurants in the suburb of Manuka and in the retail travel industry.\nGiven a strong wish to stay in Canberra and sensing limited opportunities in hospitality and tourism, Orr began her tertiary studies in her twenties. She gained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Australian National University, a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Canberra and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, also from the University of Canberra. She worked as an urban planner in the Australian Public Service for almost four years preceding her election to the Legislative Assembly.\nHaving briefly been a member of Young Labor while at university, Orr joined the Labor Party in 2013 when the policy area in which she worked was dismantled following a federal change of government. She was soon involved in organising the ACT Branch to work with 350.org campaigning to persuade the ACT Government to divest from companies involved with fossil fuels. The success of this sparked an interest in representing her community and a broader involvement in political life.\nEntering the ACT Legislative Assembly in October 2016 and then re-elected in October 2020, Orr has served as Government Whip (October 2020 - ), ALP Parliamentary Caucus Secretary (September 2018 - 2019) and Assistant Speaker (September 2018 - September 2019). Between August 2019 and October 2020, she held the ministerial portfolios of Community Services and Facilities, Disability, Employment and Workplace Safety, and Government Services and Procurement. Her service on standing and select committees has included those on Economy and Gender Economic Equality, Environment and Transport and City Services, Estimates, and Planning and Urban Renewal.\nUnsurprisingly, given her training as an urban planner, Orr has been particularly interested in the strategic development of Canberra, in improving active travel and public transport and in preserving and nurturing the Territory's natural environment. There are three pieces of legislation, all private members bills, about which Orr is particularly proud both professionally and personally: the Carers Recognition Act 2021 formally recognised and promoted the role of unpaid carers; the Period Products and Facilities (Access) Act 2023 made the ACT the first Australian jurisdiction to ensure period products are freely available in schools, libraries and other suitable locations across Canberra to reduce period stigma; and the introduction of the Disability Inclusion Bill 2024 which will promote the inclusion of people with disability in the ACT community.\nPrivate by nature, it is only recently that Orr has used the platform provided by her public role to advocate for awareness and change on issues vitally important to her. She identifies as part of the LGBTIQ community and, in the lead up to the 2017 plebiscite on same-sex marriage, campaigned door-to-door to raise awareness of the issues at stake and seeking support for the 'yes' vote. In 2022, twelve years after being diagnosed with and treated for the autoimmune disorder, Immune Thrombocytopenia, Orr spoke publicly about her condition to raise awareness of it and of the paucity of information available to those suffering autoimmune disorders.\nHer recreational interests include cooking, movies, balcony gardening, upcycling furniture, swimming, and yoga. She has also been responsible for the celebrity status achieved by her cat, Portia.\nWhile never setting out to be a role model, Orr accepts that she may have become one by default and is determined to use her public role to focus on what needs doing and doing it well. She is pleased to have contributed to the ACT but considers that her major achievements on its behalf lie ahead.\n\u00a0\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/orr-suzanne-legislative-assembly-for-the-australian-capital-territory-website\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/suzanne-orr-my-autoimmune-diagnosis-was-a-relief-that-changed-my-life\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/its-not-just-a-survey-its-personal\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/suzanne-orr-wikipedia-entry\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Vassarotti, Rebecca", "Entry ID": "AWE24081644", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vassarotti-rebecca\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community activist, Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Rebecca Vassarotti was elected as a Greens member for the seat of Kurrajong in the ACT election of October 2020 and was subsequently appointed Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management, Minister for Heritage, Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services and Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction. In March 2024, following a ballot of Party members, she was elected Deputy Leader of the ACT Greens. She stood in the 2024 election but was not re-elected.\n", "Details": "Rebecca Vassarotti was born and raised in Canberra; one of six children.\u00a0 Her mother Therese (n\u00e9e Holland) was a teacher; her father, Kevin a public servant. With Italian Irish family heritage, her maternal ancestors the Keefe and Cullen families were some of the original settlers in the ACT region. Her paternal ancestors migrated from northern Italy in the 1890s. Vassarotti's parents moved to Canberra from Sydney to work in the public service. In her inaugural speech, Vassarotti noted that \"while things were far from lavish, we were never in any doubt that we were privileged and we needed to think about how we could contribute to our community.\" She credits her parents for fostering her sense of social justice, leadership and activism.\nEducated at Saint John the Apostle Florey, Saint Francis Xavier Florey and Hawker College, Vassarotti has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Political Science (1994) and a Masters in Environmental Law (2000) from the Australian National University. After completing university, she worked as a graduate in the ACT public service, later being appointed Executive Director, YWCA Canberra, Deputy CEO Australian Council of Social Service and Executive Director, International Network on Hepatitis and Substance Use. She formed her own independent consultancy and served as a community member of the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal and a range of voluntary board roles including with Community Housing Canberra, the Early Morning Centre and the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy. She was a co-founder of the Canberra Gambling Reform Alliance.\nThrough her work with the YWCA and organisations such as the Council of Social Service, Vassarotti became passionate about issues of social exclusion, disadvantage and marginalisation. Her belief in taking responsibility and contributing to fixing problems led her to depart from advocacy and become directly involved in political life.\nFirst running for the Greens in 2016, Vassarotti was elected in 2020 for the seat of Kurrajong, having displaced former Liberals member Candice Burch. With six Greens winning seats, Vassarotti was appointed Minister for the Environment, Parks and Land Management, Minister for Heritage, Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services and Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction. In March 2024, following a ballot of Party members, she was elected Deputy Leader of the Greens. She stood in the 2024 election but was not re-elected.\nVassarotti has three children, twin sons and a daughter. Family is extremely important to her. She is passionate about her local community and excited about pushing herself to do new things. She loves travelling and exploring new places; karaoke, dancing and keeping fit.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vassarotti-rebecca-legislative-assembly-for-the-australian-capital-territory-website\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rebecca-vassarotti-act-greens-website\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rebecca-vassarotti-inaugural-speech-to-the-act-legislative-assembly\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rebecca-vassarotti-wikipedia-entry\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/first-sydney-then-the-world-how-new-minister-rebecca-vassarotti-realised-canberra-had-everything-she-needed\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Ryan, Julia", "Entry ID": "AWE0002", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ryan-julia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Educator, Women's liberationist", "Summary": "Ryan was a member of the first Canberra Women's Liberation Group in the 1970s and remained in the movement from that time. She was Honorary Secretary of the National Foundation for Australian Women 1991-1996.\n", "Details": "Member of first Canberra Women's Liberation Group 1970s; Public Officer, Canberra Women's Refuge 1975 - 1977; Women's Studies, Australian National University, 1981-1982; Governor General's nominee, Australian National University Council (including appointee to Equal Employment Opportunity Committee) 1984-1991; ACT Women's Consultative Council Convenor 1992-1993, Member 1989-1993; Honorary Secretary, National Foundation for Australian Women 1991-1996; Trustee and Assessor, Beryl Henderson Foundation 1988 - 2000; Trustee, Pamela Denoon Trust 1990 - 2000.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gender-equity-at-canberra-high\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/capitalism-and-the-family\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/julia-womens-liberation-inside-the-movement\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/julia-ryan-interviewed-by-sara-dowse-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-julia-ryan-1947-1982-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-julia-ryan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-edna-ryan-1948-1993-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-national-foundation-for-australian-women-1988-2009-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-meredith-stokes-circa-1970-1997-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Ryan, Edna Minna", "Entry ID": "AWE0004", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ryan-edna-minna\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Pyrmont, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Activist, Feminist, Trade unionist, Writer", "Summary": "Edna Ryan was a leading figure in three eras of feminism in the 20th century. As a feminist and labour activist she is credited with achieving equal pay for women, maternity leave and work based child care. Ryan wrote numerous articles, conference papers, submissions to government and two books, Gentle invaders (1975) and Two thirds of a man (1984).\n", "Details": "Parliamentary and Local Government Career\nLocal\n\nAlderman, Fairfield Municipal Council, 1956-65\nDeputy Mayor 1958\nMember, Prospect County Council retired 1972\n\nState\n\nCandidate, Mosman, 1953\n\nOther Highlights\n\nParticipated in the first International Women's Day 1928;\nOrganised the wives of the timber workers strike 1929;\nMember of Communist Party and International Workers of the World 1920-35c;\nJoined Australian Labor Party 1935;\nOrganised first residential Summer School for women for the Workers Educational Association;\nFirst female Deputy Mayor in NSW 1958;\nAlderman Fairfield Council 1959-65;\nFirst woman president of the largest branch of the Municipal Employees' Union 1960s;\nCampaign manager for future Prime Minister Gough Whitlam;\nFounding member of Women's Electoral Lobby 1972;\nPresented breakthrough submission to the Arbitration Commission to award low paid women workers the same minimum wage as men 1974;\nPublished Gentle Invaders, Australian Women and the Workforce 1788-1974 with Anne Conlon 1975.\n\nRyan campaigned for maternity leave and work-based child care for women workers, was an advocate of women's reproductive rights, and campaigned on the negative impacts of enterprise bargaining and compulsory superannuation on low paid women workers. In 1984 she published Two-thirds of a Man: Women and Arbitration in New South Wales 1902-08. The following year she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Sydney, and in 1995 was again awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters, this time by Macquarie University.\nEdna Ryan had three children - Julia, Lyndall and Patrick - whom she raised alone after the early death of her husband, Jack Ryan.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gentle-invaders-australian-women-at-work\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/two-thirds-of-a-man-women-and-arbitration-in-new-south-wales-1902-08\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-remembered-tributes-from-the-australian-feminist-policy-network-and-union-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/proving-a-dispute-laundry-workers-in-sydney-in-1906\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-and-production-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/talking-back\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/equal-pay-comparable-worth-and-the-central-wage-fixing-system\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/guide-to-the-papers-of-beryl-henderson-ms-9360\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/guide-to-the-papers-of-edna-ryan-ms-9140-ms-acc09-172\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-1904-1997\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wel-nsw-1972-1997\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/death-of-ms-edna-ryan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/commemorating-our-dear-departed-equal-pay-activists\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/back-to-the-future-urgent-issues-for-men-and-women-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-a-political-life\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/getting-equal-the-history-of-australian-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/comments-for-edna-ryans-funeral\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-matriarchs-twelve-australian-women-talk-about-their-lives-to-susan-mitchell\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-decade-of-mary-owen-dinners\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-minna-ryan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-feminism-a-companion\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-in-australian-parliaments-and-local-governments-past-and-present-a-survey\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/putting-skirts-on-the-sacred-benches-women-candidates-for-the-new-south-wales-parliament-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/on-their-own-terms-profiles-of-five-very-individual-australians-prepared-by-tim-bowden-and-ros-bowden\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yarn-spinners-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-edna-ryan-1948-1993-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-beryl-henderson-1973-1992-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-and-sylvia-winters-papers\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jack-kavanagh-collection-deposit-1\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interviews-with-edna-ryan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-interviewed-by-sara-dowse-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-interviewed-by-lucy-taksa-in-the-nsw-bicentennial-oral-history-collection-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-papers-1965-1986\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/edna-ryan-further-papers-1961-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-lyndall-ryan-professor-of-australian-studies-university-of-newcastle-sound-recording-interviewer-sara-dowse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pat-richardson-scrapbooks-relating-to-the-womens-electoral-lobby-and-womens-events-1977-2002\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ros-bowden-interviews-conducted-for-radio-programs-and-documentaries-ca-1975-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-julia-ryan-1947-1982-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-meredith-stokes-circa-1970-1997-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-edna-ryan-unionist-and-author-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/audrey-blake-further-papers-1915-1998\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Hunter, Thelma Anna Carmela", "Entry ID": "AWE0006", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hunter-thelma-anna-carmela\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Glasgow, Scotland", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Academic, Political scientist, Women's liberationist", "Summary": "Dr Thelma Hunter was a feminist political scientist, whose academic career was mostly spent at the Australian National University (ANU). She described herself as a teacher, scholar and writer. As well as teaching university students, she worked in schools, in adult education and in preparatory courses for mature age non-matriculants seeking university entry. Before establishing her academic career, she contributed occasional articles to UK newspapers, and was later a regular contributor to the Canberra Times. A hobby artist, she offered drawing workshops to staff and students at ANU, having earlier studied art in evening classes in Sydney and at Dartington College, Devon.\nFor Thelma Hunter the personal was political; her academic interests in women's employment, the status of women and the obstacles arising from combining work with marriage and family reflected her own experience. Growing up in an Italian family in Scotland, and later migrating with her family to Australia, Thelma Hunter also identified as a migrant.\n", "Details": "Thelma Cibelli was born at home in Glasgow, the fourth child of Italian migrants; her father Gaetano was the owner of a hairdressing shop. The only child not given an Italian first name, she was called after the actress Thelma Ritter, reflecting her mother Assunta's enjoyment of popular films.\nIn her autobiography she wrote candidly of an unhappy childhood, growing up fearful of an authoritarian, unpredictable, violent father. She took refuge in 'bookish achievements'.\nEducated at the Convent of Mercy, she loved languages, finding French and Latin easy. In 1940 she began an Arts degree at Glasgow University, interrupting her studies when she ran away from home as a rebellious teenager. She lived with her hairdresser sister Lyda, initially working at the Coates thread factory as a stock clerk, and later undertaking secretarial studies. At this time she began keeping diaries (some still in the possession of her family). She joined the wartime Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1940 working as a driver, including driving large trucks despite being small statured (155 cm). During this time she wrote that she 'joyfully' discovered her sexuality. On demobilisation her service record was described as exemplary, despite an incident of being absent without leave when she stowed away to France to win a bet.\nShe met her Scottish husband Alex Hunter at a dance following their demobilisation. Resuming studies at Glasgow University, Thelma switched to political economy, a decision she attributed to her growing sense of social justice. Encouraged by Thelma, Alex followed her to university, studying economics. After living together for a period, during which time Thelma had a backyard abortion, they married at a Registry Office in 1947. Thelma gained a Master of Arts with First Class Honours in 1950 and in 1952 a Diploma in Secondary Education from Jordanhill College, Glasgow. In this time, she worked as a research assistant and began submitting articles published in the Glasgow Herald.\nDuring five years living in Keele, following her husband's appointment to the University of Keele in 1953, Thelma had three children, Stephen, Assunta (known during her school days as Susan) and Maxwell. Thelma taught adult education classes and worked as a relief school teacher, while continuing freelance journalism for the Manchester Guardian.\nThe family migrated to Australia in 1958 when Alex was appointed to the University of Melbourne, where Thelma later tutored in Economics. Thelma began research on women and employment, including interviewing the, by then old and frail, feminist labour activist Muriel Heagney. They moved to Sydney in 1961 when Alex took up a chair at the University of NSW and Thelma began tutoring in the Department of Government at the University of Sydney. During this time she participated with Madge Dawson in a series of television programs Doorway to Knowledge.\nAlex Hunter had a major heart attack shortly after their arrival in Australia and, after other cardiac episodes, Thelma decided to seek fulltime work, facing the very real prospect that she would be supporting the family. Her 1963 application for a fulltime lectureship was unsuccessful - unlike Thelma, the successful male applicant not having a First Class Honours degree nor being a PhD candidate. Thelma was appointed to a lectureship in Political Science at the Australian National University (ANU) in 1965; Alex arriving two months later to take a Senior Research Fellowship in the Research School of Pacific Studies. Thelma's PhD on the politics of national health was conferred in 1969.\nKnown for activities to make new staff and students feel welcome in the ANU community, Thelma was at various times tutor and member of the governing body of Garran Hall, a resident Fellow in Bruce Hall, a board member and the acting Steward of University House. While she was not against having a high table, she usually sat with students at dinners.\nIn 1971 Alex Hunter died suddenly while working in Papua New Guinea. Widowed at 47, Thelma experienced profound depression, a condition which had afflicted her since youth. In her autobiography she courageously examined her experiences of depressive illness, which she attributed to stress, exhaustion and the social isolation arising from employment with no family support. She was also acutely aware of the impacts of a childhood with a violent father; her sense of rootlessness living between worlds of Scottish and Italian identity, and frustration about the constraints imposed on her as a woman.\nAfter her husband's death, Thelma Hunter described her illness as profound. She retired from her Senior Lectureship in 1979 at the age of 56, after six months sick leave from the university; feeling her career potential was still unrealised. She continued her association with ANU as a Visiting Fellow. In 1981 she began a long period of periodic lecturing in Politics at the ANU Centre for Continuing Education.\nIn 1990 Thelma returned to ANU to write her autobiography, which is deeply candid - in contrast to her personal papers in the National Library of Australia, which reflect her academic interests in women's issues, feminism, health policy and Indian politics.\nIn retirement Thelma enjoyed long country walks, which included traversing the high alpine Copland Pass in New Zealand and up and down the south rim of the Grand Canyon in the USA. She resumed art, which she had first studied in evening classes in Sydney; in 1978 gaining a Certificate of Special Studies in Art and Design from Dartington College, Devon, undertaken during long service leave from ANU. Thelma Hunter was a regular book reviewer for the Canberra Times and taught in a university bridging course for mature age entry students and occasional French lessons at Hawker Primary School in Canberra, where the students included two of her six grandchildren.\nThelma Hunter characterised herself as a reforming rather than radical feminist. She contributed to the Association for the Study of Women and Society submission on married women's employment, made to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Capital Territory 1971 enquiry into employment opportunities, and gave evidence to that enquiry. She instigated a pioneering course on the political sociology of feminism at ANU and chaired the ANU Women's Studies Committee. Thelma Hunter was the only woman on the selection panel which appointed Elizabeth Reid as the first Prime Minister's Women's Adviser in 1973.\nHer curriculum vitae records her participation in the Australian Association of Adult Education, Women's Electoral Lobby, National Foundation for Australian Women, Federation of University Women, Health Consumers' Association and Voluntary Euthanasia Society, as well as the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA).\nIn a Canberra Times article on 23 September 1981 'Academic feminism gathers strength', Thelma reported on the APSA annual meeting, and the contribution by members of the Women's Caucus, including the Presidential address, carriage of a resolution about inclusion of content about women in new and existing courses and strengthening informal social networks for women inside and outside academia. The APSA Women's Caucus awards the biennial Thelma Hunter Prize for the best PhD thesis on women or gender in politics.\nThelma Hunter's bequest to the National Foundation for Australian Women has supported the development of the online exhibition Women Who Caucus - Feminist Political Scientists.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/guide-to-the-papers-of-thelma-hunter-ms-9353\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/not-a-dutiful-daughter-the-personal-story-of-a-migrant-academic\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/academics-informative-and-moving-life-story-not-a-dutiful-daughter-the-personal-story-of-a-migrant-academic\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/with-and-without-a-partner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-who-caucus-feminist-political-scientists\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-employment-of-women-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/review-of-women-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/industrial-court-and-womens-wages\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-status-of-women-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/reform-and-revolution-in-contemporary-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-womanities-towards-integration-or-segregation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/some-factors-affecting-the-employment-of-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/married-women-in-academia-a-personal-view\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-and-social-policy-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-travails-of-a-liberal-feminist\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-thelma-hunter-1950-1984-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hunter-t-a-c\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sociology-conference-1980-women-in-the-workforce-dr-thelma-hunter\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/personal-papers-of-prime-minister-e-g-whitlam-correspondence-between-e-g-whitlam-and-dr-thelma-hunter-senior-lecturer-in-political-science-school-of-general-studies-box-10\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-jocelynne-scutt-1982-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-thelma-hunter-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Wright, Judith Arundell", "Entry ID": "AWE0114", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wright-judith-arundell\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Armidale, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Poet, Writer", "Summary": "Judith Wright expressed her love of Australia and its people in her poetry. She was also a respected writer on poetry. Later in her life Wright was well known as a conservationist and campaigner for Aboriginal rights. Wright, a descendant of a pioneering pastoralist family, began writing poetry at the age of six for her ailing mother. At the age of 14 she became a boarder at the New England Girls School, and it was during her time there that she decided to become a poet.\nAfter completing an Arts course at the University of Sydney, Wright worked in a variety of positions including that of research officer at Queensland University, where she helped Clem Christesen to edit Meanjin.\nIn 1975, Wright was the first woman appointed to the Council of Australian National University as the Governor-General's nominee. She was founder and later president of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, and member of the National Parks Association of New South Wales and the South Coast Conservation Council. Wright was a patron of many organisations including: Campaign Against Nuclear Power (Queensland); Townsville Women's Shelter; Amnesty International (Victoria.); Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and the National Forests Action Council (Victoria.).\nIn 1991, Wright became the second Australian - after Michael Thwaites in 1940 - to receive the Queen's gold medal for poetry.\nJoan Williams concludes her obituary on Judith Wright in The Guardian on July 5, 2000 with:\n\"Judith Wright is not a romantic, but makes her judgement on changes in the economy and lifestyle, the growth of industry and the swing from country to city. In her own way she has taken a step further for us in the expression of Australian national, spiritual and environment values in her poetry.\"\n", "Details": "Judith Wright, who died in Canberra of a heart attack, had spent much of her time there from the early 1970s when her daughter Meredith went to study at the Australian National University. Her long relationship with H.C. 'Nugget' Coombs was an added incentive for her to be close to Canberra. In 1973 she was appointed Chairman of the Australia Council. In 1975 She bought the property Edge 100 kilometres east of Canberra and spent much of her time there. By 1998 she was living in a small flat in Canberra.\n", "Events": "Awarded a Commonwealth Literary Fund Fellowship (1949 - 1949) \nAwarded Fellow Australian Academy of Humanities (FAHA) (1970 - 1970) \nAwarded Hon. Life Member Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) (1980 - 1980) \nAwarded the Alice Award by the Society of Women Writers of Australia (1980 - 1980) \nAwarded the Encyclopedia Britannica Prize for literature (1965 - 1965) \nAwarded the Grace Leven Prize from the Braidwood Historical Society (1949 - 1949) \nAwarded the Grace Leven Prize from the Braidwood Historical Society (1972 - 1972) \nAwarded the Indian Asan World prize for poetry (1984 - 1984) \nAwarded the Order of the Golden Ark, degree of Ridder by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1980 - 1980) \nAwarded the Queen's Gold Medal for poetry (1992 - 1992) \nAwarded the Robert Frost Memorial Award from the Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) (1976 - 1976) \nAwarded the Senior Anzac Fellowship (1976 - 1976) \nAwarded the Senior Writers Fellowship by the Literature Board of the Australia Council (1977 - 1979) \nCouncil member of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) (1964 - 1972) \nCouncil member of the Australian National University (ANU) (1975 - 1979) \nFoundation council member of the Australia Society Authors (ASA) (1963 - 1963) \nMember of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee (1979 - 1983) \nMember of the Committee of Enquiry into the National Estate (1973 - 1974) \nPresident of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (1962 - 1976) \nStatistical research officer with the Queensland University (1944 - 1948) \nStenographic and secretarial work in Sydney (1938 - 1942)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-of-australian-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-moving-image\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/woman-to-man\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-gateway\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-two-fires\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/birds\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/birds-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/five-senses\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/selected-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-other-half-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collected-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/alive\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fourth-quarter\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fourth-quarter-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-generations-of-men\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-nature-of-love\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/preoccupations-in-australian-poetry\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/because-i-was-invited\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-coral-battleground\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/charles-harpur\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-cry-for-the-dead\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-oxford-book-of-australian-verse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/new-land-new-language\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/witnesses-of-spring-unpublished-poems-by-john-shaw-neilson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kings-of-the-dingoes\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/range-the-mountains-high\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-day-the-mountains-played\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-river-and-the-road\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/guide-to-the-papers-of-craig-powell\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/monash-biographical-dictionary-of-20th-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/guide-to-the-papers-of-judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-register-the-womens-college-within-the-university-of-sydney\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/where-are-the-women-in-australian-science-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lines-from-the-bush\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/judith-wrights-biography-a-delicate-balance-between-trespass-and-honour\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vale-judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-poet-judith-wright-1915-2000-an-appreciation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-in-australia-1998\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-research-leaders-in-the-australian-learned-academies-1954-to-1976\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dymphna-clark-circa-1930-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dorothy-green-1943-1990-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1944-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-generations-of-men-manuscript-by-judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1949-1951-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/letters-1986-1989-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-relating-to-oodgeroo-noonuccal\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/craig-powell-manuscript-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-nancy-cato-1939-1995-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dymphna-clark-interviewed-by-heather-rusden-and-elizabeth-cham-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-cato-manuscript-collection-1967-1992\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-elyne-mitchell-circa-1928-2002-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/southern-africa-defence-and-aid-fund-in-australia-records-1961-1981-together-with-the-records-of-community-aid-abroad-australia-southern-africa-group-1981-1987\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-nonie-sharp-1980-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-of-barbara-blackman-with-judith-wright-1950-1998-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/literary-papers-1969-1981-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-patricia-clarke-1887-2010-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Burton, Clare", "Entry ID": "AWE0140", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burton-clare\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Academic, Consultant, Public servant, Researcher, Writer", "Summary": "Dr Clare Burton was a strong advocate and activist for social change, particularly in the area of equal pay for women. Her academic research fed into policy and practical change in the workplace.\n", "Details": "Clare Burton was raised in Canberra, where her Methodist upbringing may have instilled in her the tireless work ethic she displayed in her efforts to bring about social change, promoting greater equity and justice for all.\nBurton graduated from the University of Sydney with a university medal and first class honours in anthropology in 1963. She married Peter Krinks and the pair had three children: Rachel, Stephen and Kate. She completed her PhD at Macquarie University in 1979, exploring theoretical explanations for women's subordination, and began her academic career at Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education (later University of Technology, Sydney), where she became an Associate Professor.\nBurton was awarded the Australasian Political Studies Association Women and Politics Prize in 1984 for her essay 'Public and Private Concerns in Academic Institutions'. Her monograph Redefining Merit became an essential companion text for practitioners of employment equity. Major publications include The Promise and the Price: the struggle for equal opportunity in women's employment (1991), Subordination, Feminism and Social Theory (1985) and Women's Worth : pay equity and job evaluation in Australia (1987).\nIn 1989 Burton became the New South Wales government's Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment, and in 1992 served as the Commissioner for Public Sector Equity in the Queensland Goss government. In 1993, she chose to work independently as a researcher and consultant in employment equity, being much in demand as a consultant, adviser, and speaker. In the 1990s Burton conducted about a dozen university equity reviews as well as reviewing both the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces. She was a dedicated member of the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) and worked on WEL submissions on the 1997 Federal Public Service Bill and the 1998 review of the Affirmative Action Agency. She also convened WEL policy groups.\nBurton was a member of the Network of Women in Further Education, the Black Women's Action in Education Foundation, the National Foundation for Australian Women, the Australian Political Science Association, the Australian Sociological Association and the Institute of Public Administration Australia, and was a founding member of the National Pay Equity Coalition.\nThe Australian Technology Network, with Clare's friends, colleagues and family has established the Clare Burton Memorial Fund to commemorate her life and continue her work by providing a scholarship in Dr Burton's specialist field.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-promise-and-the-price-the-struggle-for-equal-opportunity-in-womens-employment\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/subordination-feminism-and-social-theory\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/redesigning-womens-work-a-case-study-in-the-community-sector\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-worth-pay-equity-and-job-evaluation-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/redefining-merit\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gender-equity-in-australian-university-staffing\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gender-bias-in-job-evaluation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/equity-principles-in-competency-standards-development-and-implementation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/enterprising-nation-renewing-australias-managers-to-meet-the-challenges-of-theasia-pacific-century-managing-for-diversity\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-beauty-therapist-the-mechanic-the-geoscientist-and-the-librarian-addressingundervaluation-of-womens-work\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/merit-gender-and-corporate-governance\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tributes-to-clare-burton\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/face-to-face-the-power-of-sisterhood\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-burton-girls\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-womens-honour-roll-b\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/feminist-put-equality-on-agenda\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-clare-burton-1987-1997-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-clare-burton-public-servant-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Cross, Helen", "Entry ID": "AWE0166", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cross-helen\/", "Type": "Person", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Liberal Party, Helen Cross was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory representing the electorate of Molonglo, in 2001. She served as an Independent from 2002 and lost her seat at the 2004 election.\n", "Details": "Cross ran her own marketing and events business and was a past President of the Phillip Traders' Association and Vice-President of Women in Information and Communications. She also worked for the Local Chamber of Commerce, the Canberra Festival and the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and was involved in community work for various organisations including the Smith Family and Clean-up Australia.\nCross ran unsuccessfully for the Legislative Assembly again in 2020 as an independent in the seat of Yerrabi. She died in March 2022.\n\u00a0\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-former-mla-helen-cross\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Burbidge, Nancy Tyson", "Entry ID": "AWE0206", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burbidge-nancy-tyson\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Cleckheaton, Yorkshire, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Botanist, Conservationist", "Summary": "Nancy Burbidge worked at the CSIRO between 1946-1973, rising from systematic botanist to Curator of the Herbarium. From 1973 to 1977 she was scientific leader of the Flora of Australia project. Burbidge published several books on Australian plants.\n", "Details": "Nancy Burbidge emigrated to Australia with her parents in 1913, and was educated at Katanning (Kobeelya) Church of England Girls' School (founded by her mother Nancy Eleanor in 1922), Bunbury High School and the University of Western Australia. She obtained her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in 1937, Master of Science (MSc) in 1975, and Doctor of Science (DSc) in 1961.\nUpon graduating in 1937, Burbidge was awarded the prize of a free passage to England by a group of shipping companies. She spent eighteen months there at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew.\nIn 1943 Burbidge was appointed assistant agronomist at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in Adelaide, where she started working on the regeneration of native pastures in the arid and semi-arid regions of South Australia. Burbidge was appointed to the new position of systematic botanist in the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry, Canberra, in 1946. Before taking a year's secondment in 1953 to be Australian botanical liaison officer back at the Kew herbarium, London, Burbidge was editing the Australasian Herbarium News and was secretary of the systematic botany committee of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1948-1952).\nBurbidge published several books on Australian plants and illustrated many with her own drawings. In 1960 she was a founding member of the National Parks Association of the ACT (going on to be twice president, secretary, and a committee member for eleven years), and was prominent in lobbying for the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and Namadgi National Park. She was also a member of the Australian Federation of University Women (president of the Canberra association 1959-1961), and the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association (president 1957-1958 and international secretary 1961-1968).\nBurbidge was awarded the 1971 Clarke medal for her achievements in taxonomic botany and ecology by the Royal Society of New South Wales. She is commemorated by an altar-frontal showing banksias and honey-eaters in St Michael's Anglican Church, Mount Pleasant, Perth, and by the Nancy T. Burbidge Memorial, an amphitheatre in the National Botanic Gardens, Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burbidge-nancy-tyson-1912-1977-biographical-entry\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-tyson-burbidge\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burbidge-nancy-tyson-1912-1977\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-phytogeography-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-burbidge-biographical-details\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-grasses\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dictionary-of-australian-plant-genera-gymnosperms-and-angiosperms\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/flora-of-the-australian-capital-territory\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/select-list-of-publications-in-systematic-botany-available-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-wattles-of-the-australian-capital-territory\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/history-of-systematic-botany-in-australasia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/where-are-the-women-in-australian-science-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Cahn, Audrey Josephine", "Entry ID": "AWE0283", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cahn-audrey-josephine\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Parkville, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Hughes, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Dietician, Lecturer, Microbiologist, Servicewoman", "Summary": "Audrey Cahn was the first woman to complete the newly established agriculture degree at the University of Melbourne in 1928. Born to parents who were influential scientists themselves, she developed a life long interest in the field of nutritional science and went on to pioneer the academic field of dietetics. Regarded in the 1950s and 60s as a 'soft science' by the then university's head of biochemistry, Victor Trikojus, Cahn fought a long battle for respect, one in which she was eventually supported by major funding bodies such as Nicholas Pty Ltd (Aspro).\nHer research output in the field of nutritional biochemistry is well respected. Some of her studies undertaken during her time at the University of Melbourne (1947-68) included examining the physical properties and energy value of common dietary foods, so that she could compile calorie tables. She was an early proponent of the need to reduce fat intake and to substitute polyunsaturated fatty acids for saturated fats. With colleagues in the anatomy department, she participated in a 17-year longitudinal study of \"Child Growth in Melbourne (1954-71)\". The study was compared with similar studies in the United States and Britain and found that Australian children were overweight and inactive compared with their peers elsewhere.\nCahn enjoyed a very long life, thanks, she said, to a combination of good luck and good genes.\n", "Details": "The daughter of Professor W A and Ethel Osborne (nee Goodson) Audrey Cahn was born in 1905. Her father came to Melbourne University in 1903 to take up the Chair of Physiology, Biochemistry and Histology. Her mother, who received a BSc and MSc from Leeds University, worked for the Victorian State Government examining the conditions of women in various trades. Her work led her to develop an interest in the sociological aspects of medicine and she undertook further study towards a medical degree at the University of Melbourne. She was instrumental in setting up the first Dietetics School in Victoria, at St Vincent's Hospital.\nAudrey completed her secondary education at Merton Hall Grammar School for Girls (now know as the Church of England Girls' Grammar School) and matriculated in 1922. She then enrolled in an Agriculture Degree at Melbourne University from which she graduated in 1928. The next year she took a position as a Microbiologist and Food Analyst with Kraft. In 1930 Audrey married Leslie Cahn, an architect, and they bore twin daughters. The marriage did not survive.\nAudrey completed a Hospital Certificate of Dietetics at the newly opened Dietetics Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital. Before leaving she rose to the post of Chief Dietician at the hospital. She then took a position at Kraft\/Walker and Cheese Factory in Drouin as a microbiologist. Employment as the first Chief Dietician for the Victorian Mental Hygiene Department followed, before spending a year at the Royal Perth Hospital.\nDuring World War II, Audrey Cahn enlisted in the Australian Army Medical Women's Service on 11 February 1943. As part of the Australian Army Medical Corps she became Chief Dietician at the Heidelberg Military Hospital. Before her discharge on 13 September 1946 Audrey had obtained the rank of Major.\nAfter the war, Audrey obtained a position as Lecturer (1947) and then Senior Lecturer (1959) in Nutrition and Applied Dietetics. Audrey Cahn retired in 1968 after spending 21 years at the university.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cahn-audrey-josephine-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/starched-white-dress-and-the-hissing-of-gaslights-early-cloisters-life\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/where-are-the-women-in-australian-science-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-scientist-ahead-of-her-times\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cahn-audrey\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Jackson, Dawn Valerie Vautin", "Entry ID": "AWE0409", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jackson-dawn-valerie-vautin\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Kent, United Kingdom", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Servicewoman", "Summary": "Dawn Jackson was born in Kent, England, the daughter of Major-General R E Jackson CMG, DSO. Educated at St Catherine's Church of England Girls School, Sydney, she served with the Voluntary Aid Detachment and subsequently with the Australian Army Women's Medical Service. She was a member of the Australian Imperial Forces from 1941 to 1947 and saw service in the Middle East and New Guinea. Colonel Jackson was associated with the combined training of the Army Women's Services Training Company and the Army Women's Services Officers School.\nOn 2 December 1957 Dawn Jackson was appointed the second Director of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, a post she held until February 1972.\nDawn Jackson was appointed to The Order of the British Empire - Officer (Military) on 11 June 1960 for her services to the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps.\nColonel Dawn Jackson died on 20 January 1995 in Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soldiers-of-the-queen-women-in-the-australian-army\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jackson-dawn-valerie-vantin\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jackson-dawn-valerie-vautin-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/colonel-best-and-her-soldiers-the-story-of-the-33-years-of-the-womens-royal-australian-army-corps\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-stroll-down-memory-lane\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/faith-hope-and-charity-australian-women-and-imperial-honours-1901-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-in-australia-1971\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jackson-dawn-valerie-vautin-service-number-qfx24150-date-of-birth-22-feb-1917-place-of-birth-kent-england-place-of-enlistment-unknown-next-of-kin-jackson-r\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/first-wraac-womens-royal-australian-army-corps\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-pre-dinner-chat-for-womens-royal-australian-army-corps-wraac-officers\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Swinney, Stella Edith", "Entry ID": "AWE0518", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/swinney-stella-edith\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Servicewoman", "Summary": "Stella Swinney completed her Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University and then worked at Farmer & Coy Ltd, Sydney, before joining the Women's Australian National Services and the Australian Women's Army Service. After completing a course at the Officers' Training School she was posted to New South Wales Line of Command Area. Swinney was responsible for training and administration of the Australian Women's Army Service in New South Wales. She took over from Major Eleanor Manning as Assistant Controller of New South Wales in May 1943.\n", "Details": "Stella Swinney graduated from Sydney University in 1933 with honours in Psychology. She was on a Teaching scholarship, but was unable to get a teaching position, as the Government was not employing teachers in that period of the Great Depression. She joined the retail firm and eventually became staff training officer.\nAfter working in that capacity for eight years, she joined the Australian Women's Army Service and reached the rank of Major.\nIn 1944 she was invited to join the Department of Post-War Reconstruction to assist with the re-establishment of ex-servicewomen. In 1948 she travelled to Britain as interviewing and selection officer and travelled all over the country interviewing people as prospective migrants for Australia.\nIn 1951 she returned to Australia and worked for two years as secretary of Sydney University Women's Union, then took a position as Training Officer with Bonds Industries. Her next appointment was as Personnel Officer for Grace Bros.\nIn 1962 she was appointed Principal of Duval College, at the University of New England, Armidale, a position she held for ten years, until 1972.\nIn June 1973, she accepted a position as Woman's advisor to Mr J. Douglas Anthony leader of the Country Party in Australia to complete a report on the involvement of women in that party, with suggestions for greater participation for women at all levels, including policy-making.\nIn her retirement in Canberra she was involved with the Returned Services League and the Penguin Club.\n", "Events": "Assistant Controller of the Australian Women's Army Service New South Wales Line of Command, she held the rank of Major. (1943 - 1944) \nAssistant to the Staff Training Officer at Farmer & Coy Ltd, Sydney (1933 - 1937) \nMember of the Australian Women's Army Service (1941 - 1944) \nStaff Training Officer at Farmer & Coy Ltd, Sydney (1937 - 1941)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-in-australia-1944\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/swinney-stella-edith-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Clarke, Patricia", "Entry ID": "AWE0622", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clarke-patricia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Alphington, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Editor, Historian, Journalist, Writer", "Summary": "Writer, historian, editor and former journalist, Dr Patricia Clarke has written extensively on women in Australian history and media history. Several of her publications are biographies of women writers and others explore the role of letters and diaries in the lives of women. Since the 1980s she played an active part in national cultural institutions and community organisations in Canberra and her work has been recognised by a number of awards and grants.\n", "Details": "Patricia Clarke was born in Melbourne in 1926, the daughter of John Laurence Ryan, teacher, and Annie Teresa ne\u00e9 McSweeney, bookbinder. Educated at St Anthony's School, Alphington, and Notre Dame de Sion, Sale, Victoria, she matriculated with honours in 1942. Her studies at the University of Melbourne included economics, pure maths, English and political science but were interrupted by tuberculosis, which led to a reappraisal of her goals. In 1951 she joined the Commonwealth News and Information Bureau and became the only woman journalist in its Melbourne office, transferring to its Canberra branch in 1957. In 1961 she married Hugh Vincent Clarke (1919-1996), writer, public servant and former prisoner of war in Thailand and Japan. While raising five children, Patricia worked as a casual but full-time journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Commission in the Parliamentary Press Gallery (1963-68); as the editor of Maxwell Newton's weekly business newsletters (1968-74); Canberra representative for Daily Commercial News (1968-74) and publications editor with the National Capital Development Commission (1974-79).\nSince the 1980s, Patricia has written and edited 15 books, innumerable articles and at least 15 book chapters on women in Australian history and media history. Several of her publications are biographies of women writers and others explore the role of letters and diaries in the lives of women. In 2004 she was awarded a PhD by Griffith University for her thesis, based on six of her books, entitled 'Life Lines to Life Stories. Some Publications about Women in Nineteenth Century Australia'. Her most recent book is 'Bold types : how Australia's first women journalists blazed a trail', published in 2022.\nShe has also played an active part in Australian cultural institutions and community organisations in Canberra. She has written articles for the Australian Dictionary of Biography and been a member of its Commonwealth Working Party since 1987. At various times she served as President, Vice President, and Councillor of the Canberra & District Historical Society (1987-2004 and 2013-2024) and edited the Canberra Historical Journal from 1987-2000. She was a Committee member of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies from 1993-2003; was on the Manning Clark House committee in its early years and from 1995-2001 was founding Honorary Secretary of the Independent Scholars Association of Australia (ISAA). Elected an Honorary Member in 2001, she was a member of ISAA's ACT Council until 2018. A Committee Member of the Friends of the National Library of Australia from 1997-99 and its Deputy Chair in 1998, she represented the Australian Society of Authors as a member of the Library's Fellowship Advisory Committee from 1997-2017 and chaired its National Folk Fellowship selection Committee 2003-17. She has been an active member of the Canberra committee of the Australian Women's Archives Program and wrote many entries for the Australian Women's Register, the most recent in 2024. She served on the ACT Historic Houses Advisory Committee between 2010-16 and was a Consultant to the Media Hall of Fame from 2011.\nHer work has been recognised by many awards and grants. She was awarded a NSW Premier's Department Cultural Grant in 1983; Literature Board grants in 1986 and 1988; a Harold White Fellowship from the National Library in 1993 and Fellowships from the Australia Council in 1995 and 2000. In 1995 she was joint winner of the Society of Women Writers non-fiction award. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in June 2001 'for services to the promotion of Australian history through research and writing, to the study of Australian writers of the nineteenth century and to the Canberra and District Historical Society'. She was made a Fellow of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies in 2002 and an Honorary Fellow, Australian Academy of Humanities in 2005. In 2016 she received the Friends Medal of the National Library of Australia for her significant contribution over many years. In June 2025 she was awarded the Australian Dictionary of Biography Medal in recognition of her many and varied contributions to the ADB since the 1980s.\n", "Events": "Australia Council, Literature Board Project Grant (1987 - 1987) \nAustralia Council, Literature Broad Project Grant (1989 - 1989) \nAwarded a Fellow from the Federation of Australian Historical Societies (2002 - 2002) \nAwarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) For service to the promotion of Australian history through research and writing, to the study of Australian women writers of the 19th Century, and to the Canberra and District Historical Society (2001 - 2001) \nCasual Journalist Grade B with ABC in Canberra (1963 - 1968) \nCommittee Member at Manning Clark House (2000 - 2002) \nCommittee Member of the Centre for Australian Cultural Studies (ACT) (1993 - ) \nCouncillor with the Canberra & District Historical Society (1987 - ) \nEditor of publications (Journalist Grade A1) with the National Capital Development Commission (1974 - 1979) \nFounding Honorary Secretary of the Independent Scholars Association of Australia (ISAA) (1995 - 2001) \nHarold White Fellow at the National Library of Australia (1993 - 1993) \nJoint winner of the Society of Women Writers non-fiction award (for Tasma (1995 - 1995) \nJournalist (Grade A) \/Editor of weekly business newsletters with M Newton publications (1968 - 1974) \nMember of the Commonwealth Working Party for the Australian Dictionary of Biography (1989 - ) \nMember of the National Library of Australia's Friends Committee (1997 - 1999) \nMember of the National Scholarly Communications Forum (representing Australian Society of Authors) (1998 - 1998) \nNew South Wales Premier's Department Social History grant (1985 - 1985) \nOne-year Fellowship from the Literature Board at the Australia Council (1995 - 1995) \nPresident of the Canberra & District Historical Society (1997 - 1999) \nTwo-year Fellowship from the Literature Board at the Australia Council (2001 - 2002) \nVice-president of the Canberra & District Historical Society (1995 - 1997) \nVice-president of the National Library of Australia's Friends Committee (1999 - 1999) \nWith the News and Information Bureau, Melbourne, Journalist Grade D, Canberra, Journalist Grade C (1951 - 1961)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-equal-heart-and-mind-letters-between-judith-wright-and-jack-mckinney\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/with-love-fury-selected-letters-of-judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rich-addition-to-area-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosa-rosa-a-life-of-rosa-praed-novelist-and-spiritualist\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosa-rosa-a-life-of-rosa-praed-novelist-and-spiritualist-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosa-rosa-a-life-of-rosa-praed-novelist-and-spiritualist-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-federation-decade\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-governesses-letters-from-the-colonies-1862-1882\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/those-perfect-english-ladies\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nettie-palmer-search-for-an-aesthetic\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-who-shaped-an-era\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/comfort-women-of-the-colonies\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fascinating-letters-inspire-novel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fighter-for-womens-rights\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-womens-pages-australian-women-and-journalism-since-1850-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/adb-medal-awarded-to-dr-patricia-clarke\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-patricia-clarke-1887-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patricia-clarke-interviewed-by-ann-moyal-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patricia-clarke-interviewed-by-david-walker-in-the-australia-asia-studies-oral-history-project-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Clarke, Jessie Deakin", "Entry ID": "AWE0623", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clarke-jessie-deakin\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social worker", "Summary": "Jessie Clarke, daughter of Ivy Brookes and grand daughter of Alfred Deakin, trained in social work and was professionally active in the Port Melbourne, Victoria, area. She studied in New York in the 1930s, was a junior delegate to the League of Nations Union in Geneva and an activist on behalf of refugees. She founded the Nappy Wash delivery service in the period after the Second World War.\n", "Details": "Jessie Clarke, the granddaughter of Alfred Deakin (Australian Prime Minister 1903-1910) and the daughter of Ivy (n\u00e9e Deakin) and Herbert Brookes, enrolled at the University of Melbourne in 1931. She graduated with an Arts\/Social Work degree and continued her studies in New York before the Australian government offered her a position as junior delegate to the League of Nations Union in Geneva.\nLater, with the war imminent, she returned to Australia and became president of the Victorian International Refugee Emergency Council. A few days after the outbreak of World War II she married William Anthony Francis Clarke, the son of Sir Frank Clarke, MLC, whom she had earlier taken to task for his reported remarks in the Legislative Council about 'rat-faced refugees'. Clarke worked with the Lord Mayor's Patriotic and Welfare Fund as a voluntary social worker dealing with the problems of army wives and relatives at first in Sydney, where her husband was stationed, and later in Melbourne.\nIn 1946 the Clarkes decided to start a napkin wash service in response to the post war baby boom. Nappie Wash, which grew to become the second largest such service in the world, was largely a family affair, with 13 relatives and friends providing the initial capital. At various stages of its history members of the family have been directors of the company which was sold in 1975.\nClarke, whose husband died in 1953, was a foundation member of the Australian Assistance Plan set up by Prime Minister Whitlam. She was involved also with community health groups such as the Abbeyfield Society, Melbourne-South Yarra Group, Broadmeadows Community Health Centre and the Melbourne District Health Council.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jessie-clarke-founder-of-nappie-wash\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-jessie-clarke-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jessie-clarke-interviewed-by-various-interviewers-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-jessie-clarke-managing-director-of-nappie-wash-ltd-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-jessie-clarke-ca-1900-1990-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-jessie-clarke-1954-2008-bulk-1990-2008-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Lobb, Diana Joan (Di)", "Entry ID": "AWE0659", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lobb-diana-joan-di\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "London, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Servicewoman", "Summary": "Dianna Lobb, the daughter of Leonard and Violet (n\u00e9e Davidson) Lobb, was educated at Fort Street Girl's High School, Sydney. In 1978 she became the first woman to review guard at Headquarters 2nd Military District at Victoria Barracks, Sydney. The same year she became commanding officer and chief instructor of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) School, Sydney. On 12 June 1971 Lobb was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.\n", "Events": "Appointed Member to the Order of the British Empire (1971 - 1971) \nCommanding officer and chief instructor of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (1978 - 1978) \nFirst woman to review guard at the 2nd Military District Headquarters Victoria Barracks in Sydney (1978 - 1978) \nMember of Gymea Toastmistresses Club (1975 - 1977) \nMember of the WRAAC Association (1977 - 1977)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-of-australian-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-diana-lobb-major-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Dabrowski, Stasia", "Entry ID": "AWE0768", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dabrowski-stasia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Poland", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Charity worker", "Summary": "Stasia Dabrowski voluntarily ran a mobile soup kitchen from 1979, providing hot soup, bread, drinks, clothes and blankets to the homeless and needy of Canberra, and was dedicated to the welfare of young people. For nine years she raised the funds herself to purchase ingredients for the soup kitchen.\nShe was the 1996 Canberra Citizen of the Year, and the 1999 inaugural Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Senior Australian of the Year.\nStasia Dabrowski passed away at the age of 94 in August 2020.\n", "Details": "Stasia Dabrowski arrived in Canberra in 1964 and raised two children. Her second son became addicted to heroin and this led to her commitment to assisting young people in need. One of her son's friends, a recovered drug addict, asked her to help him set up a soup kitchen.\nThe mobile kitchen, run from the back of a van, was possibly the first of its kind in Australia. The friend married and left Canberra, and she continued to provide the service with the help of her son.\nEvery Friday night since 1979 she provided hot soup, bread, drinks, clothes and blankets to the homeless and needy of Canberra. On an average Friday night the soup kitchen provided several hundreds of loaves of bread and a similar quantity of soup to over 300 people in need. Dabrowski was particularly concerned with the welfare of young people and the lack of love and security many experience, but did not discriminate as to who she provided assistance to.\nFor nine years she raised the funds herself to purchase ingredients for the soup. In later years she received some Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government funding and some businesses provided surplus food. The ACT Government 2000 Budget document, Canberra: building social capital, described Dabrowski as 'one particularly strong example' of 'many quiet achievers \u2026 volunteering their time and often their money to feed people who are homeless, unemployed or have drug problems'.\nIn 1996 Dabrowski was the Canberra Citizen of the Year and featured on the ABC's Australian Story. In 1999 she was honoured with the inaugural ACT Senior Australian of the Year, receiving the award for her twenty-year dedication to the homeless and needy on Canberra's streets. She was the 2017 ACT Local Hero of the Year, the same year that her likeness was captured in an artwork by Jenny Blake.\nStasia Dabrowski passed away in Canberra in August 2020. Her grandson is intent on keeping his grandmother's legacy alive, having taken over her soup kitchen in recent times. 'No matter what', he says, 'I want to continue on the legacy.'\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-building-social-capital-australian-capital-territory-budget-2000\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Warren, Joyce Dorothy (Joy)", "Entry ID": "AWE0771", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/warren-joyce-dorothy-joy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Actor, Company director, Patron, Public relations professional", "Summary": "Joy Warren was a tireless fundraiser and patron of the arts in Canberra. She was the owner-director of Solander Gallery since 1974 and ran a public relations business geared towards the arts.\nShe had been an arts journalist and spent fifteen years with Canberra Repertory Society.\nOn 26 January 2001 Joy Warren was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the arts, particularly in the Australian Capital Territory.\n", "Details": "As a child Joy Warren sang, danced and performed on radio. She was educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, and went on to perform with the National Theatre in Melbourne.\nShe and her husband arrived in Canberra in 1955 and in her own words 'entered Canberra's cultural life two days after I arrived', by being cast in a play. She then spent fifteen years as a leading lady with Canberra Repertory Society and played a public-service wife in a film aimed at encouraging cadet diplomats with the Department of Foreign Affairs to move to Canberra and new overseas posts.\nWarren undertook courses in art at the Australian National University and interviewed artists for the Canberra-based Courier newspaper and the Canberra Times. She trained as a journalist and worked as a B-grade journalist with John Fairfax Pty Ltd from 1959 to 1962. She is the author of several articles in art magazines.\nIn 1963 Warren opened a public relations business, Joy Warren Promotions, oriented towards art and theatre, but her husband's consulting work with the United Nations took them overseas to live in the 1960s. In Irian Jaya she organised concerts and collected Asmat artefacts, and in Jordan she taught yoga to harem wives. She was a United Nations secretary in Indonesia from 1969 to 1971 and founded a newsletter, Projectile.\nOn returning to Canberra in the early 1970s she found artists seeking her help for exhibitions and so revived her public affairs business. At that time there was only one gallery in Canberra and she found enormous demand from artists all over the country wanting to show in Canberra. Organising shows and doing public relations for artists led her to open the Solander Gallery in 1974 in Yarralumla. The gallery has also brought exhibitions of Aboriginal, Papua New Guinean, Indonesian, African, Eskimo, Turkish, Mexican Peruvian, Indian and Japanese artists' work to Canberra.\nWarren was president of the Arts Ball Committee from 1961 to 1970, organising around nine balls to make money just for artists, was a board member of the Canberra Festival in 1975, and was appointed to the Board of Governors of Australia 77 in 1975. She was also a Commonwealth Valuer under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme. She was an Opera Board member in 1984 and vice-president of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association from 1983 to 1984. She is a life member of the National Press Club, a life associate of the Canberra Yacht Club and a member of Canberra Bridge Club.\nWarren's tireless fundraising and patronage for the arts saw her awarded a CAPO prize in 2002 for services to the arts community of Canberra.\nWarren and her husband have two sons.\n", "Events": "Board member for the Canberra Festival (1977 - 1977) \nMember of the Opera Board (1984 - 1984) \nPresident of the Arts Ball Committee, Australian Capital Territory (ACT) (1961 - 1970) \nVice-president of the Australian Commercial Galleries Association (1983 - 1984)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-in-canberra-1991\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Dalgarno, Ann Patricia", "Entry ID": "AWE0773", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dalgarno-ann-patricia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Wrentham, Suffolk, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community advocate, Nurse, Politician", "Summary": "Ann Dalgarno was the only female member of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Advisory Council, serving from 1959 to 1967 as a Liberal Member and from 1970 to 1974 as an Independent. She also ran the Nursing Service Agency.\nShe was a major advocate for Canberra's women, youth, the physically handicapped, and the disadvantaged. She was an active member or leader of around twenty-two community organisations.\n", "Details": "During her thirty-two years in Canberra Ann Dalgarno was a major advocate for women, youth, the physically handicapped, the disadvantaged and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in general.\nDalgarno moved to Canberra in 1948 with her husband Kenneth. A triple-certificated nurse, from 1954 she administered the Nursing Service Agency twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week from her Red Hill home. The service placed nurses in homes of private patients.\nLoneliness upon moving to Canberra led her to attend a meeting of a women's branch of the Liberal Party which launched her interest in politics. She was the successful Liberal Party candidate for the Canberra Community Hospital Board, a position she held from 1955 to 1959, and she became the only female member of the ACT Advisory Council, from 1959 to 1967 as a Liberal Member and from 1970 to 1974 as an Independent.\nBy 1965 Dalgarno was a Justice of the Peace, president of the Red Hill-Griffith-Narrabundah-Kingston-Manuka Progress Association, president of the ACT Branch of the Royal Australian Nursing Federation, convenor of the South Canberra women's debating team, and a member of the Australian Local Government Women's Association.\nThis dedication to community saw the Canberra Times describe her as 'the most active woman in public life in Canberra', and in 1966 Dalgarno stated 'I'm a member of 22 different organisations in Canberra, and not just in name either; I work for all of them'.\nShe became president of the Wives and Widows of Public Servants and Servicemen's Association and a member of Zonta. She also became a life member of the Canberra Debating Union as well as its vice-president.\nIn 1965 Dalgarno received a letter from Prince Philip, after she publicly responded to his description of Canberra as 'a city without a soul'.\nAs an Independent, Ann Dalgarno ran her 1970 political campaign on a platform of community facilities for teenagers, welfare and accommodation for the elderly, transport and a teacher training college for the ACT, and strong action against communism. Some of these included ideas she brought back from her overseas visits, such a monorail system on Northbourne Avenue. She also proposed legislation to redress exorbitant or unfair rent or service charges.\nHer commitment to these issues led her to become the first chairman of the Emergency Housing Committee, formed in 1973 and to convene the Foundation for Youth in the early 1970s.\nShe lectured first-year Australian National University students on 'Sex and responsibility' in 1969, and in 1972 was the author of the self-published children's book The bored duck.\nNearing her retirement from ACT Advisory Council Dalgarno took a stand about the under-representation of women in politics and declared in 1972 that there were no women in the House of Representatives and that it was time this changed. She was concerned at the reluctance of women to take an active political role and advocated the establishment of a League of Women Voters in the ACT.\nDespite her commitment to Canberra she wrote a submission to the 1974 Inquiry into Self-Government for the ACT. stating there had been 'NO community demand for a form of local government \u2026' and there was 'NO evidence that residents \u2026 would be any better of under local government'.\nIn 1977 she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for valuable community service, and was awarded a Silver Jubilee Medal.\nDalgarno and her husband had two children.\n", "Events": "Independent member of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Advisory Council (1970 - 1974) \nLiberal member of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Advisory Council (1959 - 1967) \nLiberal member of the Canberra Community Hospital Board (1955 - 1959)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dalgarno-anne-patricia-1919-1980\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ann-p-dalgarno-1955-1980-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Barwick, Diane Elizabeth", "Entry ID": "AWE1099", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barwick-diane-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Anthropologist, Author", "Summary": "Diane E. Barwick was born in Canada in 1938. She arrived in Australia in 1960, and received her doctoral degree from the Australian National University, Canberra. Her work on the history of Aboriginal communities in Victoria (particularly Coranderrk, Framlingham and Lake Tyers) resulted in a number of publications, including her book Rebellion at Coranderrk, published posthumously in 1998. She contributed many articles, book chapters, pamphlets, manuscripts and photographs to Aboriginal scholarship, and was the co-founder of the journal Aboriginal History, which she also edited from 1978 to 1982. She was also actively involved in a number of Aboriginal issues, and was on the Aboriginal Treaty Committee.\nThroughout her career, she worked to make history more accessible to Aboriginal people through genealogies and biographies. In 1984 she published a journal article, \"Mapping the Past: An Atlas of Victorian Clans, 1835-1904\", which was a major reference for the compilation of a large Aboriginal biographical index at the AIATSIS. Her work was stopped short by her death in 1986.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mapping-the-past-an-atlas-of-victorian-clans-1835-1904-part-1\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopaedia-of-aboriginal-australia-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-history-society-and-culture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rebellion-at-coranderrk\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/an-unfashionable-concern-with-the-past-the-historical-anthropology-of-diane-barwick\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/diane-barwick-the-influential-outsider\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/diane-elizabeth-barwick-1938-1986-a-bibliography\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aborigines-of-victoria\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aboriginal-women-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/and-the-lubras-are-ladies-now\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/outsiders-aboriginal-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barwick-diane-dr-general-correspondence\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aborigines-advancement-league-of-victoria-group-portraits-from-the-conscience-calling-ball-1961\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-1772-2006-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-cato-manuscript-collection-1967-1992\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Davidson, Gay", "Entry ID": "AWE1115", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/davidson-gay\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Christchurch, New Zealand", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Journalist, Print journalist, Radio Journalist, Television Journalist", "Summary": "Gay Davidson was the first female political correspondent for a major newspaper in Australia, the first woman President of the Australian Commonwealth Parliamentary Press Gallery, and a great mentor and friend to a vast array of journalists, not least women taking advantage of the openings to them in that profession during the 1970s and 80s.\n", "Details": "Miringa Gay Davidson was one of two children of Geoff Yandle and his wife, migrants to New Zealand respectively from England and Ireland, born when the family had a small dairy farm on the outskirts of Christchurch. She was educated at the (Anglican) Convent of the Sacred Name School, Christchurch Girls High School (1951-56) and at Canterbury University 1957-58 (degree not completed). She completed a journalism cadetship at The Christchurch Press.\nFollowing a career in print, radio and television journalism in New Zealand she and her first husband, journalist Naylor Hillary, moved to Australia in 1967 when he was offered a PhD scholarship to study political science at the Australian National University in Canberra. Gay obtained work with the Canberra Times through her contacts with former New Zealand journalism colleague Bob Ferris (then Chief Sub Editor of the Canberra Times). Initially Gay and Hillary lived with Bob and his (then) journalist wife Jeannie Ferris. Gay pioneered the \"Gang Gang\" page 3 column in the Canberra Times, did civic rounds, covered education and health, was public administration writer, then political correspondent, ending as leader writer and senior columnist, before leaving the paper and working for public relations firm Hill and Knowlton. As Canberra Times political correspondent and head of bureau in the Parliamentary Press Gallery, she became both the first woman in such a role with a major Australian newspaper, and was elected President of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, again the first woman in such a position.\nAlong the way, she liberated the lavatories in the Parliament. One objection raised to her being appointed political correspondent had been the absence of a ladies' lavatory within easy distance of the Canberra Times office in the Gallery. (At this time there were no ladies' lavatories in the Senate for female Senators either and precious few for women Members of the House of Representatives). Gay assisted a woman teleprinter operator in the nearby offices of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (who had broken her leg) to use the men's lavatory near by, standing guard. In due course the Parliament's Sergeant-at-arms was informed, and the lavatory was re-designated and appointed as a uni-sex facility-designated 'toilet'.\nShe was a strong proponent of the establishment of a premise for the National Press Club. When the new building's finances began to founder, she took over as President of the Club and, working closely with a new manager, Mrs. Marjorie Turbayne, she helped to put the Club on a firmer financial footing. She remained a member of the Board in various positions for many years.\nAs political correspondent she covered the 1974 Federal Election, and the dismissal of the Labor Government by the Governor-general in 1975. One enduring photo-image exists of her in the press on the steps of Parliament House as David Smith, then Secretary to the Governor General read out the Proclamation. Subsequently, she made her name writing about entrepreneurial corporate raiders in the business world from 1985.\nIn the community she sat on numerous Boards, including the (former) Canberra Hospital Board, the ACT Land and Planning Appeals Board, the Bruce Stadium Trust, and the Australian Institute of Health (now Health and Welfare). She held various offices with the (former) Australian Journalists Association. She was Deputy Chair of the Australian Institute of Political Science for some years, before being awarded Honorary Life Membership in 1999. During all this time she and second husband Ken Davidson (economics writer for The Melbourne Age) ran a virtual salon at their family home for journalists, politicians, their advisers, and senior public servants willing to risk dining in the presence of such company. She resigned (for the third and final time) from the Canberra Times in 1987.\nAfter the tragic death in 1984 of her second daughter, Kiri Davidson, at the age of 13 of sub-acute sclerosing panencephalitis she became a prominent public campaigner for immunization against measles, working with successive Commonwealth Health Ministers in promoting what became the national Bicentennial Measles Campaign.\nAfter Gay resigned from Hill and Knowlton in 1991, with a contract from the Commonwealth Department of Health to write and edit major papers, give political advice and run staff seminars on writing plain English, she worked free-lance and joined Alan Thornhill in their private company By-Line Products, again in the Gallery. She continued with some consultancy work, including speech writing, for Commonwealth Health Ministers until her deteriorating health precluded this.\n", "Events": "Career in journalism active (1967 - 1987)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/breaking-through-women-work-and-careers\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-womens-pages-australian-women-and-journalism-since-1850-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Tippett, Veronica", "Entry ID": "AWE1201", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tippett-veronica\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Tennant Creek, Northern Teritory, Australia", "Death Place": "HIggins, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Administrator, Public servant", "Summary": "Veronica Tippett was born in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. Aged four she moved to Darwin with her family, where she later attended St Mary's convent school and married. She worked as a maid at the government house until 1968, when she moved to Canberra. There she worked as a laboratory assistant in the nuclear physics department of the Australian National University and spent several years with the Australian Electoral Commission.\nShortly after the formation of the Aboriginal Development Commission in 1980, Tippett became its trainee and later the head of its secretariat. In 1985 she was transferred to the Public Service Board, where she helped develop the Commonwealth Public Service's equal employment opportunity policy relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 1987 she became a Cultural Relations Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, promoting Australia's indigenous cultures in overseas forums and at international conferences in Canada, the United States and Switzerland.\nAt the time of her death, Veronica was undertaking a training course in anticipation of embarking on a diplomatic career and was studying cultural heritage management at the University of Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aboriginal-culture-and-achievement\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-aboriginal-people-of-australia-their-art-and-culture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dreamtime-stories-the-living-testimony-of-aboriginal-art\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopaedia-of-aboriginal-australia-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-history-society-and-culture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Eatock, Pat", "Entry ID": "AWE1227", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eatock-pat\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Aboriginal rights activist, Academic, Filmmaker, Public servant, Women's rights activist", "Summary": "In 1972 Pat Eatock became the first Aboriginal to stand for Federal Parliament in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). She participated in the Aboriginal Embassy and Women's Liberation in 1972. In 1973 she became the first non-matriculated mature aged student at the Australian National University(ANU), graduating as a Bachelor of Arts in 1977. In 1975 she attended the 1975 Women in Politics Conference and the International Women's Year World Conference in Mexico City. She has worked as a public servant, university lecturer, and established and managed the Perleeka Aboriginal Television, producing films for community television and training Aboriginal film makers from 1992-96. Pat Eatock passed away on 17 March, 2015 after a long period of ill health.\n", "Details": "Pat Eatock was born at Redcliffe, Queensland on 14 December 1937. Her mother, Elizabeth Stephenson Anderson, was a Scottish immigrant, and her father, Roderick Eatock was of Aboriginal and English descent.\nShe had a disrupted education due to her father's mental illness and she left school at 14 to work in various factories. At 18 she moved to Sydney and married a cousin, Ron Eatock. They lived in Green Valley and by the time she was 26 she had had two miscarriages and five children, one of which was profoundly disabled.\nShe began to publicly identify as an Aboriginal in 1957 when she attended a meeting of the Union of Australian Women at which Faith Bandler spoke, but her political activities were limited by her family commitments until 1972, when she attended a FCAATSI land rights conference in Alice Springs with her sixth child.\nIn 1972 she left her husband and, with her baby, joined the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra and participated in the protests against its removal. She lived initially in the Canberra headquarters of the Women's Liberation movement. She became the first Aboriginal candidate to stand for Federal parliament in the ACT when she campaigned, unsuccessfully, as an independent in the 1972 elections. Her platform, endorsed by the newly-formed Women's Electoral Lobby, focussed on Aboriginal, women's and children's issues.\nIn 1973 she enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts degree, becoming the first non-matriculated mature age student at the Australian National University. Majoring in Philosophy and History, she graduated in 1977. In 1975 she was sponsored by the government to attend the Alternative Tribune to the International Women's Year World Conference in Mexico City, and also attend the Women in Politics Conference in Canberra that year.\nHer public service career included working as a Project Officer in the Department of Social Security's Aboriginal Unit (1978-81), and in the EEO unit of the NSW Department of TAFE (1987-89). In 1991-92 she lectured in community development at Curtin University, Western Australia. In December 1992 she established Perleeka Aboriginal Television, which she managed until its demise in 1996. Through it she trained Aboriginal film-makers, produced films for community television, and unsuccessfully attempted to open an Aboriginal TV channel. She taught Aboriginal Studies at James Cook University in 1997, and in 1999 undertook a one-year preliminary course with the intention of beginning a Masters degree in history at the University of Queensland.\nIn 2011 Pat Eatock came to public attention when she brought a case of racial discrimination against Andrew Bolt, journalist with the Herald and Weekly Times newspaper, the Herald Sun. The case was heard in the Federal Court of Australia. Bolt wrote a number of articles implying that people of fair skin who identified as Aboriginal did so for social and political advantage. Pat Eatock's case was upheld and the court directed the newspaper organisation to print a corrective notice.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aunty-pat-eatock-passes-away-quietly-after-a-lifetime-of-glorious-noise-making\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/theres-a-snake-in-my-caravan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-small-but-stinging-twig-reflections-of-a-black-campaigner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/black-demo\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-history-of-section-18c-and-the-racial-discrimination-act\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/federal-court-of-australia-eatock-v-bolt-no-2-2011-fca-1180\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/law\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pat-eatock-interviewed-by-ann-mari-jordens-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-pat-eatock-for-the-interchange-programme-december-21-1977-a-2xx-radio-station-broadcast-sound-recording-interviewer-biff-ward\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Jayawardena, Yvonne", "Entry ID": "AWE1277", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jayawardena-yvonne\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Luxembourg", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Health researcher, Local government councillor, Nurse, Political candidate", "Summary": "An activist for health, equality and the Australian Democrats. Candidate for Vaucluse in 1991, for the House of Representatives, Wentworth in 1984 and 1987, and Councillor for Waverley Municipal Council from 1987 to 1991.\n", "Details": "At the time of her State campaign (1991) Yvonne Jayawardena was a widow, with one son, and was working as a researcher in health services at the University of NSW. She had previously had a career in nursing care and health administration, and had been awarded the Queen's silver medal for nursing. She was particularly opposed to discrimination on the grounds of race, sex or religion, and was in favour of increased participation by citizens in the decisions that affected their lives. She was a keen environmentalist. While a councillor , she served on the NSW executive of Australian Local Government Women's Association. She continued to take an interest in public affairs in later life and made submissions to Senate committees of enquiry.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/putting-skirts-on-the-sacred-benches-women-candidates-for-the-new-south-wales-parliament-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-in-australian-parliament-and-local-government-an-updated-history-1975-1992\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Brown, Olive", "Entry ID": "AWE2097", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/brown-olive\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Grafton, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Health worker", "Summary": "A founder of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, Olive Brown was central in the fight to improve Aboriginal health services generally in the Canberra region.\n", "Details": "An inspirational figure and tireless promoter of community services, Olive Brown was a central combatant in the fight to improve Aboriginal health services in the Canberra region.\nWhile most widely recognised in Canberra as the founder of the Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, Olive Brown had a varied, rich life before arriving in the capital in 1987. After training as a teacher's aid at Sydney University, Brown worked for the Rural Bank. Utilising her natural beauty and iconic Australian looks, Brown also modelled for the Australian Wool Board and David Jones in the 1960s. She starred as part of a 'bunch of Australian beauties - blondes and brunettes, out-doorsy or sophisticated, of European or indigenous stock' in a 1969 feature called 'Beautiful Australians' in Vogue magazine.\nWinnunga Nimmityjah, which means strong health in the Wiradjuri language, was established in 1988 by a group of local Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Owners of the lands that form the ACT. Inspired by the influx of people from across the nation around the time of the opening of the new Parliament House in May 1988 and the Queen's visit, Olive Brown recognised the need to set up a temporary medical service at the Tent Embassy site and enlisted the support of Dr Sally Creasey, Carolyn Patterson (registered nurse\/midwife), Margaret McCleod and other volunteers to assist. Thus Winnunga was created.\nFrom this transient beginning, formed by the movement of people, Winnunga became a permanent entity, taking up residence in the back rooms of Shortcuts, a youth support centre in the city. From 1989 to 1990, Winnunga ran a clinic twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday mornings) and on Saturday mornings. The current Winnunga Medical Director, Peter Sharp, began work at Winnunga in 1989. Other staff worked as volunteers. The then ACT Minister for Health, Wayne Berry, was shocked by its accommodation in a visit to the service in 1989. In 1990 he was able to provide a small amount of funding.\nBy January 1990 the service began full-time operations. In 1991 the clinic was operating out of the Griffin Centre, from 1998-2004 in Ainslie and is today located in Boolimba Crescent, Narrabundah. While the centre has struggled to gain adequate funding and resources, and to keep up with an increasing demand for its services, it has persevered despite the challenges.\nOlive Brown's vision of a community empowered to know and own information about itself, therefore enabling self-determined planning and decision making is central to Winnunga's fabric and drive. In Chief Investigator Michele Moloney's dedication to \"'Bumpa Shooters' A study of the smoking habits among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the ACT region\", she noted Brown's conviction that health care needed to be reintroduced as a process in Aboriginal people's lifestyles: 'That not only do we need to have access to Aboriginal services, but we also need to be at the forefront of identifying the issues and developing the processes which will ensure wellness and holistic health.' It was this fundamental component which she saw as Aboriginal people's right to self-reliance and self determination at community, family and individual levels.\nOlive Brown's frenetic activity as adviser, helper and friend drove her to help set up the Aboriginal Children's Service, the Murralingabung Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Drug and Alcohol Organisation, and be active as a member of the executive of the Diocesan Pastoral Council of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn for two years, and a member of the Council for four.\nHer active commitment to the ACT Aboriginal community and beyond continued until the end of her life. As her sister Kaye Mundine noted in her obituary, it said a lot about the pace and nature at which Olive Brown lived her life that it ended while meeting with friends early on a Sunday morning, 31 January 1993.\nThis entry was prepared in 2006 by Roslyn Russell and Barbara Lemon, Museum Services, and funded by the ACT Heritage Unit.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/winnunga-nimmityjah-aboriginal-health-service\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Eldridge, Marian Favel Clair", "Entry ID": "AWE2112", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eldridge-marian-favel-clair\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Author, Poet", "Summary": "Marian Eldridge was an acclaimed short-story writer, novelist and poet, and was instrumental in establishing the ACT Writers Centre. Her legacy is the Marian Eldridge Award to nurture promising women writers.\n(This entry is sponsored by generous donation from Christine Foley.)\n", "Details": "Marian Eldridge grew up on her parents' property, 'The Gap', near Lancefield in Victoria. She graduated Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne in 1957. She married Ken Eldridge in 1958 and lived at Traralgon, Victoria until 1966 and in Canberra from 1966 to 1997. The couple had four children.\nEldridge worked as a high school teacher of English and History in Traralgon, Victoria and in the ACT, and as a literature tutor at the Centre for Continuing Education, Australian National University.\nShe became a prolific short story writer, and collections of her work were published in Walking the Dog (1984), The Woman at the Window (1989) which earned high praise from the New York Times Book Review in 1990, and The Wild Sweet Flowers: The Alvie Skerritt Stories (1994) which chronicled 'the life of a fairly typical Australian family'. Her work also appeared in a number of newspapers and academic journals and more than twenty short story collections.\nShe also published a novel, Springfield (1992), which used healing of the land as a metaphor for healing its characters, who were damaged by drug abuse and the Vietnam war. In 1996 she wrote twelve poems that were published in the Senate Hansard of 19 June 1997.\nEldridge was a book reviewer for the Canberra Times and the Australian Book Review, and became the first literature co-ordinator for the ACT Arts Council in 1986. She was writer-in-residence at Darwin High School in 1989, received an ACT Arts Bureau Literary Fellowship in 1992 and an Australia Council Literary Board Grant 1994.\nShe was a member of Seven Writers - a group of seven Canberra-based women writers whose work vividly portrayed life 'beneath the surface of Canberra' - and as part of this collective she contributed to Canberra Tales (1988), republished as The Division of Love in 1996, which was an anthology of short stories about life in Canberra. The work received an ACT Bicentennial Award.\nEldridge's other awards included: the Robin Hood Committee Annual Literature Competition (1972); the Canberra Times\/Commonwealth Bank national Short Story Award (1981); the Syme Community Newspapers Short Story Competition (1983) and International Year of the Family Award in the NSW State Literary Awards (1994).\nMarian Eldridge was instrumental in establishing the ACT Writers Centre and in the last few months of her life she expressed a desire to further nurture writers. Through a cash donation from her estate, the Marian Eldridge Award was established in 1998, under the auspices of the National Foundation for Australian Women, to encourage an aspiring woman writer to undertake a literary activity such as a short course of study, or to complete a project, or attend a writers' week or a conference. Six awards have been given to date.\nEldridge Crescent is named after her in the Canberra suburb of Garran where she lived and wrote for 30 years.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-division-of-love-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/springfield\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collection-of-marian-eldridge-photographs\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-seven-writers-group-between-1986-and-approximately-2000\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marian-eldridge-1942-1997-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/marian-eldridge-interviewed-by-heather-rusden-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Halligan, Marion Mildred", "Entry ID": "AWE2113", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/halligan-marion-mildred\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Author", "Summary": "Marion Halligan was an acclaimed author of novels, short stories, reviews, essays and gastronomic writing.\n(This entry is sponsored by generous donation from Christine Foley.)\n", "Details": "Marion Halligan was born and educated in Newcastle, New South Wales, and worked as a school teacher and freelance journalist before becoming a prolific writer in her forties. She moved to Canberra in the 1960s and her first published short story appeared in the Australian Women's Weekly in 1969. She married Graham Halligan and they had two children, Lucy and James.\nHer fiction books include: Self Possession (1987), The Living Hothouse (1988), The Hanged Man in the Garden (1989), Spider Cup (1990), Lovers' Knots: A Hundred-Year Novel (1992), The Worry Box (1993), Wishbone (1994), The Midwife's Daughters (1997), The Golden Dress (1998), The Fog Garden: A Novel (2001), The Point (2003), The Apricot Colonel (2006), Murder on the Apricot Coast (2008), Valley of Grace (2009), and Goodbye Sweetheart (2015).\nHalligan has published numerous short stories, including those in her Collected Stories (1997) and Shooting the Fox (2011), in Best Australian Stories 2003, and those in Out of the Picture (1995), commissioned by the National Library of Australia and structured around works in the library's Pictorial Collection. Her food and travel writing includes Eat My Words (1990), Cockles of the Heart (1996) and Taste of Memory (2004). She co-authored Those Women Who Go to Hotels with Lucy Frost in 1997.\nHer work is inspired by personal experiences and the places in which she has lived. Her novel The Fog Garden draws on the experience of losing her husband to cancer and Words for Lucy (2022) is about her daughter's death in 2004.\nShe contributed writing on life in the 1970s for a Canberra Museum and Gallery exhibition, and also developed a play, Elastics (performed in 1987). She has curated a permanent exhibition for Newcastle Regional Museum, How shall we live?, and has written a series of restaurant performances entitled Gastronomica for the Melbourne Festival.\nShe was a member of Seven Writers - a group of seven Canberra-based writers whose work vividly portrayed life 'beneath the surface of Canberra' - and as part of this collective she contributed to Canberra Tales (1988), later reissued as The Division of Love (1996), an anthology of short stories about life in Canberra. The work received an ACT Bicentennial Award.\nA chronology of Halligan's other awards includes:\nPatricia Hackett Prize (1985)\nH.M. Butterley-F. Earle Hooper Memorial Award (1986)\nABC Bicentennial Literary Awards (finalist 1988)\nSteele Rudd Award (1989)\nGeraldine Pascall Prize for Critical Writing (1990)\nNBC Banjo Award for Fiction (shortlisted 1990)\nPrize for Gastronomic Writing (1991)\nAge Book of the Year Award (1992) & Age Book of the Year Award, Imaginative Writing Prize (1992)\nACT Book of the Year Award (1993)\nNBC Banjo Award for Fiction (shortlisted 1993)\nNita Kibble Literary Award (1994, shortlisted 2002)\nNewcastle University Newton John Award, for creative and innovative work (1994)\nACT Book Reviewer of the Year (1997 joint with Sara Dowse)\nAge Book of the Year Award, Fiction Prize (shortlisted 1998)\nMiles Franklin Award (shortlisted 1999)\nThe IMPAC Dublin Award (shortlisted 1999)\nQueensland Premier's Literary Award (shortlisted 2002)\nCommonwealth Writers Prize, Best Book Sth East Asia and South Pacific (shortlisted 2004)\nACT Book of the Year Award (2004) for The Point\nACT Book of the Year Award (2010) for Valley of Grace\nACT Book of the Year (shortlisted 2023) for Words for Lucy\nHalligan was Writer-in-Residence at Charles Sturt University in 1990 and a prolific writer of literature reviews and essays published in numerous major Australian newspapers and journals. She was chairperson of the Literature Board of the Australia Council (1992-1995) and has been chairperson of the Australian Word Festival.\nIn June 2006, Halligan was awarded with an AM - General Division, 'for service to literature as an author, to the promotion of Australian writers and to support for literary events and professional organisations.' The ACT Writers Centre was renamed Marion in 2022 in joint honour of Halligan and Marion Mahony Griffin.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-fog-garden-a-novel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-division-of-love-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-apricot-colonel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cockles-of-the-heart\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collected-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eat-my-words\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-golden-dress\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-hanged-man-in-the-garden\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-living-hothouse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lovers-knots-a-hundred-year-novel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/out-of-the-picture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/self-possession\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/spidercup\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-taste-of-memory\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wishbone\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-worry-box\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marion-halligan-circa-1970-circa-2003-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/oral-history-interview-with-marion-halligan-1995\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-seven-writers-group-between-1986-and-approximately-2000\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-curtis-brown-australia-pty-ltd-1962-2002-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dale-spender-papers-1972-1995\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Horsfield, Dorothy", "Entry ID": "AWE2114", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/horsfield-dorothy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Author, Journalist, Poet", "Summary": "Dorothy Horsfield worked as a journalist in Australia and overseas. Her published novels include Dream Run (1992) and Venom (2006)\n(This entry was sponsored by a generous donation from Christine Foley.)\n", "Details": "Dorothy Horsfield studied English and Philosophy at the University of Sydney. She worked in Papua New Guinea as an information officer and as an anthropologist's research assistant in Zimbabwe. She also worked for the ABC in London, where she met well-known political journalist Paul Lyneham, whom she married. The couple had three children.\nHorsfield worked as a journalist with ABC radio and television, Channel 7, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, the National Times and the Canberra Times, as far afield as London, Berlin and Afghanistan. She ran a media company, and also worked as a novelist, reviewer, short story writer and poet. She was published in newspapers and literary magazines.\nHorsfield's published novels include Dream Run (1992) and Venom (2006) - a tale of politics set in Canberra and its surrounds. She also edited Paul Lyneham: A Memoir (2002).\nShe was a member of Seven Writers - a group of seven Canberra-based writers whose work vividly portrayed life 'beneath the surface of Canberra' - and as part of this collective she contributed to Canberra Tales (1988), republished as The Division of Love in 1996, an anthology of short stories about life in Canberra. The work received an ACT Bicentennial Award.\nAfter the death of her husband in 2000 from lung cancer, Horsfield fronted a national media campaign in 2002 to raise public awareness of the need for early diagnosis of lung disease. She published articles about her visit to Afghanistan through the Rotary Club of Canberra, and became an adviser to UNIFEM Australia (the United Nations Development Fund for Women) in 2003.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dream-run\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/venom\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-division-of-love-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-seven-writers-group-between-1986-and-approximately-2000\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dorothy-horsfield-1986-2003-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Gauci, Glenda Hiroko", "Entry ID": "AWE2179", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gauci-glenda-hiroko\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Ambassador", "Summary": "Glenda Hiroko Gauci was the first Asian Australian woman appointed as an ambassador in the Australian diplomatic service.\n", "Details": "Glenda Gauci (pronounced Gaw-see) and her brother Michael were born in Footscray, Melbourne. Their parents, John and Hiroko, met in Japan when John was posted there with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force after WWII. They married and settled in Australia in 1957.\nGlenda attended Templestowe High School before graduating in arts and law from the University of Melbourne. Drawn by adventure and the opportunity to use her education, she had dreamt of being a foreign correspondent before deciding, at fifteen, that she would be a diplomat. She won prizes in politics, international relations and public administration and was the University's inaugural exchange student with Tokyo's Keio University. Later, she completed a Masters degree in international law at the Australian National University before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1984.\nGauci's first posting was to Tokyo, where she moved with her husband, David Love. It was here that she gave birth to her two children, Dominic and Imogen.\nIn 1994, she was seconded to the Canberra office of the then foreign minister, Senator Gareth Evans, as an adviser on northern Asia, before becoming trade counsellor in Tokyo in 1995. She worked with Alexander Downer when he attended a World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting, and the following year she was involved with the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. In 1998 she returned to Australia as an assistant secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, heading the South-East and, later, North-East Asia branches.\nIn mid-2000 Gauci was named ambassador to Cambodia, one of only 12 women to have achieved that level of seniority in Australia's diplomatic service at the time.\nA year later, she accepted the ambassadorial-level role of political counsellor at the Washington embassy. Following the events of September 11, she went to Guantanamo Bay, accompanied Prime Minister John Howard, and to George Bush's ranch in Texas.\nIn 2004, Glenda Gauci was diagnosed with lung cancer, though she had never been a smoker. Later that year a surgical biopsy confirmed she had mesothelioma, for which there is no cure. The cancer is caused by asbestos fibres, and develops between 20 and 50 years after exposure. Gauci's father was a waterside worker who regularly handled asbestos material without being warned of its dangers, and could easily have carried the fibres home on his clothing. She is likely to have inhaled the fibres as a child.\nGlenda Gauci retired in 2006 and passed away the same year, aged just 47 years.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australias-role-for-peace-and-security-in-northeast-asia-north-koreas-missiles-nukes-and-wmd\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/diplomatic-appointment-ambassador-to-cambodia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Green, Dorothy", "Entry ID": "AWE2520", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/green-dorothy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sunderland, Durham, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Academic, Commonwealth or Empire Games Gold Medalist, Literary critic, Poet, Political activist, Swimmer", "Summary": "In the 1950s Dorothy Green wrote to a friend, 'I am now rising forty two and looking back on my life, I find have spent the greater proportion of it doing things I didn't want to do at all.' Nearly thirty years later she felt 'nothing has changed'. Yet during the course of her long life, Dorothy Green produced poetry, literary criticism and journalism and taught and shaped the lives of many students. With a Bachelor of Arts in English, French and Philosophy and an Master of Arts with Honours in English, she worked as a journalist in New South Wales and Queensland, was the principal of a girls' private school, before moving in to tertiary education, holding positions at Monash University in Melbourne and the Australian National University and Australian Defence Forces Academy in Canberra. Married to Henry Green, journalist, librarian and literary historian, with whom she had two children, she was also politically active, especially later in her life, when she was a founding member of Writers Against Nuclear Arms and an ardent environmentalist. She wrote a study of the work of Henry Handel Richardson as well as updating her husband's History of Australian Literature and publishing several books of poetry and numerous works of literary criticism.\n", "Details": "Literature is 'the great conversation of mankind', said Dorothy Green in an interview towards the end of her life. A small woman, immaculately dressed, Green presented an indomitable face to the world. Terminally ill with cancer, she began the interview with a quiet but forceful remark suggesting that the Australia Council should have commissioned the interview earlier, when she had been well. It is a stilted interview and Green comes across as serious and contemplative, happy to allow silences to extend rather than filling them up with chatter. She does not make jokes; instead the occasional acerbic remark pointing to what she perceives as one of life's idiocies.\nDorothy Auchterlonie was born and spent the early years of her life in Sunderland, to which place she ascribed 'the origins of British culture'. Her mother was born in Rockhampton in Queensland but had migrated back to family in the north of England after the early death of her own mother. Dorothy enjoyed what she called an 'uninhibited' childhood, with the freedom to explore her environment while her mother was 'careful to provide books' and sent her to a good school. Her father died of Spanish flu when she was five and after her mother's remarriage they emigrated to Australia in 1928. 'I thought we had come to hell', she said of Far North Queensland , which was at the end of a three-year drought, and as always with an ear for the literary turn of phrase, she explained that it was 'so different from the green and pleasant land' she had left.\nThe family quickly moved south to Sydney, where Dorothy attended North Sydney Girls School and had 'a splendid time' with 'highly dedicated staff', who issued ' a silent appeal to girls to achieve excellence in as many fields as possible'. With the encouragement and assistance of the principal of the small girls' private school at which she was teaching, she managed to get an assisted place at Sydney University, where she studied English, French and Philosophy during the evenings. Decades later she remembered it as an exhilarating experience, which 'set [her] mind free', lecturers such as John Anderson encouraging her to consider ideas 'she had never considered before'. She said that she never departed from his rule of 'free, open, disinterested discussion'.\nDorothy published poetry in the Sydney Morning Herald and was co-editor of the journal Hermes with R W Rutledge in 1938. She told the interviewer in 1990 that she suspected that she had been appointed to rein in Robert Rutledge and encourage a more literary bent to the journal, but instead she revelled in the 'revolutionary discussion of issues' that they published. In 1940 she was one of the first four authors published by Bessie Mitchell with her fledgling Viking Press. Kaleidoscope was a poem about Sydney, in which she described the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a 'steel excrescence' and used a children's nursery rhyme to make her point:\nTwinkle, twinkle little stars\nOn a million motor-cars,\nAlong the Harbour bridge so high,\nLike a coat-hanger in the sky.\nNevertheless she told the interviewer that she was 'a very invisible poet', and was 'not very fond' of talking about her writing process, save that it 'comes out of my fingers'.\nWorking for the Daily Telegraph newspaper during the early years of World War Two, she appreciated the fact that while the men were fighting women were 'thrown into the water' - there was 'no graduating through the social columns'. Nevertheless she did not enjoy having to cold-call the families of war casualties and resigned from the paper in 1941. 'I'm a great resigner', she said. She worked for the ABC, proud to have been the first woman journalist appointed to handle the news, sent to Brisbane in 1942 to start the first independent news service there, 'much earlier than the history books tell it'.\nShe married Henry M Green, thirty-five years her senior, in 1944. Henry Green was librarian at the Fisher Library at the University of Sydney and controversially divorced his wife to marry her. She described him as a 'remarkable man, very handsome, [with] a sharp and lively mind'. Her friends were concerned about the marriage but they were 'intellectually extremely compatible', she remembered. They had two children, seven years apart, and she went to work for the ABC when they were old enough to leave in her husband's care. Henry Green worked from home, in a freezing little shed, his feet in a sleeping bag and wearing mittens while he typed to keep warm. His wife commented drily in 1990 that 'all this feather bedding of modern academics amuses me'. When she was unable to leave home to work, Dorothy Green was a freelance journalist, writing for the Australian Women's Weekly. The family lived for ten years in the Blue Mountains before Dorothy Green took a job teaching at Presbyterian Girls' College in Warwick, Queensland in 1955. It was a 'dull area' but the school was not dull. Green and fellow teacher Betty Crombie became co-principals until 1960, when the 'great resigner' resigned yet again, finding the job exhausting.\nDorothy Green finally broke into academia, moving to Melbourne to take up a position lecturing English at the new Monash University. She also found herself a widow with a seventeen-year-old daughter and ten-year-old son to support. In 1964 she moved to the Australian National University in Canberra as a lecturer in her friend A D Hope's English Department. During her years there she championed Australian literature becoming increasingly disillusioned with what she saw as the disregard with which it was viewed amongst her colleagues. Resigning in 1972 she received a Literary Board Grant to write her book about Henry Handel Richardson.\nGreen confided that had 'never felt really at home in Australian society', something she felt she shared with Henry Handel Richardson and Patrick White. She felt an affinity with Richardson in particular, noting that Richardson's work had been underrated by male critics because she wrote in domestic terms. Green's contribution was to 'see the great things she says through the veil of the domestic environment'. According to Green, White and Richardson articulated a universal problem: the contradiction between the 'nostalgia of permanence' and the desire for change. She commented in 1990 that 'we seem to worship novelty for novelty's sake'. This was 'not a healthy sign'.\nIn 1976 Green joined the staff at the Royal Military College at Duntroon (now the Australian Defence Forces Academy, University of New South Wales). She thoroughly enjoyed her time here, particularly as she found herself among colleagues who were also interested in Australian literature and 'very enjoyable' students.\nIn her later years Green was known for her political activism, particularly in the anti-nuclear movement. By 1990 she was also highlighting environmental causes, bemoaning the fact that people appeared to be 'deaf to the sounds of the natural world', preferring rock music to ' the songs of the bird, the sigh of the wind, the lap of the water'. She exhorted people to widen their horizons to encompass an awareness of the world around them. She was a founding member of Writers for an Ecologically Sustainable Population in 1989 and cofounded Writers Against Nuclear Arms with David Headon in 1986.\nShe was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 1984 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1998 for her services to literature, teaching and writing. She lived in Canberra from 1964 until her death in 1991. Not yet the subject of a major biography, her political activism has been discussed by Willa Macdonald in Warrior for Peace and, more recently, Susan Sheridan has included her in her study of postwar women writers, Nine Lives.\n", "Events": "Swimming - 440y Freestyle (1938 - 1938)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-dolphin\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-poetry-1968-selected-by-dorothy-auchterlonie\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/something-to-someone-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kaleidoscope\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/literary-sydney-a-walking-guide\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-poetry-of-dorothy-auchterlonie-green\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/introduction-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-music-of-love-critical-essays-on-literature-and-life\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ulysses-bound-a-study-of-henry-handel-richardson-and-her-fiction\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/imagining-the-real-australian-writing-in-the-nuclear-age\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/descent-of-spirit-writings-of-e-l-grant-watson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/writer-reader-critic\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fourteen-minutes-short-sketches-of-australian-poets-and-their-works-from-harpur-to-the-present-day\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-history-of-australian-literature-pure-and-applied-a-critical-review-of-all-forms-of-literature-produced-in-australia-from-the-first-fleet-until-1950\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/green-henry-mackenzie-1881-1962\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/warrior-for-peace-dorothy-auchterlonie-green\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nine-lives-postwar-women-writers-making-their-mark\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-writers-2-dorothy-green\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1944-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dorothy-green-manuscript-collection-1918-1990\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/literary-papers-1969-1981-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Romano, Bruna", "Entry ID": "AWE2717", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/romano-bruna\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Motticella, Reggio Calabria, Italy", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Barrister, Lawyer, Solicitor", "Summary": "Bruna Romano migrated to Australia from Italy with her family in 1956. In 1967 she was awarded a Council of Legal Education Certificate from the Legal Education Committee of Victoria and was admitted as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria in May 1968. In mid-1968 she became the first woman to establish a law practice in the ACT, and remained head of the firm Romano & Co. until 2003. She was active in a number of community organisations in Canberra until the 1990s and continued to practise as a family law consultant.\n", "Details": "The fifth of nine children of Giuseppina Raco and Bartolo Verduci, Bruna Romano migrated with her family to Melbourne at the age of 13 and completed the Higher School Certificate at McRobertson Girls High, Melbourne, in 1961. In 1967 she was awarded a Council of Legal Education Certificate from the Legal Education Committee of Victoria, and became a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria in May 1968. She married a Public Servant, Domenico Romano in December 1967 and became the first woman to establish a legal firm in the ACT in mid-1968 when she established the firm of Romano-Verduci, the ACT's first non Anglo-Celtic law firm in the Canberra region. Her husband completed a law degree at the Australian National University and joined the firm in the mid-1970s. Bruna remained head of the firm Romano and Co. until 2003. In 1986 she was appointed Honorary lawyer for the Embassy of Italy, and in 1999 graduated from the University of Adelaide and the Australian National University with an Advanced Certificate of Arbitration and Mediation. From 1968 until the 1990s she was an active member of a number of community organisations such as the Good Neighbour Council (1968-80), the Council of Social Security, the Italo-Australian Women's Committee, the Business and Professional Women's Club, the Law Society's Free Legal Service, the Women's Legal Service and she was a founding member of the organising committee of Villaggio Italiano (San Antonio Retirement Village), Page, ACT. She and Domenico have two children, one of whom is now a partner in the firm.\nBruna Romano died in December 2009, after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour about 14 months earlier.\nIn 2023 the ACT Government named a street after Bruna in Denman Prospect, a new suburb where the street names commemorate people associated with activism and reform.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-lawyers-as-active-citizens\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/domenico-romano-interviewed-by-ann-mari-jordens-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Blackman, Barbara", "Entry ID": "AWE3967", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/blackman-barbara\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Brisbane, Queensland, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Patron, Philanthropist, Writer", "Summary": "Barbara Blackman was an author, music-lover, essayist, librettist, letter writer and patron of the Arts. Former wife of Charles Blackman, she worked for many years as an artist's model. She conducted countless interviews for the National Library of Australia's oral history program. In 2006, Blackman was presented with the Australian Contemporary Music 2006 Award for Patronage.\n", "Details": "Barbara Blackman was born one of twin girls on 22 December 1928 - her sister, Coralie Hilda, lived just 16 days. Barbara's father, W.H. (Harry) Patterson, died when she was three years old, leaving her mother, Gertrude Olson Patterson, as sole parent. Mother and daughter lived together in a series of homes and boarding houses in Brisbane while Gertrude worked as an accountant.\nBarbara attended Brisbane State High School. She was introduced to the music of Shostakovich by fellow students Donald Munro, Roger Covell and Charles Osborne, and began a love affair with contemporary music that continues today. She frequently attended concerts with her mother and her friends. As a teenager, Barbara was the youngest member of the Barjai group of writers in Brisbane. Suffering from poor eyesight throughout her youth, she was diagnosed in 1950 with optic atrophy. Her vision declined rapidly until she became completely blind.\nBy 1952 Barbara was married to Charles Blackman, then an aspiring artist. The marriage was to last nearly thirty years. The two lived a meagre but happy existence in Melbourne, their income derived from Barbara's work as an artist's model and her blind pension, and Charles' work as a kitchen hand in the evenings. Much of this income went toward feeding 'the monster who lived with us' - Charles' studio. Charles and Barbara were to have three children: Auguste, Christabel and Barnaby. In 1960 Charles was awarded the prestigious Helen Rubinstein Travelling Scholarship and the family moved to London. The Blackmans lived in ten different homes over the course of their marriage.\nIn later life, Barbara married Frenchman Marcel Veldhoven. The pair spent twelve years together, living in Indooroopilly, before Veldhoven travelled to India to live and study Tibetan Buddhism. Though Barbara was raised in the Christian tradition, she broke away from the Church in her early twenties and today follows the teachings of Sufism.\nBarbara Blackman lived in Canberra. In 2004, she pledged $1 million to music in Australia: funds have since been distributed to Pro Musica, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian National University's School of Music and the Stopera Chamber Opera Company among other groups. Barbara had a long-held tradition of anonymous philanthropy supplementing her more public donations. She was the winner of the Australian Contemporary Music 2006 Award for Patronage, and Lead Donor in the Australian Chamber Orchestra's Capital Challenge.\nBarbara published an autobiographical work, Glass After Glass, in 1997. In 2007, the Miegunyah Press published over fifty years of letters between herself and Judith Wright in Portrait of a Friendship.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/portrait-of-a-friendship-the-letters-of-barbara-blackman-and-judith-wright\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barbara-and-charles-blackman-talk-about-food\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/glass-after-glass-autobiographical-reflections\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/certain-chairs\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/portraits-of-a-lady\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nigel-thomson-wins-1997-archibald-prize\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/in-her-gift-activism-and-altruism-in-australian-womens-philanthropy-1880-2005\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-great-form-of-love-women-philanthropists-in-australian-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/in-her-gift-women-philanthropists-in-australian-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pixie-oharris-papers-1913-1987\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-good-looker-barbara-blackman-interview-source-material\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1944-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-barbara-blackman-approximately-1950-1970\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-of-barbara-blackman-with-judith-wright-1950-1998-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barbara-blackman-interviewed-by-ros-bandt-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barbara-blackman-interviewed-by-ann-harrison-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barbara-blackman-interviewed-by-hazel-de-berg-in-the-hazel-de-berg-collection-1974-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/barbara-blackman-interviewed-by-suzanne-lunney-about-the-national-library-of-australia-exhibition-celebration-of-writing-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-barbara-blackman-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sybil-craig-interviewed-by-barbara-blackman-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Ferris, Jeannie Margaret", "Entry ID": "AWE4081", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ferris-jeannie-margaret\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Auckland, New Zealand", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Journalist, Parliamentarian, Political staffer", "Summary": "A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Jeannie Ferris was elected as a Senator for South Australia to the Senate of the Parliament of Australia in 1996. She died in office in Canberra from ovarian cancer in 2007. During her parliamentary career she was appointed Government Whip in 2002.\n", "Details": "Using her parliamentary position to increase awareness of ovarian cancer, in 2006 Ferris formed a parliamentary inquiry into gynaecological cancers with Senators Lyn Allison and Claire Moore. The outcome of this inquiry resulted in a unanimous report across party lines calling for increased research and awareness of the cancers. The Commonwealth Government later agreed to the report's recommendations.\nFerris succumbed to the disease in Canberra, on 2 April 2007. Following her death, a DVD produced by Kay Stammers with support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing was dedicated in her memory.\nOriginally from New Zealand, she settled in Canberra in 1967 where she worked on The Canberra Times. She moved to the ABC later, working in the parliamentary gallery. She worked for Liberal Party Senator Nick Minchin before entering the Australian Parliament.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/so-many-firsts-liberal-women-from-enid-lyons-to-the-turnbull-era\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-strong-voice-for-womens-health-jeannie-ferris-1941-2007-obituary\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-senator-jeannie-ferris\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Hobbs, Constance Ella", "Entry ID": "AWE4134", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hobbs-constance-ella\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Redfern, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Actor", "Summary": "The youngest of four children, Connie Hobbs was born in Sydney, educated at St Benedict's School, Broadway but destined for a life on the stage. She left school early, probably at age 11 to tour and train with J.C. Williamson's company. Her last role was at the age of 93 in the television medical drama All Saints. In between times, she packed a lot of acting, across a variety of media and forms. She entertained troops during World War II, played Dolly Levi in The Matchmaker, the stage play that became the musical Hello Dolly and appeared in numerous radio plays and television programs, including Bellbird, A Country Practice, Father Dear Father and Brides Of Christ. Perhaps one of her best known rolls was that of Madge Allsop, Dame Edna Everage's long-suffering bridesmaid in the film Les Patterson Saves The World.\nAccording to Tony Stephens, who wrote her obituary for the Sydney Morning Herald, 'Hobbs was diminutive, beautiful, rebellious and fiercely independent. She could not be persuaded to reveal her true age until she was 90.'\nHobbs is survived by her daughter, Marilyn, and three grandchildren, John, Alexander and Elizabeth.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Grassby, Ellnor Judith", "Entry ID": "AWE4360", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/grassby-ellnor-judith\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Griffith, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Australian Labor Party, Ellnor Grassby served in the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1995. She held the ministerial portfolio of Housing and Urban Services in 1989.\nIn 1962 Ellnor married Al Grassby who became Labor Member for Murrumbidgee in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1965, then Federal Labor Member for Riverina in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1974 and Minister for Immigration 1972 to 1974.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Bilney, Elizabeth", "Entry ID": "AWE4779", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bilney-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Yorketown, South Australia, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Feminist, Librarian", "Summary": "Elizabeth Bilney was a founding member of the Women's Electoral Lobby in the Australian Capital Territory during the mid-1970s and took a lead in the campaign for working mothers' access to childcare. She made a significant contribution to the acceptance of the right of children to good care and the responsibility of government to support this in Australia.\nElizabeth also edited and managed the publication of The Heritage of Australia (1981) for Macmillan of Australia in association with the Australian Heritage Commission; she established the journalHeritage Australia for the Australian Council of National Trusts, and was publishing co-ordinator for the National Gallery of Australia, and publications manager for the National Library of Australia.\n", "Details": "Elizabeth Joan Gunton was born in Yorketown, South Australia on 12 August 1943, the second of three daughters to schoolteachers James Donald Gunton and Jessie Helen McLellan. The family lived in Stansbury at the time of the birth and James Gunton's job as a rural school inspector prompted moves to Streaky Bay in 1945, Port Lincoln in 1948, Kadina in 1951 and Adelaide in 1953. The young Elizabeth Gunton and her sisters attended local primary schools. Her younger sister, Barbara, as a toddler learning speech, metamorphosed Elizabeth's four syllables into 'Bibi', a name used by some close friends and family for the rest of her life.\nElizabeth was selected to attend Adelaide Girls' High School (AGHS) and studied there from 1956-1960. Headmistress, Vera Macghey's, commitment to equal rights for women was a formative influence. From AGHS Elizabeth won a Commonwealth Scholarship to Adelaide University where she commenced a Bachelor of Science in 1961 but left early to take up a cadetship with the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science where she discovered she was allergic to chemicals.\nDuring her time at Adelaide University Elizabeth played a significant part in university revues with her creative design and sewing skills. Gordon Bilney, whom Elizabeth met at Adelaide University and later married, writes, \"In the university revues - she was a major contributor in the costume-making part of the productions, which was actually a big deal since original costumes were a big part of the shows. And very good she was too - a skill she carried on into our early marriage years.\"\nFrom 1963-1965 Elizabeth worked as a reference librarian at the South Australian Public Library during which time she completed a Diploma in Librarianship. She moved to Sydney to take up a position at Sydney University's Fisher Library in 1966 and the following year she married Gordon Bilney in Manila, where he was on a diplomatic posting with the Australian Department of External Affairs.\nElizabeth and Gordon Bilney lived in Manila from 1967 to1969, during which time Elizabeth worked for the Asian Development Bank. While living back in Canberra, she gave birth to Caroline Jane Bilney in 1970 and Sarah Louise Bilney in 1971. Further diplomatic postings took Elizabeth, Gordon, Caroline and Sarah Bilney to Geneva (1971-1972), Paris (1975-1977) and Kingston, Jamaica (1980-1982).\nWhile in Canberra during the middle years of Gough Whitlam's prime ministership (1973-1974), Elizabeth discovered the childcare difficulties she had experienced overseas were as problematic in Australia. She became a founding member of the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL) in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and took a lead in the campaign for working mothers' access to childcare. In 1973 Elizabeth and other ACT WEL activists approached Marie Coleman, Social Welfare Commission Chair, to discuss how best to pursue their ideas about expanding childcare. Later Prime Minister Gough Whitlam requested a policy report from the Social Welfare Commission and this was published in 1974 as Project Care, Parents Children Community. Susan Ryan, a senior minister in the Hawke government (1983-1991) wrote to Elizabeth shortly before she died, \" we all take satisfaction from the reforms for women and children we were able to embed in the agendas of Labor governments, so firmly that even Liberal coalition governments have never dislodged them. You were a heroine of childcare \u2026 the near universal acceptance of the right of children to good care and the responsibility of government to support this, constitutes a real revolution. Your work was crucial in bringing this revolution about.\"\nYet this significant work was something Elizabeth's inherent humility prevented her from talking about so that it was only at her funeral when husband Allen Mawer mentioned these achievements in Elizabeth's eulogy that some younger family members and friends became aware of her earlier activism and significant achievements for women and children in Australia.\nBack in Canberra in the late 1970s, between the Paris and Jamaica postings, Elizabeth edited and managed the publication of The Heritage of Australia (1981) for Macmillan of Australia in association with the Australian Heritage Commission. This became her magnum opus from which she moved on to establishing the journal Heritage Australia for the Australian Council of National Trusts, and later became publishing co-ordinator for the National Gallery of Australia, and publications manager for the National Library of Australia.\nIn 1990 Elizabeth took up freelance editing and for the next fourteen years she worked as a consultant on a wide range of publications including Decorative arts and design from the Powerhouse Museum (1991) and the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW) Social Policy Committee Health Futures report.\nElizabeth's marriage to Gordon Bilney ended in 1992. Seven years later - on 31 December 1999 - she married Allen Mawer, author and former senior executive at the Department of Employment, Education and Training.\nElizabeth Bilney and Allen Mawer lived at Wallaroo, New South Wales (NSW) where Elizabeth established a garden in the challenging soil of their home above the Murrumbidgee River. In retirement, from 1998, Elizabeth became involved in the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra, as a member of the Friends' Committee, newsletter editor and volunteer guide. She also engaged with the creativity that had her designing and constructing theatre costumes at Adelaide University in the 1960s and took up jewellery making. She particularly enjoyed setting sea glass from the Walter Hood wreck at Bendalong where she had been part owner with a group of friends in a holiday home since 1979.\nAnother of Elizabeth's significant achievement that compels acknowledgment is the parenting of her daughters, Caroline and Sarah. In his tribute to Elizabeth at her funeral in Canberra on 1 November 2010, her husband Allen Mawer said \"She was immensely proud of Callie and Sarah. With careers as well as partners and children, they had grown into the kind of women she had encouraged them to be; like her, independent, resourceful and self-confident.\"\nElizabeth Bilney died of cancer on 26 September 2010 at Clare Holland House, Canberra's hospice.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-champion-of-equal-rights-elizabeth-bibi-bilney\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whos-who-in-australia-1988\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Wardle, Patience Australie", "Entry ID": "AWE4782", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wardle-patience-australie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Librarian, Teacher", "Details": "Pat was born in Hornsby, Sydney, New South Wales on 20 June 1910, the eldest of the four daughters of Dr Robin Tillyard and Patricia Tillyard (birth name Craske). Her sisters were Faith, Alison Hope and Honor. She attended Abbotsleigh School from 1917 to 1920 when the family moved to Nelson, New Zealand where she attended Nelson Girls' College, successfully completing her university entrance examinations. Despite the protestations of the daughters, the family then moved to Canberra in 1928 where her father, Dr Robin Tillyard, took up the position of first head of the then Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Division of Entomology.\nShe won one of the first three Canberra Scholarships to attend the University of Sydney. She stayed at the Women's College and was a member of the Students' Representative Council in 1930. In 1932 she gained an Arts degree with second class honours in Latin. She was an active hockey and cricket player and gained a hockey Blue. She captained the university hockey team and later played international hockey in England.\nPat went to England in 1933 to complete an MA but due to her father's ill health and resulting financial pressures on the family she obtained a teaching position at Liskeard County School in Cornwall where she stayed until 1936. She took the opportunity to travel extensively in the UK where the family had relatives, and also in Europe. She travelled on her trips in the car she christened 'Matilda' and fell in love with Cornwall. She wrote lengthy and frequent correspondence to her parents reporting on every detail of her life. She was also a meticulous diarist. While she was returning to Australia in early 1937 her father died in a motor vehicle accident. Hope was driving the car when the accident happened near Goulburn.\nOn her return from England she and Hope lived in Canberra with her mother, Patricia at the Dial House in Red Hill, ACT. She was employed first at the fledgling National Library and then at the Parliamentary Library. She had senior roles with the Girl Guides. Pat returned to England in mid-1939 to study for a Diploma in Librarianship but the course was cancelled with the start of World War II. As part of the war effort she and her sister Hope drove ambulances. As Hope was not well they returned in August 1940 to Australia on the SS Rotorua escorting evacuee children. Later that year Pat was employed as a Research Librarian with the Department of Commerce.\nFrom 1942 to 1946 she was a commissioned officer in the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), stationed successively at Uranquinty, Point Cook and Evans Head. She gained the rank of Flight Officer and at her discharge was WAAAF Commandant at Air Force Headquarters. After the war she lived at her mother's new house 'The Spinney', 2 Mugga Way, Forrest, ACT, where she helped set out the garden.\nFollowing her service with the WAAAF Pat joined the Department of Post War Reconstruction where she was on the first Wheat Costs survey in the area of the department that was to become the Bureau of Agricultural Economics.\nIn 1953 she was a foundation member of the Canberra & District Historical Society (CDHS) for which she worked tirelessly for 38 years. She was Newsletter Editor for nearly 30 years until 1982, a Councillor for 20 years (1960 to 1980), President 1965-67 and Vice-President 1970-71. She was heavily involved in the organisation of excursions, giving talks and helping with the upkeep of Blundell's farmhouse, then operated by CDHS. She was made a life member in 1983. Her services to community history were recognised with the award of the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1990.\nIn 1955 Pat married Robert Norman Wardle, Director of Veterinary Hygiene, Department of Health. They lived at 49 Melbourne Avenue, Forrest, ACT and in 1963 purchased a 40 acre property near Murrumbateman which they named 'Maitai' after the Tillyard's family home in Nelson, New Zealand and where Bob bred and raised horses. After his death in 1979, Pat continued to visit the property until her death.\nIn 1981 she moved to a new house at 8 Couvreur Street, Garran, ACT which was designed by her niece Hilary Hewitt, daughter of Hope and Lennox Hewitt. In her seventies she made an overseas trip to England (especially to her beloved Cornwall), Scotland, Norway and Gallipoli. She was strongly involved with St John's Church, Reid, particularly through the St John's Women's Movement and she had many other interests including gardening, natural history and writing. She co-authored with A.W. Martin Members of the Legislative Council of New South Wales' (ANU, Canberra, 1959); edited A Visit to Blundell's Farmhouse (CDHS, 1972) and wrote the introduction and notes for Eirene Mort's Old Canberra: A sketchbook of the 1920s (National Library of Australia, 1987). She also contributed many chapters, journal articles and newsletter entries.\nPat died in a motor vehicle accident on 22 April 1992 when driving her small red utility registration ACT 70. She had lived in Canberra for 56 years.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patience-pat-australia-wardle-nee-tillyard\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-patience-australia-wardle\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-papers-of-patience-australie-wardle\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "McAppion, Beulah Rose", "Entry ID": "AWE4786", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mcappion-beulah-rose\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Public servant", "Summary": "Beulah McAppion is descended from several pioneer families in Canberra's Ginninderra district, the Southwells, Gribbles and Currans. Her grandfather, Henry Curran, was the last Ginninderra blacksmith. Educated at Hall Primary School and Canberra High School, she joined the Commonwealth Department of Price Control in 1942 and following the war served as a clerk in he Commonwealth Superannuation Retirement Benefits Office until 1968. She then managed a cake shop and in the 1980s worked as a volunteer visitor in the Red Cross service for home bound people. From 2002 she was a volunteer counsellor with the Uniting Church.\n", "Details": "Beulah McAppion was born on 26 September 1927 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, one of the four children of Arthur Henry Curran and Phylis Una (ne\u00e9 Southwell). Her paternal grandfather, Henry Roland Joseph Curran (Harry), operated the Ginninderra blacksmith's shop and lived in an adjacent house with his wife Agnes (ne\u00e9 Gribble). During her childhood, Beulah saw her grandparents almost every day and has fond and vivid memories of them, their home and her grandfather's workshop. Educated at Hall Primary School and Canberra High School, Beulah joined the Commonwealth Department of Price Control in 1942 and following the war served as a clerk in the Commonwealth Superannuation Retirement Benefits Office until 1968. She then managed a cake shop and in the 1980s worked as a volunteer visitor in the Red Cross service for home bound people. From 2002 she was a volunteer counsellor with the Uniting Church.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0326-beulah-mcappion-oral-history-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Cunningham, Mary Emily", "Entry ID": "AWE4788", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cunningham-mary-emily\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Goulburn, New South Wales", "Death Place": "Fairvale' Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Activist, Pastoralist wife, Poet, Red Cross Worker, War Worker", "Summary": "Born to English parents, and daughter of the Surveyor General, Mary Emily Twynam married wealthy pastoralist James 'Jim' Cunningham and became an important and formative figure in the developing pastoralist community in the Tuggeranong district. She was a compassionate, sensitive and intellectually curious woman whose capacity for friendship and kindness turned her homestead 'Tuggranong' into the social focal point of the community. Her early married years were taken up with raising eight children and battling with the bouts of serious depression that would shadow her for her entire life. As her children grew she found time to indulge in her love of gardening as well as pursue her passion for poetry and the written word. Cunningham was also an outspoken advocate for conscription during the two referenda in 1916 and was dedicated to fundraising for soldiers in the Great War.\n", "Details": "Mary Emily Twynam was born and grew up in the New South Wales township of Goulburn. Her family home 'Riversdale' was a place she always remembered fondly. Her father, Edward Twynam came to the colony in 1855 from England and prospered as a surveyor. He would eventually go on to become the Surveyor General. His wife Emily Rose was an accomplished artist who left behind many beautiful woodcarvings and etchings. She took a keen interest in the natural world and Mary Emily seems to have inherited a love of gardening and nature from her. From the archival material that exists Emily Rose appears to have been a loving and kind mother to her children. Mary Emily however, developed a close bond with her father that would be one of the cornerstones of her whole life. They shared an interest in literary pursuits and both possessed keen and inquiring intellects. As an adult Mary would often run drafts of her poems and ideas by her father. Like other young women of her class, Mary was educated at home by Governess Miss Nora Martyr. 'Riversdale' was to occupy a special place in Mary's heart for her whole life indicating that she had a warm loving and happy childhood in the place she would call 'Home' until her death.\nOn 24 April 1889 a 19 year old Mary Emily was married to successful pastoralist James 'Jim' Cunningham, who at 39 was 20 years her senior. It was a marriage partly borne of duty, but one which would become, if not passionate, stable and affectionate. After a honeymoon abroad in Europe the couple returned to Australia to settle at 'Tuggranong' (spelled this way to distinguish it from the surrounding Tuggeranong district). 'Tuggranong' was one of a number of properties owned by Jim Cunningham and his brother Andrew Jackson Cunningham. 'Tuggranong' like the brothers' nearby property 'Lanyon' was a large sheep station on the eastern banks of the Murrumbidgee river; up to 50 000 sheep were shorn at the 'Tuggranong' sheds. The brothers also had properties on the western side of the river as well as holdings in the Cooma and Forbes districts. Both 'Lanyon' and 'Tuggranong' would come to occupy an important part of Mary's heart and life with both providing her a deep sense of place and belonging. She also left her mark on both properties with her skilful and committed gardening.\nMary Emily was already pregnant with the couple's first child by the time they settled at 'Tuggranong' and on 2 June 1890 Jane Cynthia Cunningham was born. Seven more children would follow in the next 12 years. During this period Mary's first documented battle with what we would now call depression or postnatal depression occurred. Mary herself never referred to these battles in her letters or notebooks, but references to her breakdown in 1902, after the birth of her son Alexander 'Pax', are found in her family's letters. In October 1903 Mary's sister, Edith wrote from 'Riversdale' to her friend Stella Miles Franklin and expressed relief and gratitude at Mary's restoration 'from the dead'.\nDespite her personal struggles with such darkness Mary remained a much loved, and loving, member of her community. She took to her role as a successful pastoralist's wife with gusto attending balls, getting involved in fundraising activities for the parish church as well as other causes like raising funds for a local hospital. The homestead itself became the social hub of the district and Mary and Jim hosted many fine gatherings there. When the new military academy at Duntroon was opened in June 1911 Mary warmly welcomed the cadets. Many of them would call on 'Tuggranong' whenever possible, probably in part due to her teenaged daughters, and a few would keep up correspondence with Mary when they were serving overseas in the Great War a few years later. Her involvement in the community and her loyal and giving friendship were all the more admirable as in these years she lost both her eldest daughter Jane Cynthia to appendicitis and her beloved mother just a few short weeks later.\nBy 1914 with the Great War well and truly looming large the family moved to 'Lanyon'. The move was precipitated by the death of Andrew Jackson as well the changes afoot with the planning for the new Federal Capital. There were uncertainties about how quickly 'Tuggranong' would be reclaimed as Commonwealth land and so a move to 'Lanyon' afforded the family some stability. At this time the couple offered 'Tuggranong' to the Commonwealth government as a convalescent hospital for the duration of the war, but this offer was not taken up. The war also caused other shifts in the Cunningham family and in the texture of Mary's everyday life. Always a staunch supporter of Empire, (her Empire Day bonfires for the Tuggeranong district were big affairs) Mary was unequivocally supportive of the war. Her eldest son, Andrew would go on to distinguished service with the First Light Horse Regiment, and her sister Joan served as nurse overseas for the duration of the war.\nMary herself became a passionate fundraiser and like many of her class a committed advocate of conscription during the campaigns in 1916. To the disapproval of some of the conservative people in her community she took a public role in joining a local pro-conscription committee. In the winter of 1915 she threw a ball at 'Lanyon' to raise funds for the Red Cross, and in 1917 she took the post of president of the newly created War Chest Flower Shop. The War Chest was established in 1914 as fundraising group that aimed to support all soldiers, not just the wounded ones like the Red Cross did. The position meant Mary had to travel between Sydney and 'Lanyon' of which she was now involved in managing as her husband had succumbed to chronic ill-health. The Flower shop, based on Elizabeth Street in Sydney, sold fresh produce, fresh flowers and over time Mary would come to sell some of her poems in the store too; a move she relied on her father to help her make with him often acting as critic and editor of her work. The Flower Shop was a successful venture and they eventually moved to larger premises on George Street. Despite the growing pressures and gloom of her ailing husband Mary, as always, formed supportive intellectually stimulating and loyal friendships, she struck a particularly affectionate relationship with the young artist Grace Cossington-Smith during these years.\nAfter the war Mary's life changed. Her son Andrew returned from war in 1919 but had been broken by his service and eventually descended into alcoholism. He took over 'Lanyon' as Mary was now based in Bondi, Sydney with Jim whose health was too poor to be in the cold southern climate. Andrew proceeded to publicly disgrace the family and mismanage 'Lanyon' to the point that it was publicly auctioned off in 1926, much to Mary's dismay. 'Tuggranong' was also gone by this stage having been taken over by the Department of Defence in 1922; it became the Official Historian, Charles Bean's residence for the duration of the history's writing. Both of these losses came after a deeply felt loss of Jim, who died on 28 December 1921 after years of poorly healthy. For a woman so bound to community, place and family Mary was adrift in many ways. After Jim's death she went 'home' to reside at 'Riversdale', but the final hurt came with the death of her father in 1923 after just a brief illness. After this latest grief she split her time between 'Riversdale' and 'Fairwater', a property near Ulladulla that she acquired in 1927 after the sale of 'Lanyon'. Here Mary withdrew into her herself and unlike in 1902 her family was now grown and busy with their own lives and did not rally around to pull her out of her darkness. She died alone at 'Fairvale' (her daughter's home) at the age 61 on 15 November 1930. Her death certificate refers to her refusal to take drink or food and of her 'unsound mind'. Her son Andrew found her body and had her buried at the family cemetery at 'Lanyon' where her husband and four of her daughters also lay. With the end of her life so came the end of an era of her family's proud pastoral heritage and deep ties with the land and people of the Tuggeranong valley.\nRead more about Mary Cunningham's activities during World War I at the exhibition Canberra Women in World War 1: Community at Home, Nurses Abroad.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-women-in-world-war-i-community-at-home-nurses-abroad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/funeral-notice-mrs-m-cunningham\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/marriage-notice\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/silver-wedding\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cunningham-james-jim-1850-1921\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cunningham-mary-emily-1870-1930\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lanyon-homestead\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tuggeranong-homestead\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/twynam-edward-1832-1923\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mary-cunningham-an-australian-life\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/beautiful-colours-to-arrange-mary-cunningham-mistress-of-tuggeranong\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-official-history-of-australia-in-the-war-of-1914-1918-australia-during-the-war\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/letters-1910-1960-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/letters-1858-1931-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-cunningham-family-1834-1902-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "McKeahnie, Elizabeth Julia", "Entry ID": "AWE4789", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mckeahnie-elizabeth-julia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Boboyan', near Queanbeyan, New South Wales", "Death Place": "Blythburn' near Tharwa, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Pastoralist, Poet", "Summary": "Elizabeth McKeahnie was a successful, independent pastoralist between 1882 and 1911, at a time when women generally did not run their own properties. She owned and operated Blythburn, an 810ha dairy and cattle property next to her parents' property, Booroomba, near Tharwa. She usually worked the property singlehanded, when necessary employing only women to assist her. McKeahnie was also a poet, publishing poems in the local newspaper, particularly after the deaths of friends and relatives.\n", "Details": "The daughter of Charles and Elizabeth McKeahnie, who emigrated to New South Wales in 1838, Elizabeth McKeahnie was born and grew up in country New South Wales (in what is now the ACT). Over six-foot tall in adulthood, McKeahnie was an imposing figure. She apparently rode astride and carried an ivory-handled revolver. She was known as a skilled rider and horsebreaker, regularly travelling long distances on horseback to visit family and friends. As well as caring for her aging parents (her mother died in 1899 and her father four years later), she also ran her own dairy and cattle property independently. Among the women who worked for her, according to Canberra resident, Una West, who was interviewed in 1983, were Ruth and Grace Kirchner and Mary Ann Warner. One family story suggests that when she was too ill to do the milking, those men who volunteered to assist had to wear women's clothing while completing the task.\nMckeahnie seems to have been regarded as somewhat eccentric but her obituary also emphasized her 'feminine' qualities. She was remembered as a 'gracious and warm-hearted lady.'\nAlways impeccably dressed\u2026her conversational gifts were above the average, and, taken altogether, she was a woman as much higher in womanly qualities as she was in stature above the ordinary.\nMcKeahnie's homestead at Blythburn still stands and is on the ACT National Trust List of Classified Places. (Latitude: 42.224420\u00b0 N, Longitude: 94.195630\u00b0 W) The main structure, which consists of three rooms opening onto a verandah without interconnecting doors, still survives, along with a kitchen building. There is also evidence of further outbuildings. The building was lived in for several years during the 1940s, when one room was converted to a kitchen, but is otherwise reminiscent of McKeahnie's occupation between 1882 and 1919. McKeahnie received Blythburn from her father in 1882 and after his death she bought adjoining land in 1905 and 1908. Her brother Charles assumed active management of the entire property in 1911, but McKeahnie lived in the house until her death.\nLike the rest of her family McKeahnie was active in the Presbyterian Church. Her family had a long association with St Stephen's in Queanbeyan, where she is buried in the family plot. Her mother laid the foundation stones of both the church in 1872 and the manse eleven years later and her brother donated the McKeahnie Font, in memory of his parents and two daughters. A memorial tablet commemorating Elizabeth McKeahnie was unveiled inside the church in 1921.\nMcKeahnie also wrote poetry, primarily in times of grief and distress. 'My Darling Niece' was written after the death in 1877 of her niece, Jane Elizabeth McKeahnie, and 'In Memorial' in 1907 for Charles, the son of her brother, Archibald. Several of her poems were published in the Queanbeyan Age. Other poems included 'Effect of the Drought' and 'Gone', neither particularly cheerful. 'Gone' was written in 1892, a few months after the death of Kenneth Cameron, who was also memorialized in 'In Memory of Kenneth Cameron'. (1891) Cameron was a close friend who had proposed marriage to her. McKeahnie's father refused to give his permission, although it is not clear why. Both were members of the same church and Cameron had no financial problems. He was twenty-one years older than McKeahnie. Neither Cameron nor McKeahnie ever married and legend has it that McKeahnie wore a black -banded wedding ring engraved with Cameron's initials after his death. There has been a suggestion that Charles McKeahnie gave his daughter the Blythburn property as some sort of compensation for refusing to allow her to marry.\nA contributor to the Queanbeyan Age and Observer, writing about McKeahnie several months after her death, concluded 'Nature seemed to point her for something else, but it was the old, old story of a wasted life and 'what might have been.' There is certainly a sense of disappointment in McKeahnie's life, particularly in relation to her thwarted relationship with Kenneth Cameron, and some sadness is reflected in her poetry. Nevertheless, she seems to have been a well-respected and admired member of the local community. She had financial independence. She found enjoyment in her garden and her poetry and undoubtedly took pride in her ability to run a successful cattle and dairy farm. She remains remarkable as one of few rural women of her era to run a successful independent business on the land.\nPoetry (collected in Lyall Gillespie's, Early verse of the Canberra region):\n\nDear Land of My Ancestors (1876)\nOnly A Dream (1876)\nAwa' Cald Winter (1876)\nMy Darling Niece (1877)\nWhat I Love (1878)\nIn Memory of Mr Kenneth Cameron (1891)\nIn Memory of Mr Kenneth Cameron: Fate (1891)\nAlone (date unknown)\nA Memoir (1895)\nIn Memoriam (1906)\n\nPoetry (collected in Brian Moore, Cotter Country):\n\nEffect of the Drought (date unknown)\nGone (1892)\nIn Memoriam (1907)\n\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/early-verse-of-the-canberra-region-a-collection-of-poetry-verse-and-doggerel-from-newspapers-other-publications-and-private-sources\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cotter-country\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-heritage-register-decision-about-registration-for-booroomba-station-incorporating-blythburn-and-braeside-and-adjacent-plouhlands\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/blythburn-conservation-plan-stage-1-the-buildings-report-prepared-for-anna-and-john-hyles-act\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/strine-design-for-australian-department-of-housing-and-construction-a-c-t-regionblythburn-cottage-conservation-plan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/classified-places-act-national-trust-list-of-classified-c-or-recorded-r-places\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/blythburn-2000-01\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elizabeth-julia-mckeahnie\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/enterprising-gaels-become-pioneer-pastoralists\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Pinner, Mancell Gwenneth", "Entry ID": "AWE4790", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pinner-mancell-gwenneth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Radiologist", "Summary": "Gwen Pinner was a significant figure in the medical profession in Canberra. In addition to her work as a radiologist, she conducted a tuberculosis survey of the Australian Capital Territories and Queanbeyan and was involved in the establishment of the John James Memorial Hospital. As a child, however, it was her role of presenting a bouquet to the Duchess of York at the opening of Parliament House in 1927 that created an enduring image.\n", "Details": "Mancell Gwenneth Pinner was born on 24 June 1922 in Melbourne, the eldest daughter of John Thomas Pinner and Mancell Jeanott (n\u00e9e Drysdale). Her father, chief accountant and a member of the Expropriation Board of New Guinea, was in New Guinea at the time of her birth and was stationed there for much of her early childhood. In 1926 the family moved to Canberra where John had been appointed assistant-accountant in the Federal Capital Commission.\nAged four, Gwen was selected from a ballot of some 500 children, to present a bouquet of roses to the Duchess of York at the opening of Parliament House on 9 May 1927. Dressed in a new white frock and bonnet for the occasion, she was accompanied up the steps by Captain J.H. Honeysett, a World War I veteran who lived next door to her family. Although Gwen later recalled little of the day, it was reported that she 'appeared to feel no embarrassment in the presence of her Royal Highness, and, having carried out her part, skipped gaily across the lawn back to her waiting mother.'\nInitially the family lived in Ainslie and Gwen attended Ainslie Public School. Dux in her final year, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Canberra Church of England Girls' Grammar School (CCEGGS) in 1934. Three years later the family moved to Deakin where Gwen and her sister, Jean, could walk across the paddocks to the school. At CCEGGS Gwen continued to excel: she captained the Basketball and Tennis teams; won the 1938 Lady Isaacs Prize for the best essay by a school girl; and was School Captain and Dux in her final two years. In 1939 Gwen was awarded a Canberra scholarship by the Canberra University College to assist her studies in medicine at the University of Melbourne. She was one of eight female graduates whose degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery were conferred in March 1945.\nGwen began working as an intern at the Royal Melbourne Hospital but she contracted tuberculosis and her recovery entailed a year-long stay in hospital and a further year recuperating away from work. It was an experience that probably led to her appointment as head of a survey team examining the incidence of tuberculous infection in the Australian Capital Territory and Queanbeyan for the Commonwealth Department of Health (part of an Australia-wide programme aimed at eradicating tuberculosis). The survey was conducted over several months in 1949 and involved about half the population volunteering to receive a preliminary tuberculin skin test. Tests were conducted in schools, offices, shops, hostels, hotels and at a regular clinic in the old hospital buildings at Acton. In June, Gwen conducted skin tests on Members of Parliament as part of a publicity campaign to encourage participation in the survey. While the incidence of active tuberculosis was low, Gwen believed there was considerable educational value in the survey as it resulted in a population that was 'tuberculosis conscious'. The next year she conducted a similar survey of 904 people on Norfolk Island.\nGwen returned to the Royal Melbourne Hospital working as an assistant radiologist. She continued to study and was awarded a Diploma of Diagnostic Radiology in 1952. Two years later she became the first woman to be awarded the Thomas Baker Memorial Fellowship to study radiology abroad. Gwen departed in early 1955 for London. During her eighteen months overseas she spent time in several countries including Britain, Sweden, and America. Striving to gain the most benefit from the fellowship, she divided her time between working as an honorary assistant in hospitals; studying short courses; attending seminars and symposiums; and observing doctors.\nGwen returned from abroad to the family home in Canberra and joined Ron Hoy and Bruce Collings at their practice. She also worked as a consultant radiologist at the Royal Canberra Hospital and, over the years, served on various hospital committees. In 1965, Gwen, along with a number of colleagues, founded Canberra's first private hospital, John James Memorial Hospital. By the 1960s and 1970s she was considered 'the dominant figure in radiology in Canberra'. Gwen had been elected to the Fellowship of the Faculty of Radiologists (London) in 1957 and to the Fellowship of the College of Radiologists of Australasia in 1964. In 1984 she became the first female President of the Royal Australasian College of Radiologists. She retired in 1987.\nIn 1988, sixty-one years after presenting the bouquet to the Duchess of York, Gwen attended the opening of the new Parliament House and was presented to Queen Elizabeth.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/births\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/problem-of-conflicting-loyalties-among-graduates\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burrawai-the-magazine-of-the-canberra-church-of-england-girls-grammar-school\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/burrawai-the-magazine-of-the-canberra-church-of-england-girls-grammar-school-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bouquets-for-the-duchess\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ainslie-school\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/personal\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/university-college\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/girls-grammar-school\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/scholarships\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/girls-grammar-school-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/t-b-skin-tests-for-ms-p\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dr-gwen-pinner-to-study-radiology-abroad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-day-a-duchess-smiled-on-a-nations-capital\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-dr-gwenneth-mancell-pinner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-mancell-gwenneth-pinner-1922-1998\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-opening-of-parliament-at-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/medical-directory-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pinner-john-thomas-1888-1955\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-tuberculosis-survey-of-norfolk-island\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/report-of-an-epidemiological-survey-of-the-australian-capital-territory-and-queanbeyan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/report-of-the-thomas-baker-memorial-fellow-for-1954-to-the-college-of-radiologists-of-australasia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/two-parliamentary-openings\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/at-parliament-house\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shadows-and-substance-the-history-of-the-royal-australian-and-new-zealand-college-of-radiologists-1949-1999\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/university-of-melbourne-calendar-1946\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/university-of-melbourne-calendar-1953\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pinner-place\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gwen-pinner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/official-opening-of-canberra-by-his-royal-highness-the-duke-of-york\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/zepps-katrina-1918-1981\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/royal-visit-may-1927-the-duchess-of-york-receiving-a-bouquet-from-a-young-girl-gwen-pinner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/royal-visit-may-1927-the-duchess-of-york-receiving-a-bouquet-from-gwen-pinner-copy-photograph\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/duchess-of-york-receiving-flowers-from-gwen-pinner-at-the-opening-of-parliament-house-canberra-1927-picture-w-j-mildenhall\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Allan, Frances Elizabeth", "Entry ID": "AWE4839", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/allan-frances-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "St Kilda, Victoria", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Community activist, Statistician, University lecturer", "Summary": "A brilliant, prize-winning student in mathematics at the University of Melbourne, Betty Allan won a scholarship to carry out postgraduate studies in mathematics, applied biology, statistics and agriculture at Cambridge University where she studied at Newnham College. In Canberra in 1930 she was appointed to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Division of Plant Industry, as its first biometrician. During the 1930s she also lectured in Statistical Theory and Pure Mathematics at Canberra University College and in Agriculture at the Australian Forestry School. In 1940 following her marriage in April to Dr Patrick Calvert, an assistant research officer at the Division of Plant Industry, she was a victim of the marriage bar in the Public Service which prevented the employment of married women but was able to gain government approval to work until the end of the year. During the war she continued to lecture part-time at the Forestry School and to do part-time work for the Bureau of Census and Statistics. Following the birth of her son, Allan, in 1941 she was active in Canberra community organisations supporting mothers and children. She was secretary of the Canberra Nursery Kindergarten Society (1943-1944) and president of the Canberra Mothercraft Society (1944-1946). She died at the age of 47.\n", "Details": "Frances Elizabeth Allan was born in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda on 11 July 1905, the third of four daughters of Edwin Frank Allan and Stella May Allan (nee Henderson). Her mother was the well-known journalist 'Vesta', who was editor of the Argus's women's section for nearly 30 years, after beginning her career as the first female member of the press gallery in Wellington, New Zealand. Her father, a leader writer on the Argus, had previously been a prominent journalist in New Zealand after resigning from the British Foreign Service.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/allan-frances-elizabeth-betty-1905-1952-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Arndt, Ruth", "Entry ID": "AWE4840", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/arndt-ruth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Cuxhaven, Germany", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Community worker, Teacher", "Summary": "Ruth Arndt was a qualified social worker who, while unable to practise her profession because her British qualifications were not recognised in Australia, was a tireless advocate and community worker in Canberra, particularly for migrants and foreign students. She taught English to many new arrivals, taught German and Economics at both Canberra Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools and worked as a research officer in the Department of External Affairs. She also served on the Australian National University Council, the Governing Body of Bruce Hall and was president of the Ladies Drawing Room at University House.\n", "Details": "Ruth Emma Auguste Strohsahl was born in Cuxhaven in northwest Germany on 20 March 1915. Her parents were both involved in politics - her mother was leader of the Social Democratic faction in the city council and her father was editor of the Social Democratic newspaper. As a teenager in Nazi Germany she demonstrated the courage and independence she displayed in later life: she refused to give the Nazi salute at school and failed her final examination after writing an essay criticising Nazi economic policy. In 1935 she went to live in England and worked as an au pair then obtained a bursary to enter Edinburgh University. With the assistance of the Warden of Masson Hall, Marjory Rackstraw, she was awarded a scholarship to London University's School of Economics where she studied sociology and obtained an Honours degree. She also met Heinz Arndt (later Professor) and they were married on 12 July 1941.\nThe Arndts came to Australia in 1947 when Heinz accepted a position as a senior lecturer in Sydney University's Economics Department. Demonstrating her adventurous and independent attitude, when Heinz was unable to get leave from his position in 1949, Ruth returned to Germany to see her parents, whom she had not seen since 1939, travelling by ship with her two young sons, Chris and Nick. She stayed on in England to give birth to her daughter Bettina. She then returned by ship with the three children arriving in Sydney nine months after she had set out.\nIn 1951, the family moved to Canberra when Professor 'Joe' Burton, Principal of the Canberra University College, offered Heinz the Chair in Economics. Heinz's position transferred to the Australian National University in 1960 and in 1963 he was appointed Head of the Department of Economics in the Research School of Pacific Studies at the Australian National University.\nRuth used her skills and experience as a social worker to good effect in Canberra, teaching English to European migrants in evening and afternoon classes in her own home and assisting many in their dealings with government bureaucracy and the health system. She was invited to become a member of the Good Neighbour Council which assisted migrants' assimilation into the Australian way of life. However she was never able to practise her profession as a social worker as her British qualifications were not recognised in Australia.\nWhen her children were young, Ruth took an active interest in fundraising for the North Ainslie pre-school, chairing the parents and citizen's committee. She worked as a research assistant at the Australian National University interviewing parents of pre-school children for the psychologist Pat Petony and reading and summarising articles in German-language newspapers published in Australia for the Department of Demography.\nShe taught German and Economics at the Canberra Boys' and Girls' Grammar Schools and was for fifteen years a research officer in the Department of External Affairs, briefing Australian diplomats on the preparation of economic reports. Invariably, Ruth's and Heinz's work spilled over into their home life, with foreign students and foreign affairs cadets joining the many migrants and refugees whom they assisted.\nFrom 1969 to 1975 she was a member, elected by Convocation, of the ANU Council, one of only three women. She was on the Governing Board of the University's residential college, Bruce Hall, from 1970 to 1975 and was also a Tutor (Fellow) there. She was president of the Ladies Drawing Room at University House from 1980 to 1982, following her friend, Molly Huxley.\nRuth died on 20 March 2001, her 86th birthday, from medical complications after a fall. She was survived by Heinz (her husband of 60 years who died the following year), her three children and nine grandchildren.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/arndts-story-the-life-of-an-australian-economist\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-profound-contributor-to-anu-community\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/arndt-h-w\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/governing-body-of-bruce-hall\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-heinz-wolfgang-arndt-1933-2002-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Brown, Jan", "Entry ID": "AWE4842", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/brown-jan\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Artist, Sculptor, Teacher", "Summary": "Jan Brown was a distinguished Canberra artist whose work has been exhibited in Canberra since the 1960s and whose public art installations include Kangaroos in Commonwealth Park and the Icarus group of sculptures in Petrie Plaza in Canberra. She taught sculpture and drawing for over forty years at the Canberra Technical College and the Canberra School of Art.\n", "Details": "Jan Brown was born in Sydney in 1922. She initially studied art at the East Sydney Technical College as an evening student then moved to London in 1947 and was awarded a National Diploma in Design (Sculpture) in 1949 from the Chelsea Polytechnic School of Art in London, where she studied under Henry Moore.\nFrom 1957, she taught at the Canberra Technical College, and then the Canberra School of Art which is now part of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at the Australian National University, until 2001. In this role she was an inspirational teacher and mentor to many young artists, particularly in drawing and sculpture.\nJan's work is inspired by nature and by local Canberra birdlife in particular. Her work has been exhibited in Canberra since the 1960s including at the Macquarie Galleries, the Drill Hall Gallery and Beaver Galleries, and is included in important national collections such as the National Gallery of Australia, Artbank, the National Library of Australia, the Australian National University Art Collection, the Canberra Museum and Gallery and at Parliament House in Canberra. Two major 'public art' installations are in Canberra: the life-size bronze Kangaroos near Nerang Pool in Commonwealth Park (1980) and the Icarus group of sculptures in Petrie Plaza, Civic (2009). A retrospective exhibition of her work, Jan Brown: Sculptures, prints and drawings, 1948-2007, was held at the Canberra Museum and Gallery in 2008.\nShe has also served on arts advisory boards such as the ACT Arts Development Board (1986-1991), and was Deputy Chair of the Australian National Capital Artists (ANCA) Steering Committee (1989-1993) and Chair of the Visual Arts subcommittee of the ACT Cultural Council (1992-1994). She received the Visual Arts Emeritus Award from the Australian Council and was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1992.\nThe Jan Brown Drawing Prize offered by the ANU School of Art is awarded annually to celebrate her role as a teacher at the School.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jan-brown\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jan-brown-am\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jan-brown-australian-art-and-artists-file\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Buckmaster, Dorothy Ethel", "Entry ID": "AWE4843", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/buckmaster-dorothy-ethel\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Yass, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Deakin, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Charity worker, Rural leader", "Summary": "Dorothy Buckmaster was a member of the Canberra branch of the Country Women's Association (New South Wales). She held various positions including President and Secretary between 1961 and 1980.\n", "Details": "Dorothy Ethel Cook was born in Yass, New South Wales on 26 September 1907, to Albert Edward (b.1880) and Eleanor Cook (nee Wilson) (b.1878). Albert and Eleanor were married on 17 September 1902 and had three children. Dorothy was the middle child, with an elder brother Henry (b.1905) and younger sister Vera Marjorie (b.1909). Their father was a school teacher in Bredbo in 1898 and the family travelled throughout New South Wales. In 1932 she married Vernon (Vernie) Buckmaster (1901-1976) and moved to the homestead 'The Rivers' at Uriarra in Canberra. They had two sons Peter (1936-2007) and Jeff (1933-).\nOn 2 February 1956 Dorothy joined the Canberra branch of the Country Women's Association (NSW) and very quickly became an active member. She held various positions between 1961 and 1975 including President (1961-1963, 1970-1972, 1978-1980), and Secretary (1973-75). She was awarded a Life Membership by the Monaro Group in 1986 and was patron from 1986 to 1988. Dorothy was a leader and dedicated member and provided substantial support to special appeals such as the Children's Medical Research Foundation, the Tennant Creek Re-construction and to the World Wide Refugees organisation. She was a kind and understanding women who shared her life with others. She played the organ at St Luke's in Deakin and regularly performed with the CWA choir for nursing homes and hospitals in Canberra.\nIn 1977 Vernon and Dorothy moved to Deakin in Canberra, where she died on 4 May 1999.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/buckmaster-dorothy-ethel-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/teachers-rolls\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Clark, Hilma Dymphna", "Entry ID": "AWE4844", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clark-hilma-dymphna\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Linguist, Teacher", "Summary": "Born to Belgian and Scandinavian parents, Hilma Dymphna Lodewyckx grew up surrounded by languages which, combined with a natural talent, saw her master over eight languages and become a successful linguist. Her most ambitious and important work was a translation from German to English of Baron Carl von H\u00fcgel's New Holland Journal. After meeting her future husband Manning Clark at Melbourne University, the couple journeyed to Germany and England, respectively, to continue their studies. They married at Oxford in 1939. Returning to Australia to escape the war in Europe, the couple and their growing family eventually settled in Canberra where Manning took up a position at what would become the Australian National University. Dymphna worked to raise her young family and establish their home as a warm welcoming space for friends and colleagues, as well as assisting Manning with translations and editing for his historical works. By 1959 Dymphna returned to teaching, eventually taking up a position at the ANU German Department. She was also an activist for Aboriginal rights and the environment. After Manning's death in 1991 Dymphna worked tirelessly to turn the home they shared into Manning Clark House - a cultural hub for scholars, artists and writers. Today, Manning Clark House still plays a vital role in the Canberra community.\n", "Details": "Anna and Augustin Lodewyckx welcomed their daughter Hilma Dymphna into their family on 18 December 1916. Their daughter inherited her first name from her mother's Scandinavian side of the family, while Dymphna, the name by which she would be known, came from her father's Belgian heritage. Her mother, Anna Sophia, and her father Augustin between them spoke many languages, but the working language of their home was Dutch except at dinner time when it was French or German if there were no guests. With such cultural backgrounds the couple educated and raised their daughter, and her older brother, Axel, in something akin to a 'little Europe' in suburban Melbourne. Here, Dymphna developed her considerable linguistic talents. She learnt perfect German from her father during formal lessons and picked up Swedish from listening to the exchanges between her mother and grandmother. All told Dymphna learned 12 languages, though she claimed to be fluent in eight and only 'getting by' in the other four. Anna ran the family home alongside teaching duties at Melbourne University where she taught Swedish, and played a key role in the promotion of the language and culture throughout the state, while Augustin worked first at Melbourne Grammar School and then later in 1916 took an appointment at the University of Melbourne as lecturer in German. Before settling in Melbourne at the outbreak of the Great War the couple had lived in Europe, South Africa and the Belgian colony, the Congo, before finally settling in the Antipodes in 1914.\nThis melting pot of culture and experience no doubt nurtured Dymphna's talent for language, but it also coloured her childhood in a distinctly European way. Her brother Axel recalled life at 'Huize Eikenbosch' (the name Augustin gave the family home due to the plethora of European oak trees he planted in the gardens) in the 1920s as a place where you would hear students learning German, and as a place to watch his parents and their friends waltz around the living room practising the latest European dances. Dymphna's father would spend many hours in the garden cultivating and tending it in Flemish ways, possibly sparking Dymphna's later love for plants and gardening. Her mixed cultural heritage at times made her feel as if she had split identities, and she often had trouble with her name at school as there were not many other migrants around. Still, she recalled her childhood as enriching and making her feel as though she could do anything. By 15 she had matriculated from Presbyterian Ladies' College and from there went to Munich in 1933 with her mother to study for a year at the M\u00e4dchenreformrealgymnasium an der Lusienstrasse. She returned to Melbourne in 1934 to study German at Melbourne University. Here her 'Europeanness' was once again made apparent to her, as she was often being called the 'mad girl without a hat or without stockings' due to her casual European style of dress which stood out compared to the formal styles of her Australian peers.\nIt was at Melbourne University in her last year of studies that she met her future husband, and future eminent and controversial historian, Charles Manning Hope Clark. Dymphna left behind no autobiographical writings and remained steadfastly silent on her courtship and marriage to Manning, though her husband describes a passionate and warm courtship in his memoirs and letters. After graduating from Melbourne University, Dymphna won the Mollison travelling scholarship which saw her go to Germany again. This time she studied Greek and Latin at Bonn University. For her it was as much a chance to indulge her passion for travel as to further her education. Although she would later recall that she 'never really found her feet' at Bonn, Nazi Germany still proved to be an awakening of sorts. She recalled learning in this period that politics was real and remembered sneaking off once a week to read British newspapers to find out what was going on in Germany. Yet she still felt herself succumbing to the all-pervasive Nazi propaganda, and understood how so many people became so mesmerised by the regime.\nAs threats of war grew, Manning called for Dymphna to come to England where he was studying for his doctorate at Balliol College, Oxford. She joined him and they married in Oxford on 31 January 1939. During this period she worked as a teacher at Blundell's School in Devon, but found her surrounds depressing. She and Manning welcomed their first child, Sebastian, in December 1939. He would be the first of six children. In 1940 the family decided to return to Australia where Manning took up a teaching position at Geelong Grammar School. In 1949 the Clark family moved to Canberra so that Manning could become the first Professor of History at the Canberra University College, later incorporated into the Australian National University. Over the next 16 years Dymphna's time was primarily taken up with the business of mothering children, running a household and supporting her husband and his academic research. She also found time to indulge in her passion for gardening and plants. She provided most of the produce to feed her family from her vegetable gardens and chicken sheds. Her friends recall the Clark house as being a site for scholarship and learning, but also an extraordinarily warm and friendly place where many delicious meals and good conversations amongst friends could be had.\nIn 1959, Dymphna returned to her teaching at the Soviet Embassy where she taught English to diplomats. She followed this appointment with one at the German Department of the Australian National University. Here, her talents as a formidable scholar in her own right were able to shine. She worked with Peter Sack from the German Department on a nine-year project translating from German to English the reports of the Governor of German New Guinea from 1886 to 1914. However, her most ambitious and important work was the translation of Baron Carl von H\u00fcgel's New Holland Journal. Published in 1994, it provided for the first time in English the Austrian botanist's daily diaries of his expeditions in Australia and New Zealand in the 1830s. Alongside her own work Dymphna did many translations of documents and material for Manning's historical works, as well as proofreading, editing and assisting him in his research for some of his major works including A History of Australia.\nDymphna also became an activist for Aboriginal rights, becoming a member of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee in 1980 which aimed to educate and promote the need for a formal treaty between Indigenous people and the Federal Government. She also wrote the Committee's preamble that was to be reviewed by Parliament. Dymphna continued her lifelong passion for the environment and gardening by working with Greening Australia Volunteers to plant over a thousand trees on the Clark's property 'Ness' in Wapengo on the New South Wales south coast.\nIn 1991 Dymphna's long marriage to Manning ended with his death on 23 May. She continued to work at her own projects, as well as being an avid defender of her late husband and his work. In 1993 Manning's most famous work, A History of Australia, was attacked by his own publisher, Peter Ryan, while in 1996 the Brisbane Courier Mail alleged Manning had been a Soviet spy - an allegation Dymphna's work at the Soviet Embassy helped to fuel. These allegations were all later resoundingly discredited. Dymphna also compiled and donated her own and Manning's papers to the National Library of Australia, and with the assistance of her son Sebastian edited and published Manning's final works, An Historian's Apprenticeship (1992) and Speaking out of Turn (1997), a volume of his speeches and lectures between 1940 and 1991. Dymphna also established Manning Clark House (the family's home in Forrest, Canberra) as a cultural hub for scholars, writers and artists. The house has grown to be a vital and vibrant part of the Canberra arts and academic communities. Having kept her diagnosis of cancer private, telling only a few close people, Hilma Dymphna Clark passed away on 12 May 2000.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-quest-for-grace\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/an-eye-for-eternity-the-life-of-manning-clark\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ever-manning-selected-letters-of-manning-clark-1938-1991\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dymphna-clark-a-portrait\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-dymphna-clark-widow-of-historian-manning-clark-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dawn-richardson-1970-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dymphna-clark-circa-1930-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-lyndall-ryan-1968-1992-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ninette-dutton-1890-2007-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-roslyn-russell-1955-2008-bulk-1982-2001-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dymphna-clark-interviewed-by-heather-rusden-and-elizabeth-cham-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dymphna-clark-interviewed-by-heather-rusden-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/manning-clark-and-dymphna-clark-speak-for-the-aboriginal-treaty-committee-on-mining-in-noonkanbah-w-a-in-the-2xx-collection-sound-recording-interviewer-stuart-reid\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/andrew-clark-interviewed-by-susan-marsden-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-prof-katerina-clark-academic-dr-axel-clark-academic-sound-recording-interviewer-susan-marsden\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sebastian-clark-interviewed-by-susan-marsden-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rowland-clark-interviewed-by-susan-marsden-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Dobson, Rosemary de Brissac", "Entry ID": "AWE4848", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dobson-rosemary-de-brissac\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Editor, Poet, Writer", "Summary": "Honours and awards\n1987 Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in recognition of service to literature, particularly in the field of poetry\n1996 HonDLitt, University of Sydney\n2006 New South Wales Premier's Special Award\n2006 New South Wales Alice award\n2001 The Age Book of the Year Book of the Year and Poetry Awards for Untold Lives & Later Poems\n1996 Australia Council Writer's Emeritus Award\n1996 Emeritus Fellowship, Literature Board of the Australia Council\n1985 Victorian Premier's Literary Award, 1985 for \"The Three Fates\"\n1985 honorary life member of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature\n1984 Patrick White Award\n1984 Grace Leven Poetry Prize for \"The Three Fates\"\n1980 Senior Fellowship, Literature Board of the Australia Council\n1979 Robert Frost Prize\n1978 Fellowship of Australian Writers Christopher Brennan Award\n1977 Australian National University Honorary Convocation Member\n1966 Myer Award II for Australian Poetry for Cock Crow\n1948 The Sydney Morning Herald Award for poetry, for \"The Ship of Ice\"\nPoet Rosemary Dobson's significant contribution to Australian literature is evident in the long list of literary awards she received. She began writing at the age of 7, typeset and printed her first book aged 17 and published over twenty poetry collections and other books during her life. The most recent poetry book, Collected, was published just three months before her death in 2012. Recognised early in her career as a significant poet, Dobson was acclaimed as representing \"a coming of age for Australian poetry\" along with Gwen Harwood, Judith Wright and David Campbell. Contemplative and meditative, Dobson's poetry is rich with references to art, history, relationship and the Australian landscape. Her move to Canberra in 1971 brought her into a rich literary and artistic community and she was freed to write again after five years in England when her pen remained still. Dobson became a vital member of Canberra's literary community contributing generously of her time as mentor to younger poets, providing readings for poetry lovers and continuing to publish her own work until she died in 2012.\n", "Details": "Rosemary de Brissac Dobson was born into a literary family. Her parents Austin 'Arthur' Greaves Dobson (1870-1926) and Marjorie Caldwell (-1979) met at the Dickens Society in Sydney and married in 1917. Her English-born father was the son of Austin Dobson - poet, essayist and authority on eighteenth-century literature.\nThe second of Arthur and Marjorie Dobson's two children, Rosemary Dobson was born in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) on 18 June 1920. Her sister Ruth Lissant Dobson (1918-1989) became Australia's first woman career diplomat to be appointed an Australian ambassador.\nArthur Dobson died when Rosemary Dobson was five years old, leaving his wife and two young daughters in straitened financial circumstances. Through a family connection Winifred West (1881-1971), headmistress and founder of the prestigious Frensham School in Mittagong NSW, offered Marjorie Dobson a housemistress position at the school and scholarships for her daughters. The Dobson girls thrived at Frensham where Rosemary showed early literary talent. Under the tutelage of the school librarian - Australian children's author and printer Joan Phipson - Dobson produced her first collection of poems. She typeset them on the school's small Adana Press and hand-bound the 200 copies, illustrating the cover with her own linocut illustration.\nDobson frequently acknowledged her debt to West for the opportunity to attend Frensham and remained in contact with her until West's death in 1971.\nAfter completing school, Dobson remained at Frensham as a teacher of art, literature and printing before using a small inheritance to study non-degree English literature at Sydney University and art with artist Althea Mary 'Thea' Proctor. Influenced by the combination of elegance, strength, discrimination and balance in Proctor's art and recognising the influence of the different arts on one another, Dobson kept up her visual arts skills throughout her life, painting on holidays and taking life drawing classes.\nDuring the early years of World War 2 Dobson worked as a cipher clerk for the Royal Australian Navy. From the age of 21 she submitted poetry to newspapers and literary journals, including the Bulletin and Meanjin. In 1944 Dymocks published her collection \"In a Convex Mirror\" and in 1947 she won the Sydney Morning Herald poetry prize for \"The Ship of Ice\". Working as a proof-reader then editor at Angus & Robertson publishers in Sydney, Dobson met fellow editor, Alec Bolton. They married in North Sydney in 1951 and set up home at Neutral Bay on Sydney Harbour.\nTragedy struck in 1953 when Dobson and Bolton's first child, Alexandra, lived only a few hours after birth. Dobson expressed some of her grief in her poem The Birth (ii) published in \"Child with a Cockatoo and other poems\" (1955) beginning:\n\"Unknown, never to be known, lost\nBeyond darkness, beyond the reach of time \u2026\"\nIn the following years their second daughter, Lissant and two sons, Robert and Ian were born in Sydney where Dobson and Bolton found friendship with a number of literary people including Douglas Stewart and his artist wife, Margaret Coen, writer and artist Norman Lindsay, Kenneth Slessor, and James McAuley.\nIn 1966 Angus & Robertson appointed Alec Bolton as their London editor and the family moved to England, where they lived in Richmond near London. Although this was a stimulating time for Dobson, with European travel and London's feast of concerts, theatre and art galleries, separated from her Australian roots she found herself unable to write poetry.\nIn 1971 the family returned to Australia to live in Canberra when Alec Bolton was appointed founding Director of Publications at the National Library of Australia. With a population of around 200,000 Canberra was small compared to London, but despite its compact size the national capital nurtured a thriving literary and artistic community and Dobson flourished in the stimulating circle of creative new friends. She and Bolton made friends with the likes of poet, essayist and ANU's foundation professor of English - Alec Hope, ANU academic and literary critic - Dorothy Green, visual artist - Rosalie Gascoigne, ANU academic and poet - David Campbell and writer Robert Dessaix. Dobson delighted in attending lectures by John Mulvaney, foundation professor in pre-history at the ANU and she took classes in Modern Greek. Her poetry found voice again and she flourished, publishing around fifteen collections of poetry in the following four decades.\nWhile continuing to write poetry, Dobson also edited anthologies and gave interviews and public readings of her work. She represented Australian literature in overseas visits where she valued meetings with poets like Denise Levertov who later visited her in Canberra, Michael Ondaatje and Eastern European poet Zbigniew Herbert.\nIn 1972 Alec Bolton established the Brindabella Press which published four of Dobson's books - Three poems on water-springs, Greek Coins, Untold Lives: a sequence of poems and The Continuance of Poetry, two of which Dobson illustrated herself.\nDobson maintained that poetry is 'a vocation'. Her poetry is widely acknowledged for the way she simply and clearly expresses life's complexities. She expressed the importance of this in her own words, \"I really feel the necessity of the poetry being clear, so I can communicate something to people. Clarity is very important.\"\nCertain themes, such as water, light and time run through her poetry, with water usually a metaphor for renewal, consolation, friendship or inspiration. Joy Hooton writes that Dobson's passionate engagement with life emerges throughout her poetry as \"enjoyment of friendships, family relationships, intense appreciation of landscapes, art, literature and music and a relish for the sheer diversity of human personality.\" (Hooton, 21)\nIn the 1990s Dobson's sight began failing - \"one day the dark fell over my eye\". Her progressive sight loss stimulated some moving poetry totally lacking in any self-pity, including Poems a Long Way After Basho:\nI breathe the leaves of the basil\nIt has news for me-\nFor all my senses\nOld, I strive for wisdom\nAs the sage bush speaks, clearly,\nMany-leaved, grey and silver\nSolace for my eyesight\nThe green leaves of borage\nAnd its gentle blue flowers.\nWhen Alec Bolton died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1996, Rosemary Dobson expressed her grief through \"simultaneous celebrations and laments\" for him (Canberra Times, 12 July 2012). Ever grounded in life, she wrote elegantly and sparely of her grief and of Bolton's wisdom in her poem \"Reading Aloud\", dedicated to Bolton and also read at her own funeral at St Paul's Anglican Church, Manuka ACT on 4 July 2012:\n\"We must press on.\"\nFrom books to life, your thought:\n\"Forgive, learn from the past. Press on.\"\nAnd I press on.\nDobson wrote in one of her collections that the poems \"are part of a search for something only fugitively glimpsed; a state of grace which one once knew, or imagined, or from which one was turned away . . . A doomed but urgent wish to express the inexpressible\".\nRosemary Dobson died in Canberra 27 June 2012. Days before she died, fellow poet Geoff Page paid tribute to Dobson and the generosity with which she contributed to Canberra's literary life:\n\"Rosemary Dobson has been a vital member of Canberra's literary community. She has done this both by reading her own work whenever asked - and through acting, over several decades, as an informal mentor to many younger poets. Her consistent support for readings, such as the long-running series Poetry at The Gods (and its predecessor, Poetry at the Goethe), has been a great encouragement to poets from this city (and all over Australia) who were invariably gratified to have a poet of Dobson's stature and experience in the audience\" (Canberra Times, 16 June 2012).\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/well-versed-prizewinner\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poet-espoused-tradition-yet-remained-distinct\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poets-final-journey-to-the-western-star\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poets-who-drew-from-world-well\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-enduring-voice-of-australia-dies\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/last-of-an-illustrious-generation-of-poets\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-a-celebration\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-in-conversation-with-john-tranter\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobsons-poetic-life-in-pursuit-of-the-intervening-angel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-last-of-her-line\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-1920\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-the-text-and-the-textile\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/over-the-frontier-the-poetry-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-figure-in-the-doorway-on-the-poetry-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-world-of-difference-australian-poetry-and-painting-in-the-1940s\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/over-my-shoulder\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poetry-and-painting-a-personal-view\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-celebration-of-the-art-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-a-celebration-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-intricate-devised-hearing-of-sight-a-profile-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-conversation-with-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/looking-into-the-landscape-the-elegiac-art-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-frame-of-reference-rosemary-dobsons-grace-notes-for-humanity\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vision-poetry-and-the-land-in-rosemary-dobsons-poetry\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/reclusive-grace-the-poetry-of-rosemary-dobson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/focus-on-ray-crook\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poems-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/in-a-convex-mirror-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/child-with-a-cockatoo-and-other-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosemary-dobson-australian-poets\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poems-australian-poets-and-artists-adelaide-australian-letters\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cock-crow-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/knossos\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/selected-poems-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/three-poems-on-water-springs\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/moscow-trefoil-poems-from-the-russian-of-anna-akhmatova-and-osip-mandelstam\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/greek-coins-a-sequence-of-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/over-the-frontier-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/seven-russian-poets-imitations\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/selected-poems-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-continuance-of-poetry-twelve-poems-for-david-campbell\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-three-fates-and-other-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/summer-press\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/seeing-and-believing\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collected-poems-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/untold-lives-a-sequence-of-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/untold-lives-and-later-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/folding-the-sheets-and-other-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poems-to-hold-or-let-go\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collected\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-rosemary-dobson-poet-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-rosemary-dobson-poet-sound-recording-interviewer-heather-rusden\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poetry-reading-by-rosemary-dobson-sound-recording-recorded-by-hazel-de-berg\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-rosemary-dobson-1923-2004-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-1952-1968-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sound-recordings\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-dawn-richardson-1970-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1944-2000-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/literary-papers-1969-1981-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Exley, Thea Melvie", "Entry ID": "AWE4854", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/exley-thea-melvie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Archivist, Art historian", "Summary": "Thea Exley was the first woman to head a regional office of the Commonwealth Archives Office (now the National Archives of Australia), its first national Senior Archivist Reference and Access and the first Director Preservation at the Australian Archives (another predecessor of the National Archives). She was an inaugural member of the Australian Society of Archivists and served as a Councillor from 1977 to 1979. After her retirement she completed a PhD in art history.\n", "Details": "Thea was born in Melbourne on 2 September 1923 the only child of Adelaide (nee Walker) and Harold James Exley who became Deputy Commonwealth Statistician, Tasmania.\nShe briefly attended Canberra Girls' Grammar School (then St Gabriel's School) before moving with her family to Hobart in 1933. She attended The Friends' School and subsequently graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Arts degree. During the Second World War she undertook library training at the Commonwealth National Library and on returning to Hobart worked at the Public Library there. After the war she travelled overseas and worked for a time at the library of Australia House, London.\nOn her return she was invited by the Commonwealth National Librarian Harold White to join the staff of the Archives Division of the National Library. This led to her joining the Archives Division's Melbourne office as an Archives Officer Grade I on 26 February 1953. In 1961 she became the first woman to head a state office of the Commonwealth Archives Office (the successor to the Archives Division). At a time when there were very few women in senior positions in the Commonwealth public service this was a significant achievement.\nDuring her time in Melbourne she was involved in an unsuccessful attempt to form a professional association for archivists. She was subsequently on the committee of the Archives Section of the Library Association of Australia (LAA), at that time the only Australian association which brought archivists together. She was interested in establishing proper training for archivists and served as an examiner for the LAA's paper in records management from 1963 to 1966.\nIn 1970 she moved to Canberra as the first Senior Archivist, Reference and Access. Cabinet decisions under the Gorton government (1970) and the McMahon government (1972) created a new, exciting and quite complex access regime for Commonwealth records. Proactive examination of material created before 1945 was commenced at this time. Twenty access examiners were employed and Thea was responsible for guiding their very lively discussions and for ensuring that the resulting decisions were collected into a substantial body of policy, precedent and procedure which became the foundation of the later Australian Archives Access Services Manual. Thea regarded her work striving for an accountable and fair access regime as her most important professional contribution.\nThea participated in the development of the Australian Society of Archivists and became an inaugural member in 1975. From 1977to 1979 she was a Council Member and chaired the Society's first Public Issues Committee which made submissions to a number of Commonwealth and State enquiries on copyright, privacy and freedom of information.\nFrom 1977 to 1981 Thea was Chief Archivist with considerable responsibility for the operational work of the office while other senior staff members were taken up with the development of the Archives Act. In 1982 and 1983 she was Regional Director, ACT when the first purpose built repository in the Canberra suburb of Mitchell became operational.\nIn 1984 Thea became the Australian Archives' first Director Conservation. Her leadership in commissioning the first survey of the condition of the whole collection and the subsequent development of a policy and procedural framework to manage the physical state of the records was significant in providing a management focus on this important area of archives work.\nThea retired on 1 September 1988 after a 35 year career which made a substantial contribution to the National Archives. She received an Australia Day award for her work in 1989. A meeting room at the National Archives was named in her honour in 2003.\nAfter her retirement Thea studied Art History and in 2000 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the Australian National University for her thesis titled 'Patronage by proxy: art competitions in Australia during the twentieth century'. She was interested in the influence of art competitions within the community.\nThea died on 29 January 2007 after nearly two years of illness. The attendance of three former heads of National Archives and the widow of a fourth at her funeral demonstrated the respect for her professional achievements. Family, friends and former work colleagues reminisced about her cross country skiing, her bushwalking, her hospitality and her love of cats. Professional colleagues particularly remembered her warm welcome to new entrants and her passion for the challenge of archives work.\nShe left a bequest to the National Gallery of Australia which funded an archivist's position and another to Bush Heritage Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-dr-thea-melvie-exley\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dr-thea-melvie-exley-1923-2007\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-gallery-of-australia-annual-report-2008-09\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-conservation-report-2008-09\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-dr-thea-melvie-exley-1923-2007\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-society-of-archivists-deposit-1\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/diary-entry-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-thea-exley-thea-exley\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Holt, Beatrice", "Entry ID": "AWE4859", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/holt-beatrice\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Carlton, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Bruce (Canberra), Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community worker, Medical practitioner", "Summary": "Beatrice Holt was a leading figure in the development of mothercraft and child welfare services in Canberra, and was active in community organisations in Canberra from the 1920s.\n", "Details": "Bea studied medicine at the University of Melbourne, graduating in 1923. She then worked with Dr Vera Scantlebury (Brown) who piqued her interest in infant welfare.\nIn mid-1927 her father, W.H. Sharwood, was appointed Commonwealth Crown Solicitor. Bea moved with her parents to Canberra in October. She quickly opened her own practice, becoming one of the Territory's first female doctors. In December 1931 she married Dr John Holt, whom she had met when she was hospitalised with a serious infection. With the exception of service during World War Two, Bea did not practise medicine after her marriage.\nFrom an early stage Bea was involved in community affairs. She was appointed to the Provisional Committee to establish a Canberra branch of the Young Women's Christian Association and, from 1929 to 1931, served on its Board of Directors. As her children moved through school, Bea served as President of the Telopea Park Infants School Mothers' Club and later, as President of the Canberra High School Parents and Citizens' Association. She was elected President of the ACT branch of the Australian Federation of University Women in 1962 and 1963, and was acting head of the national body for most of 1964. In 1971 she was made a life member.\nBea's most significant contribution, however, was made through the Canberra Mothercraft Society. In February 1935 she was proposed as a council member of the society. Her membership co-incided with one of the most turbulent periods in the society's history, which saw the resignation of all its officers and councillors. At the subsequent Annual General Meeting in May, Bea was elected President. She was to serve a total of nine and a half years in the office (1935-36, 1940-43, and 1948-50) and was made a life member in 1937. In that time she oversaw: an increase in the number of mothercraft sisters; the purchase of a car (sisters had relied on volunteers and buses); the opening of the first permanent Baby Health Centre at Manuka; the introduction for the 'Help for Mothers' scheme (nucleus of the Emergency Housekeeper Service); the formation of the Canberra Kindergarten Society; and the establishment of an Occasional Care Centre.\nBea, who had suffered the loss of two of her own children, noted that her work with the Mothercraft Society was motivated by her 'absolute conviction that the giving of health services & assistance to mothers & babies is of primary importance'.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/royal-canberra-hospital-an-anecdotal-history-of-nursing-1914-to-199\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-beatrice-holt\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-short-story-about-a-long-time-1943-1988-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituaries-holt-dr-beatrice\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yarralumlan-magazine-of-the-canberra-high-school\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yarralumlan-magazine-of-the-canberra-high-school-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/personal-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/professional\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/holt-beatrice-bea-1900-1988\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-australian-federation-of-university-women-act-1944-1985-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0043-canberra-mothercraft-society-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Koobakene, Salme", "Entry ID": "AWE4860", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/koobakene-salme\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Valgamaa, Estonia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Library Assistant, Philanthropist, Refugee", "Summary": "Salme Koobakene was born in rural Estonia and undertook tertiary studies at the University of Tartu. It is likely that the second Soviet invasion of her homeland ended the possibility of her graduating, when she joined tens of thousands fleeing. She reached what became the American zone of Germany and was selected by the Australia Government to be in the first party of refugees to be resettled from Germany. The bulk of her working life was spent at the Menzies Library of the Australian National University. In her estate, she left an endowment to the National Gallery of Australia and another to the Country Women's Association for annual grants to high school students and young carers in the Canberra-Monaro region.\n", "Details": "Salme Koobakene was born Salme K\u00e4rema in Valga, a county on Estonia's southern border with Latvia. Her mother was a midwife and her father, Ado, a farmer. She was born into the newly independent nation of Estonia, at a time when the Estonian people realised the value of education for their girls as well as boys. She completed her secondary education at the Valga Russian Co-educational High School and began to study for an Arts degree at the University of Tartu.\nThe Soviet Union invaded the Republic of Estonia in June 1940 and a year later, around 10,000 Estonians identified as 'anti-Soviet elements' were deported to Siberia. These people included politicians, as well as those involved in maintaining the state's legal apparatus. Salme Koobakene's husband seems to have fitted into the last category as it is understood that he was a senior prison official.\nThe German Army arrived in Estonia only one week after the deportations, heralding a period of comparative peace. It was during this period that Salme resumed her studies at the University of Tartu, in the late summer of 1943. By September 1944, the German front reached the Estonian capital of Tallinn and at this time an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 Estonians fled by whatever means were available. At the end of the war, Salme found herself in a camp for displaced persons which had been set up in Hanau in the United States zone of Germany. There she would have heard a call on behalf of a visiting Australian selection team by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration which operated the camps.\nHer widowed status, age, education and other skills led to Salme being accepted by the selection team. She travelled to the Diepholz Camp in the British zone near Bremerhaven to join others before for their ship journey to Australia. This shipload of refugees was the first group of migrants of non-British origin to be selected by the Australian Government. Their ship was the USAT General Stuart Heintzelman, built as a troop transport for the US Army, so it was operated by the Army while crewed by the US Navy. Even though the four-week voyage was more like a holiday after more than seven years of war, there was military discipline on board. All of the passengers were expected to undertake some work like translating the daily newsletter into their mother tongues and staffing the ship's library. In addition to reading, recreation focussed on music making, chess and nightly films and dances.\nThe voyage ended with the disembarkation of the Heintzelman's passengers at Fremantle on 28 November 1947. After four nights in Army camps in Perth, they boarded the Kanimbla, still under the control of the Australian Navy. They arrived at Port Melbourne on 7 December 1947 and disembarked the next day. By 9 December they were settling into another camp routine, this time at the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre, near Wodonga on the Murray River.\nThe Bonegilla records show that Salme worked as a waitress in the camp from 15 December until 21 January the next year. However, the record of her receipt of an Aliens Registration Certificate on 13 January 1948 shows her as located at Gorman House, a government hostel for public servants, in Canberra.\nBy mid-1950 she was enrolled to study the Russian language at the Canberra University College. In 1954, she passed both Russian II and Russian III with honours, as well as German I. Her proven skills in the Russian language led to her appointment to the Australian National University as a Library Assistant in 1961. She continued to work at the Menzies Library, which held materials used by the Research Schools of the University, until her retirement, using her Russian language skills to translate material for the Library.\nSalme died on 4 October 1998. She had been a good saver, and had been able to live well in retirement. There was enough money in her estate to benefit the National Gallery of Australia to the amount of at least $10,000 per year between 2001-02 and 2007-08. In addition, she willed funds to the Country Women's Association to provide scholarships for secondary students in the Canberra and Monaro regions. At some stage early on in her Canberra life, she found that the Country Women's Association enabled her to meet Australians of a similar age with similar interests. The Canberra Branch of the CWA uses its half of the income from the bequest to award grants to Year 12 students and young carers in Canberra, and the Monaro Group uses its half to provide scholarships along similar lines. The high regard in which Estonians held education lives on in the legacy of Salme Koobakene.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-red-army-invasion-of-estonia-in-1944\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/album-academicum-universitatis-tartuensis-1918-1944\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eestlasi-voorsil\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/estonia-in-world-war-ii\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/university-college-examinations\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soviet-deportations-from-estonia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/united-nations-relief-and-rehabilitation-administration\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/estonias-way\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/estonia-and-the-estonians-hoover-institution-press\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bonegillas-beginnings\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jindabyne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-university-college-student-record-cards-e-k\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kilby-ladel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-files-class-6-aliens-registration\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aliens-registration-certificates-displaced-persons-located-in-canberra-ex-general-heintzelman\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-estonians-in-canberra-1948-1998\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/personal-statement-and-declaration-by-alien-passengers-entering-australia-forms-a42\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/name-index-cards-migrants-registration-bonegilla\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/migrant-selection-documents-for-displaced-persons-who-travelled-to-australia-per-general-stuart-heintzelman-departing-bremerhaven-30-october-1947\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Landau, Yetty", "Entry ID": "AWE4861", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/landau-yetty\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Bendigo, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Actor, Broadcaster, Teacher", "Summary": "Yetty Landau was an actor and comedian who worked in Melbourne and with travelling companies. She was a popular broadcaster in Melbourne and Canberra and with her actor husband set up schools which taught drama, elocution and public speaking. After her husband's death Yetty continued teaching verse speaking, training choirs and successfully preparing students for the examinations of Trinity College, London.\n", "Details": "Yetty Landau was born on 6 June 1895 in Bendigo, Victoria to Samuel, (also known as Simon or Yeshiyahu) Landau a 60-year-old hawker and his wife 34-year-old Dora, the daughter of Zebulun Miller and Sophia Muskovitz.\nFrom childhood Yetty showed talent as a performer. Competing against adults from all over Australia, she won the Grand Championship for Elocution at the South Street Eisteddfod, Ballarat, Victoria.\nShe began acting professionally under the direction of Gregan McMahon and then joined the Ian McLaren Shakespeare Company. By 1915 she was working with Harry Craig's Australian Players on their three-month Tasmanian tour.\nWhen she married the actor and sometime lion tamer Frank James Pearson (born Francis Bernard Vaughan) in Melbourne on 24 January 1916, they both gave their usual addresses as 'constantly travelling'.\nYetty played comedy with Bert Bailey's Australian Company for five years creating the role of Amelia Banks in Grand-dad Rudd and Sara in On Our Selection. She went on to contracts with the Fuller Management and Rickards Tivoli Theatre Circuit. In her last Melbourne performances in 1926 she shared the stage with the famous theatre entrepreneur J.C. Williamson himself, in a play called The Farmers Wife.\nYetty taught drama and elocution and her pupils won prizes at the eisteddfods in Victoria. By 1926 Yetty and her students were involved in radio broadcasts. Although apparently popular with listeners, such a public career was not entirely welcomed by her family.\nYetty and Frank ran the Landau-Pearson Academy of Combined Arts from the home they named Franyette in Preston. They taught elocution, dramatic art, public speaking and musical monologues. Yetty's niece tutored piano.\nYetty and Frank visited Canberra for 6 weeks in 1934, but stayed and continued their acting and teaching careers. Yetty appeared with Canberra Repertory and in 1935 briefly presented a children's programme on local radio.\nBy 1936 the Landau-Pearson Modern School of Voice Culture taught speech-craft, drama, broadcasting and talking picture technique to pupils in Canberra's Civic Centre in suburban Manuka and in nearby Queanbeyan, New South Wales. As in Melbourne, pupils were successfully prepared for examinations set from London.\nYetty continued to teach after Frank's death in 1944. She taught verse speaking as well as choirs at St Benedict's Convent in Queanbeyan, St Christopher's and St Peter Chanel's in Canberra. Her pupils were very successful in the Trinity College, London examinations with Robert Crew being the first Canberra student to win the NSW State medal for speech in the Advanced Preparatory Division in 1960 and Merrilyn Jones passing the Intermediate Speech exam in 1964. One of her past pupils, Rosemary Heming, was admitted to Trinity College to train as a teacher of speech.\nShe continued as a radio presenter and her midday programme on 2CA Woman about the Shops ran for twelve years. She also created the Women's Session on the National Station and broadcast it for eight years.\nYetty died from stomach cancer on 7 September 1971. Her ashes were spread at Norwood crematorium. She had no children.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yetty-landau-a-woman-of-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Mildenhall, Adele Emma", "Entry ID": "AWE4867", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mildenhall-adele-emma\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Charity worker, Community worker", "Summary": "Adele (Jill) Mildenhall arrived in Canberra during the settlement's infancy. She quickly became involved in several charitable and religious organisations including St John the Baptist Church, the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the Mothercraft Society. She was also a valued member of Canberra's social scene as a tennis player and an entertainer.\n", "Details": "In January 1920 Adele (Jill) Mildenhall, her husband and 18-month-old daughter arrived in Canberra. The family had endured a lengthy train ride from Melbourne and then a four and a half-hour car ride from Yass. William James (Jack) Mildenhall, public servant and photographer, later recalled the family's dismay when arriving at the gate to Upper Acton, then a small settlement of eight weatherboard dwellings. Informed by the driver that 'this was Canberra', he was 'too dum[f]ounded to make further enquiries'.\nThe barrenness of Canberra was also a rude shock to Jill who was used to the inner-city suburban bustle and amenities of Melbourne. Jill's father, Ernest Potter Knight, a local baker in the Melbourne suburb of Coburg had set a strong example as an active community member sitting on the Coburg Infant School Board of Advice and serving as treasurer of St Augustine's Church, Moreland and the Coburg Progress Association. It was with a similar zeal that Jill became involved in the fledgling Canberra community.\nJill's talent in singing and playing the piano was in much demand. In the early 1920s she performed regularly in a company known as the Smart Set Entertainers where her singing voice was described as 'always pleasing'. The group attracted packed houses and helped to raise money for local causes including the Canberra Library and the Queanbeyan Soldiers' Memorial Fund. Familiar with other talented residents, Jill often volunteered to organise entertainment or perform at events in which she had an interest, such as at the YWCA afternoon tea; the Tennis Dance at Acton; the annual Lodge St Andrew Masonic Dinner and Social; the Returned Sailors and Soldiers' Imperial League Masquerade Ball; a concert for Telopea Park School piano; and the opening of the Causeway Hall.\nFor families living in cottages at Upper Acton, local get-togethers were crucial as, with little means of transport, Canberra was known as 'The City of Dreadful Distances'. A favourite community event was tennis matches held at the Residency (then, the Federal Capital Advisory committee and Federal Capital Commission headquarters, later known as Canberra House). Jill was a keen tennis player and later played competitively with the Canberra Tennis Association. She was regularly noted playing in matches held across Canberra at Eastlake, Northbourne and Queanbeyan tennis clubs. In the late 1920s she was selected to play representative tennis at Country Week Tennis tournaments in Sydney.\nReligious observance entailed considerable endurance in Jill's early years in Canberra. A member of the Church of England congregation of St John the Baptist Church, she walked 35 to 40 minutes across a paddock to attend Sunday services. She became a member of the choir and was active in the St John's Churchwomen's Guild (established 1928). In October 1929 Jill organised a Tennis Tournament as part of a successful American Tea held at Canberra House. The event raised over \u00a322 for the church restoration fund.\nJill was also involved in the early years of a number of Canberra charitable welfare organisations. In October 1926 she was elected to the provisional committee establishing the Ainslie Child Welfare Clinic and then in December to the newly formed committee for the Acton branch of the Women and Children's Welfare Society. From 1934 to 1937 Jill served on the Board of Directors of the Canberra branch of the YWCA. During her first year on the board, she was one of a small team of delegates selected to attend the National YWCA convention in Melbourne. After her return she reported back to the Canberra branch on the inspirational significance of the convention. Next year she headed the membership committee and introduced a new card system. In 1939 she became a new member of the Canberra Community Hospital Auxiliary.\nIn March 1942 Jack was transferred to the Department of Munitions in Melbourne for the duration of the war. Although Melbourne-born, it seems that after 20 years' residency, Canberra had become Jill's much-missed home. In 1943 it was noted in the Canberra Times that Mrs Mildenhall 'sent remembrances to Canberra friends' and by late 1945 the couple returned to Canberra where Jack resumed his position as Registrar of Motor Vehicles.\nIn later years Jill assisted her husband as he was appointed to increasingly prominent positions in Canberra charities; as Chairman of the ACT division of the Australian Red Cross Society (1948-50, 1952-6) and inaugural Chairman of the Good Neighbour Council of the ACT (1950). She also developed an interest in religious instruction and she was said to have taught scripture at Canberra Church of England Girls Grammar in the early years of World War II and then at Forrest Primary School from 1959 to 1972.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/st-johns-church-and-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/yabbies-at-acton-a-story-of-canberra-1913-1927\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/parish-notes\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-adele-mildenhall-charity-worker-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Pendred, Edith Gladys", "Entry ID": "AWE4869", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pendred-edith-gladys\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Early Childhood Educationist, Kindergarten Principal", "Summary": "Gladys Pendred was considered in the mid-twentieth century 'the main Australian authority in the field of early childhood education'. In 1944, after lobbying by Canberra kindergarten and mothercraft groups, Gladys was asked by the Minister of the Interior to draw up a plan for the extension of pre-school care in the Australian Capital Territory, known as the 'Pendred Plan'. Pendred Street in the Canberra suburb of Pearce recognises her contribution to the Canberra community.\n", "Details": "Gladys Pendred trained at the Melbourne Kindergarten Training College and was a director of the Lillian Cannam Free Kindergarten in South Melbourne. In 1928 Gladys was appointed Principal of the Kindergarten Training College and Supervisor of Free Kindergartens in Perth. Taking two years' leave in late 1937, she was awarded a Carnegie Corporation grant to further her studies in the United States (BSc, Columbia) and Britain. On her return, Gladys endeavoured to bring the college into line with the 'modern developments' that she had observed overseas.\nIn 1941 Gladys resigned to take up the post of Field Officer for the Nursery Kindergarten Extension Board in Melbourne. She provided advice on planning playgrounds and equipment and served on an advisory committee of the Australian Broadcasting Commission for children's programmes. In 1944, after lobbying by Canberra kindergarten and mothercraft groups, Gladys was asked by the Minister of the Interior to draw up a plan for the extension of pre-school care in the Australian Capital Territory, known as the 'Pendred Plan'. In November that year, she was appointed Federal Pre-School Officer of the Australian Association for Pre-School Child Development (later Australian Pre-School Association). The job entailed an itinerant lifestyle and was described by Lady Bailey, President of the Association, as a 'flying Federal Officer Service'.\nThrough her extensive travel and publicity schedule, Gladys was well-known in early childhood centres throughout Australia. Each year she presented numerous lectures, newspaper interviews and radio broadcasts. She edited the Association's Parents News Sheets and wrote many herself. She also edited the successful book Play Materials for Young Children (1952).\nGladys worked hard to improve the standard of pre-school education and effect its extension to all children. She supervised the Lady Gowrie Child Centres, made recommendations for the development of pre-school services in the Northern Territory (1948), assisted the Philippines in the establishment of pre-school training (1948), and conducted a survey of child-minding centres in migrant hostels (1952). Gladys also kept up-to-date with advances in early childhood education research and practice, undertaking a British Council-funded study tour in 1949. She was a member of the ACT branch of the Australian Federation of University Women, the New Education Fellowship and the Australian College of Education (Fellow, 1964). In 1963 Gladys was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE).\nFollowing her death in 1964, the Australian Pre-School Association established the Gladys Pendred Memorial Trust that funded a library of educational books in each branch. In 1966 Pendred Street in the Canberra suburb of Pearce was gazetted. Appropriately, it was the address of a new pre-school.\nMore details of Pendred's life can be found in: Mellor, Elizabeth J, 'Pendred, Edith Gladys (1897-1964)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http:\/\/adb.anu.edu.au\/biography\/pendred-edith-gladys-11361\/text20295.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-community-plans-for-its-children-eighth-conference-university-of-sydney-30-august-5-september-1958\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/before-school-the-story-of-the-canberra-pre-school-centres\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-history-of-the-kindergarten-union-of-western-australia-1911-1973\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/some-aspects-of-child-care-education-in-great-britain-a-report-to-the-australian-association-for-pre-school-child-development-from-the-federal-officer-january-9th-april-13th-1950\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/play-materials-for-young-children-a-guide-to-parents-and-pre-school-centre-committees-in-selecting-play-materials\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gladys-pendred-an-appreciation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-miss-gladys-edith-pendred\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/naughty-children\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pre-school-centres-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-late-gladys-pendred-obe-bsc-colom-program\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gladys-pendred-1897-1964-1841-2001\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/infant-education-importance-of-health-an-experts-opinion\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kindergarten-ideals-miss-pendred-interviewed\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/to-study-child-development\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-carnegie-grant\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/miss-pendred-resigns\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pre-school-help-for-philippines\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pendred-edith-gladys-1897-1964-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pendred-street\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/faith-hope-and-charity-australian-women-and-imperial-honours-1901-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0141-canberra-preschool-society-incorporated-records\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/miss-gladys-pendred-honour\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-australian-early-childhood-association-1928-2005-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-australian-federation-of-university-women-act-1944-1985-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0043-canberra-mothercraft-society-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Rees, Lucy Frances Harvey", "Entry ID": "AWE4873", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rees-lucy-frances-harvey\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Guy Fawkes Station, Ebor, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "authority on children's literature, Authority on children\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s literature, Book collector, Bookseller, Secretary", "Summary": "After an upbringing in the bush Lucy Frances Harvey (Lu) Rees worked as a shearers' cook on a family property during the Depression; she moved to Canberra with her three sons in the late 1930s. In 1950 she became inaugural secretary of the Canberra Branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers remaining a central figure in the organisation for many years. In 1955 she opened Cheshire's Canberra bookshop which she managed for ten years. Always passionate about children's literature she amassed a personal collection that became the nucleus of the ACT Children's Book Council collection. It was donated to the University of Canberra where it is named the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature in her honour. She was created a Member of the Order of Australia and awarded the inaugural Dromkeen Medal for services to Australian children's literature, both awards being announced posthumously.\n", "Details": "Lucy Frances Harvey (Lu) Rees was born on 19 August 1901, the eldest child of James Harvey Waugh and Jeanette Isabel Waugh, nee Johnston, at Guy Fawkes Station, a Waugh family property, near Ebor, on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. Her schooling was limited to a short period following a horse-riding accident that made attendance difficult. Drawing on her father's collection of poetry and the classics, she was largely self-taught, a child with a highly retentive memory, who claimed always to have a book in her saddle bag.\nAfter the family moved to Sydney she worked at several Red Cross convalescent homes caring for World War I veterans. In 1925 she married Wilfred Benjamin Rees, a former member of the First AIF; they had three sons, John, Paul and Lauron. During the Depression the family moved to a Waugh family property at Bogan Gate where Lu cooked for station hands and shearers until the early 1930s when Wilfred Rees was appointed by the Director of the Australian War Memorial, Colonel J. L. Treloar, to market war histories and other Memorial publications in Queensland. Sometime later Lu was also employed by Colonel Treloar in the War Memorial's Brisbane office.\nAt the beginning of 1938, after the Australian War Memorial Brisbane's office closed, Lu Rees and her three sons moved to Canberra. Lu was employed at the Australian War Memorial at first in a clerical position and later as assistant to Dr Graham Butler in researching the medical volumes for the History of World War I. Wilfred Rees after putting his age back ten years, enlisted at Townsville in the Second AIF as a sapper on 18 September 1941. The family effectively separated as after his discharge in June 1945 he farmed a soldier settlement block in Queensland.\nIn 1950 Lu became inaugural secretary of the newly formed Canberra Branch of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. For the next 25 years she was a familiar figure at monthly meetings that featured prominent local and international writers. Much of the planning for the Fellowship's landmark anthologies, published in the 1950s, took place at meetings of the Editorial Committee at her home in Reid. It was largely through her initial approach to publisher, Dr Andrew Fabinyi, that F.W. Cheshire published Australia Writes, edited by T. Inglis Moore, in 1953; Australian Signpost, edited by T.A.G. Hungerford, 1956, and Span, edited by Lionel Wigmore in 1958.\nIn 1955 she accepted a new challenge to open and manage a bookshop for Cheshire's in Canberra. It was an unfamiliar field for which she was given a few weeks training at Cheshire's headquarters in Melbourne. Under her management, Cheshire's bookshop in Garema Place, Civic, became a friendly meeting place and a venue for book launches until she retired in 1968. On behalf of the Commonwealth Government, she was responsible for selecting and dispatching representative collections of Australian books as gifts to emerging nations.\nAlways interested in children's literature, in 1957 Lu Rees was instrumental in establishing the Children's Book Council in the ACT becoming first president. She remained an office bearer or committee member until her death and published a history of the Council. When the Children's Book Council became a national body, she was successful in gaining support from the Literature Board and Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for Children's Book Awards. She assembled exhibitions for the international children's book fairs and in Canberra inaugurated Christmas gifts of books for needy children.\nAs evidence of her passionate devotion to children's literature, she amassed a personal collection of children's books and compiled archival files on Australian children's authors and illustrators. She was indefatigable in writing to authors, editors and publishers seeking copies of children's books, particularly international and translated editions, and her generosity in sharing her resources became legendary. Her books and files became the nucleus of the Children's Book Council's ACT Branch's collection which in 1980 was donated to the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now University of Canberra) for study and research purposes. It was named the Lu Rees Archives of Australian Children's Literature in her honour.\nLu Rees was a tall woman, rangy in build, described in an obituary as having 'immense vitality, generosity and warmth'. Beneath a gentle manner she had a consummate ability to get things done. Those who knew her could never say 'no' to the many inspired projects she instigated. Over many decades, innumerable meetings of the organisations she cherished were held in her lounge room, collections of children's books lined her walls and her garage developed into an office annexe.\nIn 1964 she was awarded Member of the British Empire Medal for services to literature. In 1983 she was created a Member of the Order of Australia for services to Australian children's literature and was awarded the inaugural Dromkeen Medal, both these awards being announced posthumously. The Dromkeen Medal was awarded for her significant contribution to the appreciation and development of children's literature in Australia.\nLu Rees died in Canberra on 23 January 1983.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-childrens-book-council-of-canberra-1957-to-1972-a-brief-account-of-the-formation-and-activities-of-one-of-the-six-councils-which-now-form-the-childrens-book-council-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-childrens-book-council-collection-of-childrens-books-by-australian-authors\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-lu-rees-archives-of-australian-childrens-literature\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/official-history-of-the-australian-army-medical-services-1914-18-vol-iii-problems-and-services\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rees-lucy-frances-harvey-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-dromkeen-collection-of-australian-childrens-literature\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/finis-to-a-bookshop-chapter-history-of-daltons-bookshop-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lu-rees-an-appreciation-and-a-tribute\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-8\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lu-rees-archives-notes-books-and-authors\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-gift-to-japan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lu-rees-archives-of-australian-childrens-literature\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0048-fellowship-of-australian-writers-act-branch-records\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lucy-f-h-rees-a-note-for-alec-bolton-nla-on-handing-over-the-early-records-of-the-fellowship-of-australian-writers-in-canberra-reid-act\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-patricia-clarke-1887-2010-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Wensing, Petronella (Nel) Jacoba", "Entry ID": "AWE4879", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wensing-petronella-jacoba\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Teteringen, Holland", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Artist, Community activist, Designer, Social worker, Teacher", "Summary": "As a young migrant who arrived in Australia from the Netherlands in 1953, Petronella Wensing became concerned about the welfare of other migrants, particularly women, and how they could be successfully integrated into the community. As a consequence of her growing awareness of the problems that existed for them, she became a delegate of the St. Patrick's branch of the Catholic Women's League and on 22 June 1961, a member of the Good Neighbour Council of the ACT. Her work with migrants was recognised in the ACT International Women's Day Awards 2011.\nAs a skilled artisan her specialities were lace making and embroidery. She was foundation President and a Life Member of the Canberra Lace Makers Association, a past President of the Embroiders' Guild of the A.C.T. and as well, a member of the Australian Lace Makers Guild. She continued to volunteer and consult with the National Gallery of Australia and the Canberra Museum and Gallery, Canberra on lace and textiles for many years.\n", "Details": "Petronella Wensing was born 22 January 1924 in Teteringen, the Netherlands, the fourteenth child of seventeen, born to Johannes Goderie and Cornelia De Weert. As a young child, Petronella suffered from rickets, although this condition did not hinder her education as she was a bright little girl who learnt quickly at school. When she started school at the age of five, she could already knit and crochet. Growing up in the Netherlands during the depression was difficult for the family and even though her father was employed by the Netherlands railway, four of Petronella's five brothers suffered from long term unemployment. In 1943, her mother passed away and her father remarried in 1944.\nPetronella Goderie and Michael Wensing (1912-1988) were married at Ryen on the outskirts of Breda on 19 August 1948. Even though Michael was a skilled sign writer, painter and paper hanger he found there was little work for him in the Netherlands devastated by the Second World War. Consequently, as many other people from the Netherlands were, they were also encouraged by their government with the assistance of the Catholic Migration Association in Breda to immigrate. Initially the family wanted to go to New Zealand but due to restrictions on the immigration to that country of married couples with children, they decided on Australia. Petronella and Michael travelled with their two small sons, on the Sibajak to Sydney, arriving 11 June 1953. The family then spent four months at Scheyville Migrant Camp near Windsor in New South Wales. Their third son was born at Windsor Hospital, the first night they were at Scheyville.\nAround October 1953, Michael found that he could obtain work in Canberra, so the family moved there. They lived on Russell Hill for a time before moving to Braddon. Petronella quickly realised the difficulties faced by women when they first arrived in a new country. She believed that without being able to speak English many migrant women suffered from a lack of confidence restricting their daily lives and integration into the community. Because of the influx of new immigrants into the A.C.T after the war, the Good Neighbour Council had been established in Canberra on 22 March 1950. In these early years, new settlers were welcomed on their arrival at the Canberra Railway Station and at social gatherings held every Sunday afternoon. Petronella joined the St. Patrick's branch of the Catholic Women's League and the Good Neighbour Council with the primary aim of assisting new women settlers. She organised functions for women and children from many countries, working with them in a friendly and unbiased manner regardless of nationality. She advocated strongly the need for consultation between migrant groups and government bodies, so that migrants were made aware of issues surrounding family and criminal law and human rights.\nIn the late 1960s, she taught part-time at St. Patrick's Primary School and at Aranda Primary. She loved teaching children particularly. During 1970, still with a young family herself, she successfully completed a Certificate in Fashion at the College of Technical and Further Education in Canberra. This was essentially the beginning of a long career as a specialist artisan, as she has gone on to inspire generations with her dedication as a teacher and skill as an embroiderer and lace-maker. Between the years 1970 and 1986 she taught Embroidery, Needlework and Fashion at St. Clare's Catholic College in Canberra. In the year 2000, for three months, she undertook a teaching and lecturing tour of New Zealand. In 1982, during a journey she and Michael took to the Netherlands to meet family, she studied lace-making at Brugge, Belgium.\nUp until 2003, she continued to give workshops on lace-making and embroidery transferring her knowledge and crafts generously to many students.\nHer work has been exhibited across Australia and in many parts of the world notably:\n\u2022 1980 - her work was exhibited at the 1st Australian Fibre Conference, Melbourne.\n\u2022 1997 and 2002 - her lace adaptation of the Bok Tower Carillon was exhibited at the Bok Tower Gardens, Florida, U.S.A .\n\u2022 2000 - at the Canberra Museum & Gallery. She was invited by the Belgian Embassy to select and curate their lace exhibition - From Belgium with Lace.\nFor several years she played a prominent part in bringing to Australia international lace makers and textile designers such as Victoria van Strik. In 2006 she received a grant from the government of the Netherlands to assist with the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch in Australia. She spoke four languages, English, Dutch, French and German. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2013.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/state-conference\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-history-of-the-good-neighbour-council-of-the-australian-capital-territory-inc\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/southern-stitches\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-womens-honour-roll-celebrating-local-women-on-the-100th-anniversary-of-international-womens-day\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-petronella-wensing-1946-1987-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Woodroofe, Gwendolyn Marion", "Entry ID": "AWE4881", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/woodroofe-gwendolyn-marion\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Adelaide, South Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Community worker, Virologist", "Summary": "Dr Gwen Woodroofe undertook research at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, working on myxomatosis and arboviruses. She also organised the sale of UNICEF Christmas cards in Canberra for many years.\n", "Details": "Gwen Woodroofe was born in Adelaide on 7 March 1918 to Florence and William Woodroofe. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Botany from the University of Adelaide in 1940. She was then awarded a Master of Science degree in Bacteriology from the University of Adelaide and joined the John Curtin School of Medical Research in 1951, working as a research assistant with Professor Frank Fenner on myxomatosis. She co-authored several articles with Fenner and was appointed a Research Fellow in December 1958. She was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1962 by the Australian National University. She was promoted to Fellow in 1963 and then worked with Dr Ian Marshall on arboviruses including the Ross River virus and the Murray Valley encephalitis virus. She retired as a Fellow in 1978.\nFollowing her retirement, she became involved in UNICEF and organised its sales of Christmas cards in Canberra for many years. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 for service to women through the ACT Association of the Australian Federation of University Women and UNICEF-ACT.\nHer sister Kathleen also pursued an academic career as an historian, becoming an Associate Professor of History at the University of New South Wales. She was the author of From Charity to Social Work in England and the United States (1962). After Kathleen's death, Gwen made an endowment to the University to establish a postgraduate scholarship in her sister's memory and by the University matching her donation, two scholarships were established: the Kathleen Woodroofe Postgraduate Scholarship in the Humanities or Social Sciences and the Gwendolyn Woodroofe Postgraduate Scholarship in the Sciences, both first awarded in 2002.\nGwen died on 11 September 2012 in Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-report-21\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/death-notice\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dr-gwen-woodroofe\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Mulvaney, Jean", "Entry ID": "AWE4884", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mulvaney-jean\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Moonee Ponds, Victoria", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Community worker", "Summary": "Jean Mulvaney was an active and committed community worker in Canberra from the mid-1960s until her death in 2004. She was a founding member of Canberra Lifeline, the ACT Girl Guides Commissioner, and president of the Canberra Mothercraft Society, the Queen Elizabeth II Family Centre Committee, and the University House Ladies Drawing Room. She was also an active member of the Civil Rehabilitation Committee (Prisoners' Aid) and served on the National Council of Women.\n", "Details": "Jean Campbell grew up at beachside Black Rock in Melbourne and was active in the Girl Guides and in a number of sports: swimming, yachting, tennis and horseriding. She attended the Presbyterian Ladies' College and then trained as an infants teacher, teaching at Travancore Experimental School for disadvantaged children.\nFrom 1948 to 1951 she cycled around Australia on a working holiday, starting from Melbourne accompanied by three friends, two of whom returned from Perth and the third staying in the Northern Territory, so that she completed the trip by herself. On the way she had a variety of jobs including fruit and vegetable picking, waitressing, nursing and work on a pearl lugger in Broome, and crocodile shooting in the Northern Territory.\nJean met her future husband, the prehistorian John Mulvaney, when visiting England to represent Victorian Girl Guides at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. They were married in Melbourne on 6 February 1954 and had six children, the first born in 1955 and the last in 1965. They moved from Melbourne to the suburb of Yarralumla in Canberra in 1965 when John took up his appointment as Senior Fellow in Prehistory in the Anthropology and Sociology Department in the Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University. He was appointed Professor of Prehistory in 1971 and held that position until his retirement in 1985. Jean called herself 'a prehistorian by marriage' and shared many work-related trips with John.\nHer community work in Canberra began shortly after her arrival: in 1966 she was a foundation member of Canberra Lifeline and Canberra Toastmistress, and started as\nGuiding representative on the Civil Rehabilitation Committee (now known as Prisoners Aid) and continued this work which included visiting prison inmates until her death. From 1969 to the 1970s she was founding secretary of the Canberra Children's Theatre (later the Canberra Youth Theatre) and in the 1970s was Girl Guides Commissioner in the Australian Capital Territory.\nFrom 1984 to 1985 Jean was a volunteer at Massachusetts General Hospital when John was Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard. She was presented the 'Volunteer of 1985 Award'; the citation read: 'Jean Mulvaney - wise, caring, intuitive, responsible and a wonderful sense of humour\u2026'\nFrom 1985 Jean was president of the Canberra Mothercraft Society and the Queen Elizabeth II Family Centre Committee but left disillusioned in 1995 when the institution was renamed and moved from Civic. Jean served on the National Council of Women (ACT) from the 1990s until her death, and was Convener of the Ladies Drawing Room at University House with Lena Karmel 1993-1997.\nJean was always a very active person - John reports that she enjoyed canoeing in Canada in 1997 when she was in her mid-70s - but in their last years together her health deteriorated. She died on 13 November 2012 in Canberra at the age of 81 after heart surgery.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/digging-up-a-past\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jean-mulvaney-1923-2004\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-museum-of-australia-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/remember-to-breathe\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/university-house-as-they-experienced-it-a-history-1954-2004\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Godfrey-Smith, Anne", "Entry ID": "AWE4888", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/godfrey-smith-anne\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Launceston, Tasmania, Australia", "Death Place": "Narrabundah, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Biochemist, Poet, Producer, Theatre director", "Summary": "Anne Godfrey-Smith was a poet, theatre director and producer, broadcaster, political activist, and scientist. After studying biochemistry at university, she moved into a career in the theatre starting at the Launceston Players in Tasmania. In 1954 she moved to Canberra and became the manager-producer of the Canberra Repertory Society. It was in Canberra that she made her name as a poet (under the nom de plume Anne Edgeworth), publishing the popular collections, Poems for Off-Duty Hours (2007), Turtles All the Way Down (2000), and Poems of Canberra (1997), among others. She was passionate about community work and was active in the environmental conservation movement, the women's movement, anti-war campaigns and Indigenous rights' advocacy. Later in life, she devoted a lot of time to community radio.\n", "Details": "Anne Godfrey-Smith was born in Launceston, Tasmania in 1921. Her father was Bill McIntyre, a respected obstetrician, and her mother was Margaret Edgeworth McIntyre, the first woman Member of Parliament in Tasmania, a founding member of the Launceston Players and a committed community worker. Anne was the granddaughter of Sir Tannatt Edgeworth David, an eminent geologist, Antarctic explorer and academic, and Caroline David who dedicated long service to her local community and was committed to the advancement of women. Her aunt was conservationist and writer Mary Edgeworth David, who wrote about the David family in Passages of time: An Australian woman, 1890-1974, published in 1975.\nGodfrey-Smith was educated in Launceston as a child and went on to finish her secondary studies at the Frensham School in Mittagong (1935-38). In 1939 she began studying biochemistry at the University of Sydney. She graduated in 1941 and took a job as a pathologist at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.\nWhile in Sydney she met and married Tony Godfrey-Smith. In 1950 they decided to travel to Britain so that her husband could complete postgraduate medical training. Before leaving Australia, the celebrated theatre director Tyrone Guthrie saw one of Godfrey-Smith's productions with the Launceston Players-where she directed and produced the occasional play-and proposed that she too seek further training in England. Guthrie then arranged for her to attend the Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre for five months.\nShe returned to Launceston later that year to take up formal positions with both the Launceston Players and the Opera Company. She stayed with these companies until 1953 when she accepted a position with the Canberra Repertory Society as the full-time manager-producer.\nFrom 1959 until 1965 she worked as an experimental officer in the CSIRO's biochemistry department. During this time, she also directed many theatre productions for the Australian National University (ANU), including revues that would give her a reputation for being a canny humorist.\nShe completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the ANU in 1966, during which time she began writing poetry under the guidance of distinguished poet, Professor A D Hope. She then worked as a tutor in English literature at the University of New South Wales from 1968 until 1974. In 1973 she obtained her Master of Arts in English literature through Flinders University, Adelaide.\nIn 1975 she was engaged by the Australian Youth Performing Arts Association to undertake a national survey on youth participation in theatre. After the publication of her report she was asked to serve on the Theatre Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.\nFrom 1980 to 1988 she held the position of coordinator of community education at the Reid Technical and Further Education College. During this time she also recorded oral histories of people involved with the Canberra Repertory, eventually compiling them into the book The Cost of Jazz Garters: A History of the Canberra Repertory Society (1992).\nFrom 1988 until her death she devoted many hours to community radio, presenting programs on ArtSound FM 92.7.\nShe was an active member of environmental groups such as the Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of the Mongarlowe River, the Wilderness Society and Bush Heritage Australia. She was also a member of a number of social justice organisations including Women in Black, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation, Families and Friends for Drug Law Reform, and Amnesty International.\nIn 1979 she received a British Empire Medal (Civil) for her service to the theatre. In 1994 she was ACT Citizen of the Year and, in 2005, she received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), both recognising her service to the arts. In 1998 she was awarded the Sydney University Alumni Award for community service over many years. She died at Jindalee Nursing Home in Narrabundah at the age of 89. She had two sons: Tony Godfrey-Smith and William Godfrey-Smith, now known as William Grey.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-view-from-two-cities-selected-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-road-to-leongatha\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poems-for-off-duty-hours\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/purdies-meditation-and-other-poems\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-cost-of-jazz-garters-a-history-of-the-canberra-repertory-society\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/youth-performing-arts-in-australia-1975-1977\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-australian-reference-dictionary\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/looking-out-looking-in-canberra-poets\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/looking-still-canberra-poets\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/godfrey-smith-anne-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/portrait-of-david-branagan-and-anne-edgeworth-in-the-bookshop-at-the-national-library-of-australia-29-october-2004-picture-loui-seselja\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/portrait-of-anne-edgeworth-picture-terry-milligan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0063-anne-edgeworth-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-anne-edgeworth-1927-1990-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-anne-godfrey-smith-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/anne-edgeworth-interviewed-by-mark-oconnor-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-canberra-repertory-society-1936-1971-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interviews-with-members-of-the-canberra-repertory-society-sound-recording-interviewer-anne-godfrey-smith\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/memoir-for-anne-edgeworth-1921-2011\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Salthouse, Sue", "Entry ID": "AWE4889", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/salthouse-sue\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Disability rights activist, Feminist, Human Rights Advocate, Leader, Teacher", "Summary": "Sue Salthouse worked in the area of social justice from 1996, playing an active role in the systemic advocacy for women with disabilities. In Canberra she ran her own consultancy company that specialised in work in the disability sector and conducted social research, policy analysis and advice in a number of areas beyond disability advocacy, including project development and management, conference facilitation and TAFE teaching. She worked extensively with Women in Adult and Vocational Education (WAVE) to develop leadership training projects for women, including women in Aboriginal communities. She worked in a voluntary capacity for Women with Disabilities ACT and Rights International (Australia).\nIn 2015, Sue was Canberra Citizen of the Year, in recognition of her outstanding commitment and contribution as a disability advocate. In late 2019, Sue was further acknowledged for her enormous contribution to the public good when she was awarded the honour of 2020 ACT Senior Australian of the Year. Sue Salthouse died in a motor vehicle accident in Canberra on 20 July 2020.\nRead an interview with Sue Salthouse in the online exhibition Redefining Leadership.\n", "Details": "Sue Salthouse described her introduction to the disability sector as 'arrival by surprise'. She was forty-five when she fell off a horse in the Snowy Mountains, and embarked on her life of 'new opportunity' in a wheelchair. The learning curve was steep and physically challenging, but the recently retired ex-president of Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) was adamant when she claimed that 'psychologically I have had more difficult things to deal with in my life, despite the challenges my accident presented'. (Interview) \nBorn in 1949 in McKinnon, Melbourne, Salthouse had a happy childhood, sharing the love of her parents with one older sister, whom she adored. She attended Kilvington Baptist Girls Grammar, a small private school with a community spirit that she credits with setting her on a humanitarian path. A small school offered her any number of opportunities to take on leadership roles, which she adopted with great relish, although she did experience a crisis of conscience when offered the role of head prefect. Conditional upon the offer was the requirement for her to be confirmed. She agreed to the condition, but not without some reflection on the nature of hypocrisy. Why did the school think she had to be confirmed to perform a leadership role? How much was she prepared to compromise in order to take on a leadership role? Salthouse says it was a pivotal moment in her life and a difficult decision for a teenager to make. To this day, she is not sure that she made the right decision, but she did compromise and became head prefect in 1966.\nAfter completing secondary school, Salthouse enrolled in Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne in 1967. Inspired by the 'green revolution' of the 1960s, she wanted to further her understanding of the environment and at the time, agriculture seemed like the best way of combining her love for science with a passion for environmental issues. After graduating, she worked as a field officer for the (then) Victorian State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, where she mainly did scientific writing. Although she enjoyed this work, what she really wanted was a job that enabled her to travel. So in 1972 she completed a Diploma of Education at La Trobe University. Here, she engaged in political ideas and innovative teaching methods that focused on flexible learning environments and a view of education as an instrument of change.\nAfter a placement at Lorne Higher Elementary School in Victoria, Salthouse moved to Alice Springs High School where, amongst Aboriginal communities she learnt profound lessons about the power of education as an instrument against discrimination and a path towards self determination. Working with women in these communities, she gained an appreciation of their openness, their wisdom, their respectfulness and their capacity for listening and understanding. She credited this experience with her own emerging conceptualisation of leadership as facilitation. For Salthouse, the hallmark of a good leader was someone who is able to consult and connect in order to solve a problem. It might be a more complex way of achieving outcomes than traditional authoritative models, but she believed it to be the most effective way of proceeding in the sector she knew best, non-government organisations: no one person can possess all the skills required to lead in this area, especially in advocacy organisations, so a good leader recognises the skills in the collective, nurtures them and calls upon them when required. This non-hierarchical 'hub and spoke' model associated with early feminist organisations was something she first gained an appreciation of when working in Alice Springs. As well as learning from Aboriginal communities, she was an early member of the Alice Springs chapter of the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL).\nAfter the Alice Springs experience, Salthouse travelled overseas to Kathmandu to trek in the Himalayas. There she met the man she would marry (a widower with children). The family spent another 3 years in Nepal (1978-81) and 3 years in Italy (1985-88), before returning to live in Canberra in Australia. She was not on any confirmed career path and was relatively happy taking the time to look after the family, while her husband pursued his career in aid organisations. When their marriage broke down, she returned to teaching. Despite the barriers to advancement that existed for women teachers in the ACT, in the early 1990s she felt she had a good career ahead of her as a teacher.\nIn April 1995, Salthouse had her accident. After a lengthy period of rehabilitation, she returned to teaching but found that she had lost confidence in her ability to do the job and felt isolated from other staff members in ways she had not expected. The principal helped her to move towards what she calls 'a graceful retirement'. Around this time she met Carolyn Frohmader from Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) through her wish to become involved in sport for people with disabilities. Frohmader asked if she would like to work for them and the rest, as they say, is history. For most of her life in a wheelchair, Sue Salthouse was involved with WWDA. She was president for a term in 2009 -2012.\nSalthouse always had a commitment to social justice issues and her immersion in the world of disability advocacy provided her with new perspectives on how best to work for, and on behalf of, people who feel powerless and discriminated against. Disability is not a medical problem, it is a human rights issue and 'the work of WWDA is grounded in a rights based framework that links gender and disability issues to the full range of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights'. (WWDA Annual report 2009-2010). Salthouse was proud of the leading role WWDA took in creating this framework at an international level, a prime example being its work to ensure that a specific article on Women (Article 6) was included in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a Treaty ratified by Australia in 2008.\nAs far as Salthouse was concerned the strength and efficacy of WWDA has always been its people and their commitment to the issues, rather than their egos. This is not to say that individuals are not forthright in stating a case they strongly believe in. 'Leaders must have presence,' she says. 'They can't be too self-effacing' (Interview). But they must speak from the group and towards the outcome. Creating a structure where all members of an organisation feel they can contribute to a discussion, where the issue is what is important, not the person who promotes it in public, was the type of leadership Salthouse aimed to provide.\nLeadership training for women with disabilities was also important, according to Salthouse. 'It's crucial that WWDA empowers and endorses women with disabilities in leadership roles.' (WWDA Annual report 2009-2010) They must 'have a seat at the table', not only because the voices of women with disabilities must be heard but because there is enormous symbolic importance attached to women with disabilities being seen to be leaders. They need to be able to demonstrate to themselves and the able-bodied people around them 'I look like you, only sitting down'. (Interview).\nSue Salthouse was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 for significant service as an advocate for people with disability, and to the prevention of family violence.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-report-2009-2010\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sue-salthouse-interviewed-by-nikki-henningham-in-the-women-and-leadership-in-a-century-of-australian-democracy-oral-history-project-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Gascoigne, Rosalie Norah King", "Entry ID": "AWE4892", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gascoigne-rosalie-norah-king\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Auckland, New Zealand", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Artist", "Summary": "New Zealand-born Australian artist Rosalie Gascoigne, is acclaimed as one of Australasia's most significant artists. She moved to the Australian Capital Territory in 1943 and remained there for the rest of her life. With no formal art training apart from studying sogetsu ikebana, Gascoigne held her first solo exhibition in Canberra in 1974 aged 57 and four years later was the first Australian woman to be invited to the Venice Biennale. By the time of her death in 1999 she boasted work in the collections of all Australian and New Zealand major galleries, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; she has been shown in public exhibitions in Europe and Asia. Gascoigne's work, made with found objects, was inspired by her feelings for the Monaro region in which she lived.\n", "Details": "Rosalie Norah King Walker was born on 25 January 1917 in her parents' home in Remuera, an affluent suburb in Auckland, New Zealand She was the second of three children. Gascoigne's mother, Australian-born Marion Hamilton (Sarah) Walker (born Metcalfe) (1882-1969), was a university graduate and high school teacher from a well-to-do professional family which had emigrated to New Zealand from England via Australia. Her New Zealand-born father, Stanley King Walker (1883-1960), was an automotive engineer who spent time in San Francisco learning his trade and experienced the 1906 earthquake.\nWhen Gascoigne was 5 her parents separated and Marion Walker took her children to live with her mother, Jessie Metcalfe in the same suburb. During Gascoigne's childhood Marion Walker taught at Epsom Girls' Grammar, a local public school. Gascoigne often referred to her feeling that the adults in her childhood had little time for her: \"you were seen and not heard a lot, because people didn't have time for you.\"(Australian Biography, 1999, tape 1) There is a strong outsider narrative in the stories Gascoigne later told of her life. As a child she felt different from the others in her family because she was outgoing, enjoyed the outdoors and liked making things whereas the others tended to be more solitary and enjoy reading. Her later self and public identification as an artist apparently eased the sense of being out-of-step or different and she often quoted Picasso who said an artist is born, not made.\nDuring summer holidays on Waiheke Island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, the young Rosalie collected seashells - the beginning of her lifelong habit of collecting multiples of things she found in nature. At Remuera Primary School she won a flower arranging competition with buttercups in a brass vase - a harbinger of her later love for flowers and composition that led to her art making. At Epsom Girls' Grammar School she made friends who remained with her throughout her life through regular letters and trans Tasman visits.\nGascoigne majored in English literature at Auckland University, graduating with a BA in 1939 and after a further year at Auckland Teachers' College she taught at Auckland Girls' Grammar School. Her love of English literature, in particular poetry, influenced her later art which she frequently referred to as 'stammering concrete poetry.' It was at Auckland University that she met Sydney Charles Bartholomew 'Ben' Gascoigne (1915-2010) whom she later married.\nBen Gascoigne had moved to Australia in 1942 where he was engaged in wartime optics work at the Commonwealth Solar Observatory, Mt Stromlo on the Monaro plain near Canberra. Rosalie proposed to him by letter and on 9 January 1943 they married at St John's Church, Reid, on 9 January 1943.\nAccustomed to Auckland's cityscape, its lush green volcanic hills, blue harbours and sober coloured, melodious birds, the Monaro's crisp dry landscape, intense summer heat, great blonde paddocks, and bright screeching birds stunned Gascoigne. For some years she felt dislocated and isolated in this radically different environment and she felt an outsider in the small Stromlo community:\nI think being a New Zealander made me an outsider. \u2026 We're different people you know. We were, especially in those times, and you wanted your own people around you. (Australian Biography, 1999, tape 2 )\nI was fairly desperate for something that I could associate with. And \u2026 nature was my friend. (Australian Biography, 1999, tape 1) \u2026 I looked long and hard at a very ordinary piece of Australian countryside, and tried to wring visual interest and variety out of what I saw there. It was mostly grass, weeds, dead wood, rocks and pine trees \u2026 It was a good apprenticeship (Wesley, 1972, p. 39). \nGascoigne eventually came to love the freedom of the Monaro landscape - \"the width and the rock under your feet and the high sky\" (Ibid, tape 3) and it was the inspiration for her art. She described nature as her friend.\nThe Gascoigne children - Martin, Thomas ('Toss') and Hester were all born at the Canberra Hospital during Gascoigne's first 6 years in Australia. Gascoigne grew flowers on Stromlo to meet her need for colour and beauty. She collected stones and grass and old pieces of iron and displayed them on her mantelpiece because she \"needed things to look at\". Her flower-arranging skills became known in Canberra and she was sought after to make civic arrangements, lecture and teach flower arranging; Dame Patty Menzies was once one of her pupils in Canberra.\nFrom 1962 to 1969 Gascoigne studied the formal Japanese art of sogetsu ikebana with Japanese-trained Australian master Norman Sparnon. She found that ikebana \"gave form. From practising ikebana\", she said, \"I got the vision of how to use the things I liked.\" (Eagle, p. 132 in Rosalie Gascoigne: plain air, 2004, p. 38).\nBut ikebana's limitations eventually impelled Gascoigne to experiment with sculpture and installations. Her friendship with nature, growing love of the Monaro and passion for collecting led her to work with any discarded materials that she found and liked - materials such as old bits of iron, animal bones, sticks, dollies found in local dumps, formboard plywood from building sites, discarded reflective road signs and the signature theme parrots cut from Arnott's biscuit packets. The materials were all scavenged, as was Gascoigne's preference, - she said \"I like getting things in from the paddock. They've had the sun, they've had the rain, it's real stuff\" (Fenneley, 1998).\nTo find this 'real stuff', Gascoigne roamed the Monaro paddocks, rubbish tips and roadsides in her hunt for materials. Accompanying friends included poet Rosemary Dobson, artist Ingo Kleinert, writer Mildred Kirk.\nDuring the 1960s her elder son, Martin Gascoigne, who had begun collecting art, introduced his mother to James Mollison who was to become the first director of the National Gallery of Australia. Mollison became an important mentor and guide for Gascoigne in her art making.\nIn 1969 the Gascoignes moved to a house in Pearce designed for them by leading Canberra architect, Theo Bischof. The new house, with its freedom of space and light, freed her art making and Gascoigne's art took off in a new way.\nDuring 1970-1971 she made large installations from animal bones, one of which was exhibited at the Academy of Science, Canberra in 1972; in the early 1970s, after discovering a treasure trove of \"30 beautiful old weathered bee boxes\" (Gellatly, 2008, p.14) she found at an abandoned apiary, Gascoigne adopted box constructions as practical means of anchoring the objects in her assemblages.\nAfter her first solo exhibition - at Macquarie Galleries, Canberra in 1974 - James Mollison requested four pieces for the Philip Morris Arts Grant touring collection and in 1975 painter Michael Taylor who had been teaching at the Canberra School of Art (now the ANU School of Art) nominated her for the 'Artists' Choice', a group show in Sydney. Critics praised her work and over the following years there were further solo exhibitions around Australia including a survey of her work at the National Gallery of Victoria.\nBy the 1980s Gascoigne made fewer three dimensional objects. Moving into 2-dimensions, she pared her work right back, stripping away anything extraneous. Her art moved towards abstraction (O'Brien in Rosalie Gascoigne: plain air, 2004, p. 11) and grid patterns likened by Mildred Kirk to Agnes Martin's grids of colour, texture and shape (Ibid, p. 11).\nAwarded an Order of Australia in 1994 for services to art, Gascoigne was an integral part of the Canberra art community. Painter Marie Hagerty and sculptor Jan Brown numbered among close friends. Artist Peter Vandermark was her studio assistant and friend. She was invited to speak to students at the ANU School of Art on numerous occasions and entertained the art community at her home prior to exhibitions of her work.\nFeeling was a central part of Gascoigne's work. She often referred to Wordsworth's notion \" 'about emotion remembered in tranquillity.' \u2026 it's not a question of just making pictures \u2026 it's expressing something.\" (Gascoigne pp. 35-44, in Rosalie Gascoigne, 2008, p. 47). Gascoigne's art expressed her feelings about the Monaro and sometimes echoed her feelings about the Auckland volcanic hills, harbours and beaches of her childhood and early adulthood. As art historian Deborah Clark writes, \"Literally drawn from the landscape Gascoigne observed and travelled, her materials gave shape to her art which in turn gave shape to her experience, remade as landscape. \u2026 over time she realised a way of seeing and the vivid means to express it.\" (Clark in Rosalie Gascoigne , 2008, p. 33). With her fresh eyes Gascoigne presented Australians with a new way of experiencing the Monaro landscape.\nRosalie Gascoigne died on 25 October 1999 at the John James Hospital in Canberra. She was diagnosed with cancer shortly after a visit to Auckland where she was a guest of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o T\u0101maki as speaker at the \"Home and Away - Contemporary Australian and New Zealand Art from the Chartwell Collection\" exhibition in which her work \"Big Yellow\" (1988) featured; she died just three months later.\nGascoigne brought a seasoned savoir-faire to her art. Light and shadow coloured her Auckland childhood. The shock of migration and the years of isolation on Stromlo, marriage and motherhood, her friendship with nature and love of found objects, and the rigour of sogetsu ikebana are all pieces of who Gascoigne became.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituaries-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/toi-toi-toi-three-generations-of-artists-from-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/what-is-contemporary-art\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/where-science-meets-art-bischoff-and-the-gascoigne-house\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-1917-1999\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/market-profile-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-the-studio-of-rosalie-gascoigne-the-australian-national-university-drill-hall-gallery\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-material-as-landscape\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/landscape-of-shards\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-life-of-things-rosalie-gascoigne-at-gallery-a-sydney\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-1917-1999-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/that-sidling-sight-wondering-about-the-art-of-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/new-zealand-lives-the-new-zealand-families-of-rosalie-gascoigne-and-of-ben-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-her-new-zealand-origins\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/colin-mccahon-victory-over-death\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-4\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-5\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/diverse-visions-twelve-australian-mid-to-late-career-artists-charles-blackman-mike-brown-ray-cooke-rosalie-gascoigne-inge-king-robert-klippel-les-kossatz-alun-leach-jones-john-perceval-gare\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-6\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/perceived-differently-rosalie-gascoigne-david-jensz-mark-grey-smith-wendy-teakel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/songs-of-the-australian-landscape-the-art-and-spirituality-of-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/different-means-to-similar-ends-rosalie-gascoigne-and-agnes-martin\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-colin-mccahon-sense-of-place\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/two-artists-rosalie-gascoigne-ii-memphis-wood\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-7\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-8\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/roadrunner-rosalie-gascoigne-city-gallery-wellington-to-may-16\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-colin-mccahon-sense-of-place-ivan-dougherty-gallery-sydney-the-ian-potter-gallery-melbourne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-return-to-poetry-1999-poems-chosen-by-ruth-cracknell-et-al\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-9\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/survey-2-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/expanse-aboriginalities-spatialities-and-the-politics-of-ecstasy-an-exhibition\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-plain-air\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/of-magpie-song-faded-things-and-the-desert-music-the-concrete-poetry-assemblage-art-of-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-great-blond-paddocks\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/artists-choice-rosalie-gascoigne-earth-9\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/gascoignes-collected-works\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-metropolis\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/james-gleeson-interviews-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-10\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-11\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-12\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-landscape-place-memory-experience\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/home-and-away\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-artist\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-arts-show-gascoigne-country\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-artist-profile\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/discovery-rosalie-gascoigne\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/essay-by-mary-eagle\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rosalie-gascoigne-interviewed-by-helen-topliss-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-rosalie-gascoigne-1930-2011-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ben-gascoigne-1938-2007-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Cullen, Ngingali", "Entry ID": "AWE4893", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cullen-ngingali\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Maralinga, South Australia, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Aboriginal rights activist, Community development worker, Health worker, Nurse", "Summary": "Ngingali Cullen, who was formerly known as Audrey Kinnear, was a co-chair of the National Sorry Day Committee that worked to achieve wide recognition of the wrongs suffered by Aboriginal people across Australia. Although scarred by the policies of forced removal of Aboriginal children from their families, it was healing those wounds that was her constant preoccupation. A proposal initiated by her led to the Journey of Healing campaign launched by the National Sorry Day Committee in 1999.\n", "Details": "Born at Ooldea Soak in Maralinga lands, in the south-east corner of the Nullabor Plain, Ngingali Cullen (formerly Audrey Kinnear) was the youngest of four children born to May Cobby, a Yankunjatjara woman. 'Born into the oldest culture in the world,' she explains, 'I had the honour of a traditional Aboriginal birth; no doctor, no birth certificate.' (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud) When she was four years old, she was wrenched from her family and placed in the Koonibba Lutheran Mission Home near Ceduna on the coast, over 300 km from the lands. Her brother was one of fifty other children in that home, her sister Mabel was in a different home in Ooldea. Loran, her older sister, escaped the attention of the police and native welfare officers by hiding under rugs or hollow trees whenever they came calling. She grew up with her mother on her lands and became a woman of status, who eventually helped Ngingali back to contact with her family in her lands.\nLife at Koonibba, a so-called 'half-castes' home, was dormitory based, disciplined, institutionalised but, on a daily basis, 'reasonably happy'. (Interview), Religion provided the platform for their education, but Ngingali bears the Lutheran missionaries no ill will. 'They were simply carrying out the wishes of the Government,' she says, claiming that the Lutherans were amongst her strongest supporters and best friends as her career developed and her quest for identity progressed. (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud) The Lutheran church did provide her with things that she still appreciates - a love of music, education, social skills and friendship. 'But the loneliness and knowing your were different was inescapable.' (Interview),\nNgingali shone at school and after completing primary school went to boarding school in Adelaide. She was the first Aboriginal girl to attend Concordia, a Lutheran boarding college. She then went on to train as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital where Lowitja O'Donoghue was a charge nurse, moving on to work in South Australian Hospitals, the Trans-Australian Rail Health Clinic and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). She enjoyed her training, liked living in Adelaide and navigated her way through the world of white people, accepting that to be like them would be 'the way to happiness'. (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud)\nWhen she graduated in 1964, she felt drawn to work in the hospital at Port Augusta, one of only two Aboriginal people on staff. It was here that the reality of race relations in Australia hit her. The discrimination against aboriginal people who lived on the mission five miles out of town, the unnecessary deaths of Aboriginal babies who were denied basic health services; the attitudes towards Aboriginal people on Port Augusta were markedly different from what she has experienced in Adelaide. She was married, rearing a family of her own, working in a job she loved but a crisis of identity that she had managed to keep repressed for several years came to the surface. 'I was working in a doctor's surgery at the time, accepted by the white community, a success. But inside I was so fragile. There was a big part of me missing,' she recalled some years later. ((Standing Tall and Feeling Proud)\nNgingali was already suffering when she learned that her mother was alive and living on the reserve outside Port Augusta. 'After all those years without seeing her I was a nervous wreck, I couldn't go to her. It was my [first] husband, Laurie who made the firsy contact.' (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud) Slowly and emotionally, Ngingali reconnected with her mother, extended family and her lands.\nBut a year later, tragedy struck and the outcome proved to be the catalyst for Ngingali's turn to activism on behalf of her people. Her mother disappeared in unexplained circumstances from outside a road house near Port Pirie and Ngingali used her knowledge of the system to force a coronial inquest to highlight the lack of police action in the search for an elderly Aboriginal woman. 'It nearly sent me over the edge to lose Mum so soon after finding her again,' she says. 'This is when I got off the fence and started speaking out for my people.' (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud)\nThis decision has lead to a long list of achievements. Ngingali Cullen brought RFDS to remote communities, managed welfare train cars, and Aboriginal alcohol rehabilitation units. She worked for the Drug and Alcohol Services Council of South Australia and for crisis-counselling services in the Port August jail and as a part-time commissioner in the South Australian Health Commission. She was instrumental in setting up a centre for Aboriginal women in Port Augusta and established regional health programs in northern South Australia. She was the linchpin for the Aboriginal community in Port Augusta.\nWhen she was elected a member of the Nulla Wanga Tjuta Regional Council (a part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)) in 1990, her focus began to shift to the national scene. When she was offered a job in Canberra in 1992 as a health policy officer for ATSIC she was ready for the challenge and took the offer, despite the difficulties associated with leaving Port Augusta. She was important to the community, as it was to her. But her children were grown and she felt is was time to do something new, for her sake and for the Aboriginal community at large. Her work with ATSIC now took her all over Australia, evaluating the national Aboriginal health strategy.\nWhen Sir Ron Wilson and Mick Dodson inquired into the separation policies that affected the lives people like Cullen and published the Bringing Them Home report, the media sought stories from the stolen generations, Ngingali was one of those they turned to. She was seconded to the Office of Indigenous affairs, to the National Sorry Day Committee and was at the forefront of Canberra's preparations for the first 'sorry day', on May 26, 1998. The campaign caught national attention, and nearly a million people signed 'sorry books'.\nAfter the first sorry day, many of the stolen generations met in Sydney, and Cullen urged that they seize the moment to heal the wounds caused by the separation policies. She found a warm response, and the Journey of Healing was launched across Australia on May 26, 1999. When the Sorry Day Committee's co-chair, Carol Kendall, became too ill to continue, Cullen was elected to take her place. This campaign brought thousands of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians together in initiatives for healing and provided a mechanism by which the stolen generations' voice was heard throughout the next decade.\nAfter 250,000 people walked for reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the government agreed to remember the stolen generations at Reconciliation Place, Canberra. Cullen was vital to the process of helping indigenous groups and government reaching consensus over the design of the memorial and the text to accompany it. 'This memorial could be healing if it is created properly,' she told the then Minister, Philip Ruddock. (Champion of Healing) She proposed that teams travel the country, seeking the views of the stolen generations on the text of the memorial, and also seeking the views of the non-indigenous people who had staffed the institutions to which Aboriginal children were removed, and those who had fostered the children. The process resulted in text that the government did not prefer but, confronted with consensus, had no option but to accept it. Kevin Rudd's apology offered in 2008, and the generally positive response of the Australia community owes much to her inclusive approach and commitment to healing.\nAlthough she spent most of her life in South Australia, she came to love the city of Canberra and the opportunities it created. She loved coming to work and seeing Parliament House outside her window a building that gave her 'a magical feeling, like Uluru.' (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud). She died in a Canberra nursing home in 2012 survived by her second husband, Derick, her three children, and a legacy of healing. As she said quietly, of herself, in 1996, Ngingali Cullen 'came a long way for a kid who was born in the desert.' (Standing Tall and Feeling Proud)\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/champion-of-healing-and-sorry-day\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/standing-tall-and-feeling-proud\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/audrey-ngingali-kinnear-interviewed-by-francine-george-in-the-bringing-them-home-oral-history-project-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Bulger, Violet Josephine", "Entry ID": "AWE4896", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bulger-violet-josephine\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Brungle, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Aboriginal Elder", "Summary": "Violet Josephine Bulger (n\u00e9e Freeman) was among the first Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families under New South Wales' Aborigines Protection Act, 1909. She raised eight children on her own near Yass after being widowed in 1939 and went on to raise many of her grandchildren. She was respected as an Elder in the Canberra Aboriginal community until her death in 1993.\n", "Details": "Aunty Violet Josephine Bulger (n\u00e9e Freeman) was born on 25 August 1900 at the Aboriginal Station, Brungle, New South Wales (NSW). Her Wiradjuri parents, Frederick Freeman, tracker and stockman and Sarah Jane Freeman (n\u00e9e Broughton), midwife, had moved to Brungle from Gundagai where their first two children were born. Brungle was a large managed station in Wiradjuri country near Tumut where the Freemans were a significant family and Fred Freeman was a well-known \"Black Tracker\" (Read, 2000, p. 56). (Wiradjuri are Australian Aboriginal people \"originally from the land that is bordered by the Lachlan, Macquarie and Murrumbidgee rivers in Central New South Wales. The name Wiradjuri means, 'people of the three rivers.\" See http:\/\/about.nsw.gov.au\/encyclopedia\/article\/wiradjuri-people)\nAs a child Aunty Violet was forcibly removed from her parents under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 and placed in the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls. Aunty Violet's daughter, Ngunnawal Elder - Aunty Agnes Shea, described her mother's response when they asked what it had been like in the Girls' Home: \"She only told us a couple of things. She said she didn't want to poison our minds. \u2026 She said she'd get up at four o'clock in the morning, and she'd have to go and milk the cows with another young girl. She said they had no shoes, and on a cold frosty morning her feet would be nearly frost bitten, and they used to have to wait until the cows urinated so they could stand in it and warm their feet.\" (Brown, 2007, p. 93). Aunty Agnes said her mother would say, \"We went through it. We survived, and we were lucky enough to come home and find our families and our parents\" and then she would 'close like a book.' (Brown, 2007, p. 93).\nAunty Violet subsequently spent much of her life working in domestic service apart from one period when she worked as a stockwoman on her traditional lands and assisted her father in rounding up brumbies (Auslit, 2011). During the times she worked with her father he taught her to play the autoharp, button accordion and piano accordion.\nAunty Violet was 25 years old when she married Edward Walter 'Vincent' Bulger at Brungle on 13 October 1925. Presbyterian Minister A. Crowther Smith celebrated the wedding; the witnesses were Ada Rose Freeman and Aunty Violet's father, Fred Freeman. Aunty Violet and Vincent Bulger moved to Oak Hill near Yass where they lived in a one-roomed earth floor gunje with no electricity or running water in open land on the stock route. For warmth they lined the gunje's stringy bark walls with corn bags from the local mill and newspaper supplied by the bread deliveryman. Water for washing and bathing was collected from a local dam. Around 1938 the family were moved to the Hollywood Aboriginal Reserve (commonly referred to as the Hollywood Mission) in Yass where they were provided with improved housing. (\"In 1883 the Aborigines Protection Board was established to manage the reserves and control the lives of the estimated 9,000 Aboriginal people in NSW at that time. The Board took over the reserves at Maloga and Warangesda. After the Australian Capital Territory was established in 1911 the Board compelled all Aboriginal people in the Territory (including those who had been granted land for farming) to move to the Egerton Mission Station at Yass. When that mission closed two years later the residents became fringe-dwellers on the outskirts of Yass until another forced move to Hollywood Mission in 1934. The few Aboriginal children who lived in the ACT came under the control of the NSW Protection Board.\" See http:\/\/www.hreoc.gov.au\/social_justice\/bth_report\/report\/ch3.html for more detail.)\nAt a time when Aboriginal women were not permitted entry to maternity hospitals, Aunty Violet's mother Sarah 'Sal' Freeman (n\u00e9e Broughton) who had been trained as a midwife by a Tumut doctor, taught her daughters midwifery skills so that they could handle emergencies on the reserves where they lived. Many women at the Hollywood Reserve benefited from Aunty Violet's skills.\nVincent Bulger died suddenly on Christmas Eve 1939, leaving Aunty Violet with eight children ranging in age from teenagers to toddlers. She was given special permission to take on domestic work in town. When rheumatic fever forced her to give this up, her second eldest son - Vincent Bulger junior, left school so he could work and support the family. The family was able to stay together at this time thanks to the intervention of the Reserve schoolteacher who encouraged Aunty Violet's eldest daughter, Agnes (now Ngunnawal elder, Aunty Agnes Shea) to bring the preschool siblings to school with her. Once Aunty Violet had recovered, Aunty Agnes recalls \"the authorities came and told her she had to be moved off the Mission, because she was now a single mother and she was a bad influence on the rest of the community. So they moved us.\" (Brown, p. 86. This was clearly the family understanding. To date research has not found a record of any such official policy but unofficial local policies were not unknown on Aboriginal Reserves.)\nAunty Violet and her children moved to Oakhill on the outskirts of Yass where they \"managed to build a rudimentary house\u2026 Times were tough for a widowed mother with young children.\" (Catholic Voice, September 1993). There was no social welfare provided in those days. Aunty Agnes Shea recalls that \"mum was lucky enough to get recognised and respected by the community and was given permission to do domestic work for non-indigenous families by the authorities.\" (AIATSIS NTRU Conference 2010 ). Son, Vincent Bulger, laughed when he remembered how they supplemented their diet with what they could catch - \"You'd go out and get two rabbit, clean them and salt them and have them for Sunday dinner in the camp oven.\" (Locke, 2010).\nAunty Violet's eldest child, Walter, was taken away from the family when he was a teenager because the authorities deemed home conditions unsuitable for him. Walter was placed in homes in Goulburn and then Sydney where he died. Aunty Agnes Shea remembers visiting her brother in the homes, and her mother's heartbreak that she was not permitted to care for him at home.\nSome of Aunty Violet's family had moved back to the Tumut-Brungle area in the 1940s and she followed them there in the 1970s. Later, during the mid-1980s \"as advancing years and ill health took their inevitable toll\" (Catholic Voice, September 1993), Aunty Violet moved to Canberra where she was respected by the local Ngunnawal people as an Elder. Initially she lived on her own at Isabella Plains, then with her younger son Joseph before moving to Monash where she lived with her daughter Aunty Agnes Shea. Aunty Violet's declining health coincided with health issues for Aunty Agnes who, after family consultation, established her mother at Morling Lodge in Red Hill where the family organised a roster that ensured Aunty Violet had family for company every day. Aunty Agnes says her mother was treated by Morling Lodge staff with as much respect as if she were a queen.\nAunty Violet died in Red Hill, Canberra on 31 July 1993 leaving her five (of eight) surviving children, fifty-six grandchildren, 196 great-grandchildren and fifty great-great-grandchildren. The Catholic Voice reported that \"the large numbers of people at her funeral, at St Augustine's Church, Yass on Friday 6 August was testimony to the love and respect Violet Bulger inspired.\" (Catholic Voice, September 1993).\nTwo of Aunty Violet's children are respected Aboriginal Elders and activists. Daughter, Aunty Agnes Shea OAM, is a Ngunnawal elder in the ACT and son Vincent Bulger OAM is a Wiradjuri elder in Tumut NSW (Koori Mail, 2007, p. 4). (Wiradjuri Elder Vince Bulger, of Tumut, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of the Tumut Shire through activities promoting Indigenous culture, tradition and reconciliation, teaching appreciation of the natural environment, and through support for elderly and infirm people. Mr Bulger performs traditional smoking and Welcome to Country ceremonies. He has been a foundation member of the Tumut Shire Council's Aboriginal Liaison Committee for many years. He is also a current foundation member of the Brungle\/Tumut Aboriginal Land Council and a former ATSIC regional councillor. The subject of a documentary 'A Walk With Uncle Vince - A Matter of Respect' by J Walker and M Campigli, Mr Bulger speaks to schools and community groups about Aboriginal culture. He organises housing, transport and shopping for older Aboriginal people.)\nIn December 1993 under the ACT Public Place Names Act 1989, a 5787m2 park between Marungul Avenue, Patten Street and Samuels Crescent in the then new ACT suburb Ngunnawal was named Violet's Park in Aunty Violet's honour.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/agnes-bulger-shea\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/freedom-and-control-on-the-southern-institutions-new-south-wales-1879-1909\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-life-lived-for-love-of-family\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/honours-for-two-elders\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/deaths-bulger-mr-vincent\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/public-place-names-act\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stolen-generations-factsheet\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/human-rights-and-equal-opportunity-report-bringing-them-home-report-of-the-national-inquiry-into-the-separation-of-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-children-from-their-families\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wiradjuri-people\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bringing-back-the-inland-fish\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aboriginal-womens-heritage-brungle-and-tumut\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/meet-some-elders-agnes-bulger-shea-oam\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Stevenson, Mary", "Entry ID": "AWE4899", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stevenson-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Maybole, Ayrshire, Scotland", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community worker, Political candidate", "Summary": "Mary Stevenson was the first woman elected to the ACT Advisory Council and the President and founding member of the ACT Liberal Party Women's Branch. She was a lifelong advocate for women's involvement in politics and community affairs. As well as having a full and impressive political career, she devoted a great deal of time to community organisations such as the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the National Council of Women, the Business and Professional Women's Association and the United Nations' Association. She was awarded an MBE in 1954.\n", "Details": "Mary Stevenson was born in Maybole, Scotland in 1896. She attended the North Kelvinside School in Glasgow and after receiving her leaving certificate managed a successful local business.\nShe married Robert Stevenson in January 1925 and in March of the same year emigrated to Australia. They initially lived in Queanbeyan and in 1926 settled in the suburb now known as Griffith. They lived the rest of their lives in their home called \"Braeside\". Soon after moving to Braeside, their only son John Stevenson was born.\nStevenson's first venture into political life in Australia was as a member of the Citizens' Rights League, which was established in 1927 to secure Federal parliamentary representation for the ACT. As a member of the CRL, she took part in a delegation to Prime Minister John Curtin to advocate for an ACT seat in Federal Parliament. She was a strong supporter of full federal voting power for the ACT, as well as for democratic local government. On this point she was quoted as saying, \"we cannot develop good citizenship or proper pride if we do not have some measure of responsibility.\"\nDuring the Second World War she served as Commandant of No 750 Voluntary Aid Detachment. In recognition of her work for the VDA she received a citation from Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the wife of the wartime Governor General, Prince Henry. At the same time, she was an Executive Member of the ACT Division of the Red Cross Society and received a Red Cross Medal.\nShe also served as a Board Member of the YWCA of Canberra during the war, and as President from 1940 to 1942. The 80th Anniversary Apron for the YWCA of Canberra features a quote from Mary: \"\u2026we strive to give women a design for living, a design that will show them how to live fearlessly\u2026\".\nIn 1947 she became the first woman elected to the board of the Canberra Community Hospital, where she served for several terms. At this time she also served on the ACT Tourist Bureau Advisory Board and became the first Girl Guides Divisional Commissioner for the ACT and surrounding districts.\nShe was a founding member of the Canberra Brach of the Liberal Party, established 27 January 1949.\nOn 24 June 1949, at the Gloucester Hotel in Civic, she convened the inaugural meeting of the ACT Liberal Party Women's Branch, which was attended by 24 women. She later became the President of the Women's Branch and an executive member of the New South Wales branch of the Liberal Party.\nIn 1951 she became the first woman elected to the ACT Advisory Council, a forerunner of the ACT Legislative Assembly, representing the Liberal Party. She served on the council until 1959. She also served as President of the ACT Liberal Party Electorate Conference.\nIn 1953 she received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal for her ongoing contributions to Canberra's community.\nIn 1954 she stood as the Liberal Party candidate for the federal seat of the ACT. She campaigned for the need for more public halls, community centres, theatres and art gallery's in Canberra; the involvement of women in the design of Canberra houses; an expanded local bus service; and a highway to the coast. She also believed in worldwide membership to the United Nations and fair, uniform divorce laws.\nThat same year she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), in recognition of her outstanding public work for Canberra's community.\nOn top of those already mentioned, she was committed to a range of community organisations, including the National Council of Women, the Business and Professional Women's Association, the United Nations' Association, the Soroptimists, the Victoria League, the Sub-Normal and Incapacitated Children's Association, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Pan-Pacific's Women's Association.\nShe died in Canberra on 3 July 1985.\nHer granddaughter is Meredith Hunter, politician and previous member of the ACT Legislative Assembly representing the Greens.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mary-stevenson-canberras-pioneer-liberal-woman\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/faith-hope-and-charity-australian-women-and-imperial-honours-1901-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-mary-steel-stevenson-community-worker-and-politician-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Tillyard, Pattie", "Entry ID": "AWE4900", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tillyard-pattie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Borstal, Kent, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community Leader, Teacher", "Summary": "A student of Newnham College, Cambridge, and a suffragist, Pattie Craske completed a natural sciences degree in botany with second-class honours at a time when the university did not grant degrees to women. After teaching in England, she married Australian entomologist, Robin Tillyard, in Sydney. In 1928, by then the mother of four daughters, she moved to the small, isolated community of Canberra where she became a leader in community, sporting and university organisations and was elected to the Canberra Community Hospital Board in 1935. She was the social face of the growing city, renowned for her welcome to newcomers, in later years being regarded as the 'grande dame' of Canberra.\n", "Details": "A student of Newnham College, Cambridge, and a suffragist, Pattie Craske completed a natural sciences degree in botany with second-class honours at a time when the university did not grant degrees to women. After teaching in England, she married Australian entomologist, Robin Tillyard, in Sydney. In 1928, by then the mother of four daughters, she moved to the small, isolated community of Canberra where she became a leader in community, sporting and university organisations and was elected to the Canberra Community Hospital Board in 1935. She was the social face of the growing city, renowned for her welcome to newcomers, in later years being regarded as the 'grande dame' of Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tillyard-pattie-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Parsons, Sylvia", "Entry ID": "AWE4908", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/parsons-sylvia\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Gunning, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Business owner, Dressmaker", "Summary": "Sylvia Parsons was a dressmaker and women's fashion retailer who owned a popular dress shop in Kingston during the second half of the twentieth century. Parsons was active in the Canberra community and hosted regular fundraising fashion shows for local charities.\n", "Details": "Sylvia May Parsons was born into one of the capital region's earliest settler families, the Johnsons, on a property near Gunning, New South Wales on 5 July 1911.\nShe was a talented pianist and in 1935 was accepted as an associate into the Royal Victoria College of Music, London. She continued to teach piano until after World War II.\nIn 1941 she married a Royal Australian Air Force officer, John Parsons, and moved to Canberra. At the end of the war, the Parsons purchased and built a red brick war service home in the newly formed inner-south suburb of Narrabundah. They had one son, Peter Parsons.\nDuring the war, Parsons taught Home Economics at Kingston Technical College, specialising in dressmaking and design. Immediately after the war, she worked for local businessman Stan Cusack in his Kingston furniture store.\nIn 1948 she opened her own fashion house on Kennedy Street in Kingston, Sylvia Parsons of Canberra Fashions, where she offered a design and dressmaking service, as well as selling clothes off the rack. One of the first fashion salons in Canberra to make high quality women's wear, Parsons' shop was immediately successful. While the Kingston shop remained her flagship (and favourite) store, trading from 1948 to 1996, eventually the Sylvia Parsons enterprise expanded to include shops in three other locations across Canberra: Manuka (1950 - 1955), Civic (1955 - 1963) and Woden (1972 - 1990).\nParsons is believed to have sold clothing to the Great Train Robber, Ronald Biggs, when he was on the run from the British police in 1966.\nParsons' canny business skills, spirited personality, and community consciousness ensured that she maintained a loyal clientele for almost fifty years.\nThroughout her career, Parsons funded and organised exactly 99 fashion shows to raise money for local charities, including Canberra's first Gown of the Year parade. Parsons and her fashion shows were hugely popular, with the last parade drawing an audience of 1250 people. Parsons was also involved in the local chapter of the Soroptimists Club.\nIn 1997 Parsons made a significant financial donation, as well as an oral history, to the Canberra Museum and Gallery. This contribution prompted the Gallery's collection of historical materials relating to private commerce in Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sylvia-parsons-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/parsons-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fashioned-here\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-sylvia-parsons-womens-fashion-retailer-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0138-heide-smith-photographs-the-canberrans\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Liepa, Zenta", "Entry ID": "AWE4910", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/liepa-zenta\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Riga, Latvia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Refugee, Research assistant", "Summary": "A former World War II refugee from Latvia, Zenta was asked to work at the CSIRO to assist communication between a Ukrainian refugee entomologist and his work colleagues. Working in CSIRO Entomology, specialising in assisting those working with Diptera (flies), became the rest of her life's work. Her assistance was so valued that there are now at least two genera and 19 species named in her honour.\n", "Details": "Zenta's mother died at her birth so she was brought up by a grandmother and an aunt. The aunt worked for the government-run telephone company while her father, from a farming family, had become a shopkeeper in Riga. When Zenta was aged 13, her life was interrupted by war: Soviet troops entered her homeland on 17 June 1940. In June 1941 at least 15,000 Latvians, identified as 'anti-Soviet elements' were deported to Siberia, and shortly afterwards, the Germans drove out the Soviet forces. Zenta's older brother was conscripted into the Latvian Legion, part of the Waffen SS, the armed wing of the Nazi Party, and was killed by the Soviets outside Riga in 1944.\nIn October 1944, an opportunity arose for Zenta to leave Riga when two German soldiers entered her father's shop for cigarettes and, seeing her in tears, advised her to be at their ship next morning, as it would be the last to leave Riga. Before dawn she walked with her aunt across Riga to the Daugava River bridge where the ship was preparing to cast off. Zenta departed Latvia on 4 October 1944 through the Soviet shelling of the city and its harbour, through the minefields of the Baltic, to the north German coast, as a deck passenger. She found her way to southern Germany and a transit camp in Dachau, near Munich, then further west to a munitions factory in the village of Leibi, near Ulm, until the end of the war. In 1945, she was sent further west again to a camp for displaced people in the town of Schwabische Gemund. From there she was able to continue her education at the nearby G\u00f6ppingen Latvian High School.\nIn 1946, she moved further west again, to the Esslingen displaced persons' camp where she finished high school and completed the qualification course for Swedish massage. She did not practise massage, working instead in the American Army Special Service Club in Esslingen as an assistant librarian. There she heard that the Australian Government wanted to resettle a group of the displaced persons. She saw it as a challenge to go to the other side of the world, as fulfillment of her aspiration to be an archaeologist, in which she had always expected a professional career of world-wide travelling.\nWithin two weeks, Zenta was on the ship to Australia. In this short period of time, she had travelled from the Esslingen camp to the Butzbach camp where a three-man Australian team was interviewing. Having been accepted and having passed her medical and security checks, she returned to Esslingen to pack her few belongings and from Butzbach was then sent north to a former Luftwaffe base near Bremerhaven.\nThe shipload of refugees assembled there was the first group of migrants of non-British origin ever to be selected by the Australian government. Their ship was the USAT General Stuart Heintzelman. It had been built as a troop transport for the US Army, so it was operated by the Army while crewed by the US Navy. Even though the four-week voyage was more like a holiday after seven years of war, there was military discipline on board. All of the passengers were expected to undertake some work such as translating the daily newsletter into their mother tongues and staffing the ship's library. In addition to reading, recreation focussed on music making, chess and nightly films and dances.\nThe voyage ended with the disembarkation of the Heintzelman's passengers at Fremantle on 28 November 1947. After four nights in Army camps in Perth, they boarded the Kanimbla, a former coastal steamer still under the control of the Australian Navy. They arrived at Port Melbourne on 7 December 1947 and disembarked the next day. By 9 December they were settling into another camp routine, this time at the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre, near Wodonga on the Murray River. Zenta's Bonegilla record card shows that she was sent to Canberra to work as a waitress at Acton Guest House only nine days later. She spent the rest of her life in Canberra.\nAfter the Acton Guest House, Zenta moved her workplace to Lawley House. It was there that she got talking with one of the residents, Dr Sergey Jacques Paramonov, who had worked in the Zoological Institute of the Ukrainian Academy of Science. During the war, he was deported to Germany together with other staff of the Academy, and after the war, found himself in Paris. Through a contact in the British Museum, he was offered a taxonomic position in the CSIRO's Entomology division and had arrived in Canberra in March 1947, some months before Zenta. Paramonov had sufficient English to read the scientific literature but not much practice in spoken English. Later, Zenta's boss wrote that Paramonov 'was a highly cultured man, fluent not only in his native Russian but also in his mother's French and the German of his science: but his English was awful! No doubt Zenta's general education played a part: but it seems very likely that her fluent German greatly influenced her next step, to a post as Paramonov's assistant in the Division of Entomology.'\nZenta commenced work with CSIRO as a temporary Laboratory Assistant in the Museum Section on 6 February 1950. Her position was made permanent after she obtained Australian citizenship on 11 June 1953. She used the application for citizenship to change her surname from Liepa-Liepins to Liepa.\nDon Colless, her supervisor, described her working life thus: 'During the next 10 years Paramonov passed on to Zenta his great skill and meticulous standards in the collection and preparation of specimens, as well as a wide acquaintance with the taxonomy and biology of the Diptera. In lab and field she served him faithfully while together they built up a magnificent collection of Australian Diptera. And from May 1960, she found herself attempting to pass on her acquired skills to Paramonov's successor (Colless) who arrived with a specialised knowledge of mosquitoes and little else! Nor did her service to Paramonov end there; for another 7 years she acted as his part-time assistant and especially during his last long illness, his factotum and loyal friend.\n'Apart from these technical services, Zenta established two important projects: a card catalogue of Australian Diptera and (on her own initiative) a gazetteer of Australian place names \u2026 Talents of this kind enabled her also to publish a valuable bibliography of Paramonov's voluminous taxonomic output (1969), and later to do most of the hard work in our co-authored catalogue of Oriental Mycetophilidae (1973). Eventually she became largely responsible for searching the current literature for taxonomically important papers and dealing with a wide variety of requests for material or information. For these services regular promotions brought her in 1982 to Senior Technical Officer Grade 2, the effective ceiling for her post.'\nIn 1962 Zenta took up part-time studies at the Australian National University, majoring in History and Political Science and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. She enrolled in a Master's degree course in 1968 but did not finish it. She became involved in Liberal Party politics both on and off campus. Don Colless said that her studies and political activities did not bring 'any reduction in the enthusiasm she brought to her work. She had, in fact, an enormous capacity for work that interested her. Perhaps her case might warn us, against too rigidly favouring the scientifically trained as assistants to taxonomists.'\nHer particular skill as an assistant was in sharing specimens of Diptera with her supervisors' colleagues. The upshot of this collaboration is that Zenta Liepa has had at least two genera (Lieparella and Zentula) and 19 species of flies named after her. In the case of Lieparella zentae, both the generic and specific names honour her. The list includes: Anabarhynchus liepae, Anagonia zentae, Aphyssura zentae, Aphyssura liepae, Austrothaumalea zentae, Axinia zentae, Diplotoxa liepae, Lieparella zentae, Dolichopeza zenta, Drosophila zentae, Exeretonevra zentae, Helina liepae, Merochlorops liepae, Molophilus zenta, Orthogonis zentae, Paramonova zentae, Phytobia liepae, Stylogaster liepae, Tanytarsus liepae, and Zentula vittata.\nIn addition to her political interests, Zenta was also an officer-bearer of the Institute of International Affairs. Her spare-time interests included volleyball, hockey (playing for Canberra), horse riding, lawn bowls, cricket, amateur theatre, stamp collecting, knitting, crochet, tapestry and weaving. She also wrote poetry, but should not be confused with another Latvian poet of the same name, born 11 years earlier in 1916, who continued to reside in Latvia.\nHaving been introduced to smoking by the freely available cigarettes in the American Zone of postwar Germany, Zenta developed lung cancer. She retired from the CSIRO on the grounds of ill health on 6 August 1986 and died fourteen months later, on 25 October 1987. In her will she left $68,680 to the Canberra Branch of the Latvian Relief Society Daugavas Vanagi.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/obituary-zenta-rosalia-liepa\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/liebelei\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lists-of-the-scientific-works-and-described-species-of-the-late-dr-sj-paramonov-with-location-of-types\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-rich-and-diverse-fauna-the-history-of-the-australian-national-insect-collection-1926-1991\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-tribute-to-sj-paramonov\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kanberas-latviesu-saime-piecdesmit-gadi-1947-1997-canberra-latvian-community-fifty-years-1947-1997\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/liepa-liepins-zenta-dob-22-january-1927\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/name-index-cards-migrants-registration-bonegilla\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Dobson, Hazel", "Entry ID": "AWE4941", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dobson-hazel\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Nurse, Public servant, Social worker", "Summary": "In 1948 Hazel Dobson was commissioned by the first Minister for Immigration, Arthur Calwell to investigate the living conditions and social problems of newly arrived refugees. Her report successfully recommended the employment by the Department of Immigration of professionally qualified social workers to assist migrants and refugees experiencing settlement difficulties. It also successfully recommended the enlistment of community organizations in helping new arrivals settle through what became the Good Neighbour Movement. She became the first Director of The Department of Immigration's Assimilation and Social Welfare Section and continued in that role until her death.\n", "Details": "Hazel Dobson was born in St Leonards, Sydney, the daughter of Robert and Agnes Dobson. After completing her Leaving Certificate at North Sydney Girls' High School, she trained as a nurse.\nShe then commenced a course in what was then called Social Study, offered in Sydney from 1929 by the Board of Social Study and Training. She graduated from it at the end of 1939.\nDuring 1942, she and H.E. Howes undertook a study of the wartime living conditions in the NSW town of Lithgow, where the expansion of the Small Arms Factory had caused a major population influx. Their study was published by the Industrial Welfare Division of the Department of Labour and National Service in 1943.\nHazel worked in Canberra with Arthur Calwell before his appointment as the first Minister for Immigration in 1945. In late 1948 she was asked to prepare a research report on the living conditions of aliens living in the community, and of refugees in the Department's Reception and Holding Centres.\nHer report successfully suggested that the Department employ professionally qualified social workers to assist migrants and refugees experiencing settlement difficulties. On 1 July 1949, she was appointed the first Officer in Charge, Assimilation and Social Welfare, by the Department of Immigration in Canberra. Her Section started with 39 positions for professionally qualified social workers, initially in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.\nHer report also successfully recommended that the Department co-opt community organisations to assist it in settling newly arrived migrants and refugees. The Good Neighbour Movement fulfilled this role Australia-wide from 1950 to about 1980, with Tasmanian branches operating still.\nHazel Dobson was described by one of her staff as 'a tall, handsome woman with shortish iron-grey hair, decisive but gently spoken, approachable and not at all intimidating, who was supportive of her staff and gave them a great deal of autonomy'. Based in Canberra, she headed the Assimilation and Social Welfare team until her death in about 1961.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/redefining-australians-immigration-citizenship-and-national-identity\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/alien-to-citizen-settling-migrants-in-australia-1945-75-allen-and-unwin-in-association-with-australian-archives\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/good-neighbor-to-aid-migrants\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/more-friendship-should-be-shown-to-migrants\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/social-workers-appointments\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/plan-to-assist-migrants-s-a-good-neighbor-committee-formed\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Anderson, Joan Mary (Jan)", "Entry ID": "AWE4953", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/anderson-joan-mary-jan\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Dunedin, New Zealand", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Plant biochemist, Research scientist", "Summary": "Read more about Jan Anderson in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ragbir-singh-bhathal-1949-2006-bulk-1996-1999-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Carr, Stella Grace Maisie", "Entry ID": "AWE5010", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/carr-stella-grace-maisie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Footscray, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Botanist, Ecologist", "Summary": "Read more about Stella Grace Maisie Carr in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Fanning, Pauline", "Entry ID": "AWE5075", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fanning-pauline\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Hobart, Tasmania, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Bibliographer, Librarian", "Summary": "Read more about Pauline Fanning in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-pauline-fanning-1839-2011-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pauline-fanning-interviewed-by-alec-bolton-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-pauline-fanning-former-national-library-of-australia-employee-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Jalland, Patricia (Pat)", "Entry ID": "AWE5148", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jalland-patricia-pat\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Manchester, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Historian", "Summary": "Read more about Pat Jalland in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Moyal, Ann", "Entry ID": "AWE5238", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/moyal-ann\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Northbridge, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Historian, Scholar", "Summary": "Read more about Ann Moyal in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Events": "For service to Australian society and the humanities in the study of Australian science (2001 - 2001) \nFor service to science and technology in Australia, particularly through the recording of its history (1993 - 1993)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ann-moyal-1870-2017-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ann-moyal-interviewed-by-sarah-engledow-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ann-moyal-interviewed-by-peter-pockley-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ann-moyal-interviewed-by-mark-mckenna-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Stack, Ellen Mary (Ella)", "Entry ID": "AWE5313", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/stack-ellen-mary-ella\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Mayor, Medical practitioner", "Summary": "Read more about Ellen (Ella) Stack in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Uhr, Marie-Louise", "Entry ID": "AWE5342", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/uhr-marie-louise\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Brisbane, Queensland, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Activist, Biochemist", "Summary": "Read more about Marie-Louise Uhr in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marie-louise-uhr-1977-2001-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "White, Isobel Mary", "Entry ID": "AWE5355", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/white-isobel-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Harrow, London, England", "Death Place": "Page, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Anthropologist, Economist", "Summary": "Read more about Isobel Mary White in our sister publication The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-encyclopedia-of-women-and-leadership-in-twentieth-century-australia\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Hollingsworth, Susan", "Entry ID": "AWE5410", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hollingsworth-susan\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Yass, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "HallHall, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community stalwart, Red Cross leader, Volunteer", "Summary": "Susan Hollingsworth was a widow with three of her eleven children and six grandchildren living at home in Hall, a small village in the north of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT - now the ACT) when World War One broke out. When two of her sons-in-law enlisted with the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) she offered safe haven to her daughters and their children who moved back to Hall. Her son Clyde died in France in 1917 aged 23 years. Susan was well-known as a supporter of the Red Cross in their fundraising ventures.\n", "Details": "Susan Curran was born in Yass, New South Wales, Australia on 7 August 1851 to Anne (nee Griffiths) and Patrick, a plasterer. She married Malachi Hollingsworth at Yass in 1873 and they had eleven children: Dorothy 'Dolly' 1874, Josephine Ellen 'Queenie' 1881, John Edward 1876, Patrick 'Paddy' Curran 1879, Rose 1884, Eva 'Florence' 1886, Ada 'Myra' 1889, Leila 1891, Clyde 1893, Dora 1896 and Malachi Joseph 'Billy' 1897.\nIn 1896 the family moved from Murrumbateman to Hall where Malachi ran the Cricketers' Arms Hotel. When he died aged 54 on 9 July 1898, Susan took over the hotel licence and ran it with the help of her older daughters until 1905 when they were evicted at short notice after a gentleman and his illicit lady love were discovered to be guests at the Cricketers' Arms and Susan was suspected of running a house of ill repute. The villagers considered it a trumped up charge. Such was Susan's popularity in the district and the esteem in which she was held - she was affectionately known to all in the village as 'Granny Hollingsworth' - that Hall people rallied together under the leadership of George Kendall Kinlyside (who later married her daughter Ada Myra) and built her family a house on the corner of Victoria and Gladstone Streets, part of a block owned by her son Paddy. She later ran a boarding house from there.\nAt the outbreak of World War One Susan had three of her children living with her at home and six grandchildren - the children of her daughter Dolly who had died in 1909. Susan's son Clyde, a blacksmith, was the man of the house in that he provided the main financial support to the family. In August 1915 Florence's husband Jack Kevans enlisted. Although families were supported with a generous portion of a serving soldier's pay, they were vulnerable without a man and often sought safe haven with extended family. Florence and her two children moved back to Hall to be close to Susan when Jack enlisted, and leased the old Catholic church at Gininderra (as it was then spelt) where she and her two sons lived. Another of Susan's daughters, Leila, returned to Hall with her two children when her husband Fred Bradley enlisted in February 1916.\nDespite the demands of her life with a large family living in her small house, and others nearby, Susan found time to support the Red Cross. The minutes of the Yass branch of the Red Cross record that she was a familiar figure at Red Cross events in the district and beyond.\nClyde enlisted in the AIF in February 1916; the following year Susan received the tragic news that he had been killed by a piece of shell near Bullecourt on the Western Front in France on 11 May 1917. Around the same time Florence would have heard that her husband Jack Kevans was reported missing on 11 April 1917. It was not until 13 January 1918 that the AIF wrote to Florence to advise that Jack had been captured by the Germans during an attack on the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt that day and was officially a prisoner of war. He spent 21 months imprisoned in Germany before being repatriated to England in January 1919 and to Australia in May that year. A letter he wrote from the prisoner of war camp to Florence provides a glimpse of how important the work of the Red Cross was to soldiers overseas and particularly to prisoners of war when he stresses how he looks forward to a Red Cross parcel. The Queanbeyan Age and Queanbeyan Observer published the letter on 19 October 1917:\nSome of the boys here have been captured as long as nine months and received their first instalment of parcels from the Red Cross the other day. Underclothes are scarce. I understand the Red Cross send them and we are all anxiously looking forward to some coming to hand at no distant date. With our scanty wardrobe renewals are absolutely necessary, socks and shirts in particular. ('Our Boys in Khaki', 1917, p. 2) \nIn late July 1919 the Hall Public School principal, Charles Thompson, arranged for thirty pine trees to be planted around the school boundary, each representing a Hall district Red Cross member. He invited Susan, as one of Hall's oldest and most highly respected residents, to plant a Juniper Pine named the 'tree of peace'. She had, he said, 'made a greater sacrifice than anyone present to gain the desired peace.' The Peace Tree still stands in the Hall school grounds.\nIn October 1919 the Hall branch of the Red Cross Society agreed to cease active work when the need diminished after hostilities ended.\nSusan continued to be busy with the care of her children and grandchildren, and growing flowers which she loved even when her advancing years made gardening painful.\nSusan died at Hall on 4 March 1936 aged 84 years and was buried at Yass Cemetery with her husband. In a fine tribute to her in the Queanbeyan Age shortly after her death, the writer commented: 'Old and young, rich and poor, will all feel that they are the poorer by the passing of this grand old lady to her eternal reward' ('An Appreciation', 1926).\nHollingsworth street in Gungahlin, a north Canberra suburb, was named after Susan in 2001.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-women-in-world-war-i-community-at-home-nurses-abroad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/clyde-hollingsworth\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hollingsworth-clyde\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ginninderra-forerunner-to-canberra-a-history-of-the-ginninderra-district\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-southwell-family-pioneers-of-the-canberra-district-1838-1938\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kevans-john-edward-service-number-2694-place-of-birth-geelong-vic-place-of-enlistment-liverpool-nsw-next-of-kin-wife-kevans-eva-florence\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Rohrmann, Emma Maria Laura Paula (Ellen)", "Entry ID": "AWE5416", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rohrmann-emma-maria-laura-paula-ellen\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Munich, Germany", "Death Place": "CanberraCanberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "Ellen Rohrmann was living with family in Singapore when World War I broke out. Declared an enemy alien by the ruling British, she and other relatives were transported to Australia and initially interned at Bourke, New South Wales before being moved to the Molonglo Concentration Camp in the Federal Capital Territory where Ellen died in 1918.\n", "Details": "Emma Maria Laura Paula Mueller was born circa 1888 in Munich, Germany to Luisa Herbold and Emil Mueller, merchant. 'Ellen' became the name people knew her by. She married Johann Rohrmann in Munich in 1913 and shortly afterwards her husband left to establish a business in Sarawak; Ellen was to join him there three months later. Tragically, Johann died of bacillic dysentery just days before Ellen arrived in Singapore. It seems she remained in Singapore with her husband's step-brother - merchant August R.A.K. Rohrmann and his family.\nOn the outbreak of war, the British authorities in Singapore interned nationals of enemy countries, even if they had been naturalised as British. A later agreement between Britain and Australia saw those internees sent to Australian camps in three groups - in April and May 1915, and early in 1916. The Rohrmanns were initially sent to the camp in Bourke, New South Wales. Ellen was allocated the number W49; her brother-in-law was allocated number 38. Two other women prisoners with the name Rohrmann were interned with them - W48 M. Rohrmann and W140 R. H. Rohrmann - possibly August's wife and daughter, or wife and mother. Because most records of internees were destroyed after World War I, there is currently no way of obtaining further detail about these people.\nThe Bourke camp closed in 1918 because poor conditions and intense heat created health problems. The death from heatstroke and apoplexy of one internee - 57-year-old Karl George Krafft, a timber merchant and former German Consul in Fiji - prompted the German government to demand, via the Swiss Consul in Sydney, better conditions for German nationals interned in Australia. The Australian government responded in May 1918 by moving family groups of internees to the newly built Molonglo Concentration Camp in the nation's recently established capital at Canberra. The Molonglo camp been built for 5,000 Austrian and German nationals from China and German East Africa, but under international pressure Britain abandoned transporting them to Australia and took advantage of the empty camp to accede to the German government's and Swiss consul's requests. The families travelled the 1000 kilometres by steam train from Bourke to Molonglo.\nWhile conditions at the Molonglo Camp were reportedly better than in Bourke, they were not ideal and certainly not comfortable. Sunstroke struck Ellen, followed by the related complication of pneumonia which caused the lining of her lungs to suppurate. Ellen's heart failed and she died in Canberra Hospital, Acton on 30 November 1918, aged 30, three weeks after hostilities ended in Europe. She was buried at Queanbeyan Cemetery in nearby New South Wales (Section 1, Row O, Grave 5.) A photograph in the Australian War Memorial collection shows a line of grim-faced people, including a clergyman, at her funeral on 5 December 1918 beside the simple grave marker - a concrete cross inset with a small brass plaque inscribed 'E.L.P. ROHRMANN \/ 30\/11\/18'.\nAt the end of the war 6150 of the nearly 7000 people interned as enemy aliens by the Australian government were deported to Germany. Of these, 5414 were internees and the rest were family members. August Rohrmann, and the other two female internees M. Rohrmann and R. H. Rohrmann were among those forcibly repatriated to Germany, leaving on 29 May 1919 on board the SS Kursk. During the voyage crowded conditions on board contributed to an influenza outbreak affecting 535 of the internees of whom 16 died as a result ('Cases on the Kursk', 1919, p. 17).\nIn April 1961 the Commonwealth War Graves Commission removed Ellen Rohrmann's remains and reinterred them in the German War Cemetery, Tatura, Victoria where a total of 250 Germans who died in Australia during the two World Wars are buried: 239 civilian internees and 11 Prisoners of War.\nThe rectangular bronze plaque from Ellen's original grave in Queanbeyan, with its simple inscription in raised script, is now in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/enemy-aliens-internment-and-the-homefront-experience-in-australia-1914-1920\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-molonglo-mystery-a-unique-part-of-canberras-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/more-about-molonglo-the-mystery-deepens\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cases-on-the-kursk\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-women-in-world-war-i-community-at-home-nurses-abroad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Sheaffe, Catherine Erskine (Katie)", "Entry ID": "AWE5418", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sheaffe-catherine-erskine-katie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Lake Cargellico, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "CanberraCanberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Volunteer, War Worker", "Summary": "Catherine 'Katie' Sheaffe represented the Tharwa community on the Federal Capital Territory War Food Fund committee during World War I.\n", "Details": "Catherine Erskine McKellar was born in 1886 at Lake Cargellico, New South Wales, Australia to Jane and Duncan McKellar, graziers of Wooyeo Station. She was educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Croydon in the inner west of Sydney, New South Wales.\nOn 23 March 1913 Katie married Percy Lemprier Sheaffe at Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She moved to the Canberra region where Percy had been appointed to the Commonwealth Public Service as a Senior Surveyor in 1910. He led one of three teams of surveyors who surveyed the then Federal Capital Territory (the Australian Capital Territory from 1938) border with New South Wales. Katie accompanied her husband on much of the survey defining the boundary of the new Territory, covering the part of the boundary from Coree through Bungendore and Queanbeyan to Mt Clear near Naas. This involved treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather as well as disgruntled land holders and government pressure. The surveys took five years to complete.\nThe couple had four children; Isabel Gordon born 25 July 1917, Jean Lempriere Gordon born 17 May 1919, Robertson Gordon born 13 December 1920 and Percy Hale 'Gordon' born 24 November 1921.\nOn 21 August 1914, soon after World War I erupted, Katie attended the inaugural meeting of the Federal Territory War Food Fund convened by the Territory Administrator's wife Jane Miller at the Residency in Acton. The meeting initiated a movement 'for the purpose of helping our soldiers and sailors who are at the present moment on active service upholding the British Empire in the great war now\u2026 and for relieving distress amongst the relations of soldiers and sailors or the poor' ('Patriotic Fund', 1914, p. 2). According to the same report, a representative group of women residents of Canberra and surrounding districts attended the meeting and supported the establishment of a local branch of the War Food Fund which had been established by the Sydney Chamber of Commerce to 'assist in relieving the great amount of distress which is inseparable from war'. The War Food Fund aimed to help soldiers, and benefit Australian workers on the home front by purchasing food and products made in Australia by Australian workers, thus providing employment opportunities at a difficult time. The Queanbeyan Age reported that the women present enthusiastically approved Jane Miller's scheme and appointed a committee comprising 'Mesdames Miller, Broinowski, Piggin, and Brown, of Canberra; Mesdames Macartney and Barnard of the Royal Military College; Mrs. E. G. Crace, of Gininderra, and Mrs. Sheaffe, of Tharwa' ('Patriotic Fund', 1914, p. 2). The detail of Katie's involvement was not recorded, but it is possible she handed over the reins for Tharwa once she moved to a more central part of the Territory in 1915 and began having children.\nIn 1915 Percy left the border work when he replaced Charles Scrivener as Chief Surveyor and the family moved to the historic Acton house, a former pastoral homestead built in late 1823 and acquired by the Commonwealth on 25 February 1911 for the home of the Chief Surveyor. Later it was used as a police station and court house. It was demolished in 1940 to make way for the new Canberra Community Hospital.\nKatie was an active member of St John's Anglican Church, Reid and the Women's Guild. She played an active part in the Prince of Wales' visit to the Territory in 1921.\nIn 1927 the Sheaffes built a house at Forrest where they lived until they moved to Stonehaven Street, Deakin in 1961. The Canberra Times reported in Katie's obituary on 26 June 1962, that she had played an active part in various kinds of auxiliary work during World War II ('Pioneer Woman's Death Severs Historic Link', 1962, p. 7).\nKatie died in Canberra on 21 June 1962 aged 75 years. Her husband died the following year and both are buried in the cemetery at St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Reid, Australian Capital Territory.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-women-in-world-war-i-community-at-home-nurses-abroad\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patriotic-fund\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pioneer-womans-death-severs-historic-link\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sheaffe-family-history\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eulogy-percy-hale-gordon-sheaffe\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-mrs-p-l-sheaffe-wife-of-percy-lempriere-sheaffe-surveyor-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Schreiner, Susanne (Sue) Elizabeth", "Entry ID": "AWE5598", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/schreiner-susanne-sue-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Barrister, Coroner, Magistrate", "Summary": "Susanne Elizabeth Schreiner (Sue) was born in Sydney in 1939 of parents who left Vienna before the outbreak of World War II. She spent her early life in Canberra and was in the year of the first graduates (in Law) of the Australian National University (ANU) in 1962. She also completed a Diploma in Criminology from the University of Sydney.\nSchreiner signed the High Court roll as a barrister and solicitor in 1962, the same year she was admitted to practise at the NSW Bar. She was the first female barrister to appear in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the fourteenth woman admitted to the NSW Bar. She had difficulty gaining articles in NSW and this led to her finally gaining employment as a solicitor in Canberra with Mr J. D. Donohoe. She stayed with him until 1964 when she went to Sydney. She practised at the Bar there until 1975 when she was appointed a NSW Magistrate. She was the second woman appointed as a NSW Magistrate and the first person to be so appointed from outside the Public Service. Her appointment caused great outcry as it heralded a big shift in the way in which NSW Magistrates were appointed.\nSchreiner is the co-author (with K.B. Morgan) of 'Probate practice and precedents'. She did some law reporting as well as research for Butterworth's into the feasibility of an Australian version of Halsbury's Laws of England, the existence of which is now a fact.\nGo to 'Details' below to read a reflective essay written by Sue Schreiner for the Trailblazing Women and the Law Project.\n", "Details": "The following additional information was provided by Sue Schreiner and is reproduced with permission in its entirety.\nAs a magistrate, Sue Schreiner presided in almost all courts in NSW, both metropolitan and country. A highlight is the eight years she spent sitting at Redfern Local Court where she had the good fortune to become a close friend of MumShirl (the Black Saint of Redfern) who became a mentor in Aboriginal affairs and in life with all its challenges.\nSchreiner was Assistant City Coroner for two years. As a result she authored a study, called 'Ultimate Isolation', into the circumstances surrounding people who died alone and lay dead for days, weeks, months, sometimes years, with a view to helping the community understand how this might be prevented. Her first mine deaths inquest caused some much consternation when she was not allowed access to the site because according to tradition \"women are not allowed below ground because it is bad luck\". This attitude was changed with good grace when it became obvious that it was not going to prevent her carrying out her coronial responsibilities.\nSchreiner presided over the Broken Hill Circuit Court for two years, which provided a good opportunity to see large areas of NSW, particularly the far west, and to understand and try and ameliorate the challenges faced by those communities, particularly in the predominantly Aboriginal towns. Her work as a magistrate gave her wonderful opportunities to engage with people from many areas of life. She became involved with children and helped form the Homeless Children's Association; was the first Patron of South Sydney Youth Services (now Weave), a wonderful organisation which helps young people in inner Sydney with the myriad problems they face. She was President of Glebe House, a halfway house for men leaving jail with drug and alcohol problems and no family or other support. She was also involved in changes to NSW Mental Health legislation.\nSchreiner retired from the bench in 2000 but returned for five years as an Acting Magistrate. For several years she served as Chair of the Serious Young Offenders Review Panel (SYORP) which concerned itself with juveniles serving sentences for serious crimes and was an adviser to the Director General on matters such as conditions and leave. Also on her retirement, she was invited to join the (NSW) Premiers Council on Crime Prevention for one year which gave her an opportunity to speak at the highest political level about issues faced by various communities.\nAfter retiring from paid work, Schreiner and her partner, Alan, moved to Canberra where she is at present (2016) engaged in a number of community based organisations as well as following her passion for classical music as a listener and pianist, whilst learning to be an 'older woman'. She has also developed a growing interest in and concern for animal welfare and ethical issues. She completed the first Animal Law Course at the University of NSW, and presently assists the RSPCA as a member of the Approved Farming Scheme Panel, a body which seeks to improve the lives of intensively farmed production animals. She has served for some years on the Boards of Vets Beyond Borders and Delta.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/probate-practice-and-precedents\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-lawyers-as-active-citizens\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/legal-pioneer-with-an-empathetic-heart\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Kinsella, Marie Patricia Germaine", "Entry ID": "AWE5689", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kinsella-marie-patricia-germaine\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Waverley, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Barrister, Lawyer, Public servant", "Summary": "Marie Sexton (nee Kinsella) co-drafted the constitution of the Women Lawyers' Association of New South Wales and was the organisation's first honorary secretary. The eldest of five children of Edward Parnell (Ted) Kinsella and his Belgian wife, Marie Louise Josephine Graff, the then Kinsella matriculated from Fort Street Girls' High School and went on to earn three qualifications from the University of Sydney: a Bachelor of Arts in 1943; a Diploma in Education in 1944; and a Bachelor of Laws in 1949. (It was during a year-long stint as teaching assistant at Inverell High School in northern New South Wales that Kinsella decided that teaching was not for her, had her last day on 29 January 1945 and thence turned her sights to the study of law). She began working as an associate to her father, then Mr Justice Kinsella of the Industrial Commission of New South Wales. On 18 January 1950, Mr Justice Kinsella was elevated to the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Kinsella became clerk associate to her father and clerk of arraigns. Although admitted to the New South Wales Bar on 11 February 1949, Kinsella did not practise at the Bar. She later worked in the Department of Territories, Sydney, and the Attorney-General's Department in Canberra, producing the respected Annotated Constitution. Kinsella retired in 1980.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-history-of-women-in-the-legal-profession-in-new-south-wales\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-pioneer-of-the-legal-profession\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-women-lawyers-as-active-citizens\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Morrison, Hedda", "Entry ID": "AWE5976", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/morrison-hedda\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Stuttgart, Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg, Germany", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Photographer", "Summary": "Hedda Morrison was an ethnographic photographer who worked extensively in China, Borneo and later Australia, where she settled in 1967. She was influenced by Neue Sachlichkeit, or the 'new realist' style. Morrison's photographs were widely disseminated in books, including the seminal Sarawak: Vanishing World, and Travels of a Photographer. Morrison was a resourceful photographer, using two car batteries to power her portable enlarger while without power for six years in Sarawak, and storing her negatives in an airtight chest using silica gel as a drying agent to overcome the perils of a tropical climate. Morrison worked largely in black and white, except for in the early 1950s.\n", "Details": "Hedda Morrison worked extensively in China and Borneo in the period 1933-67. She moved to Australia later in her life and settled in Canberra where she died in 1991. She was well known for her photographic work in Asia, which was considered ethnographic in its focus. Morrison's photographs were widely distributed in the form of books. Two of her major publications include: Sarawak: Vanishing World (1957) and Travels of a Photographer in China, 1933-46 (1987).\nShe was born Hedwig Hammer in Stuttgart, Germany in 1908. Her father worked for a publishing company and the family enjoyed a comfortable existence in a large house. Her only sibling, a brother, was the favourite in the family. In 1911, aged only three, she contracted polio, which left her a cripple with ongoing health problems. Following a major operation, which she had as a teenager, she was able to gain some mobility, walking with a limp (as her right leg was shorter than her left); she needed to wear specially designed shoes to get about. This however did not deter her from pursuing her interest in travel.\nMorrison was given her first camera, a Box Brownie, when she was 11 years old. It gave her so much pleasure that she was inspired to set up a small darkroom in the family bathroom. In 1929 she completed her secondary school education at the Queen Katherine Convent in Stuttgart and then moved to Austria to study medicine at the University of Innsbruck. Dissatisfied with medicine, she convinced her parents to allow her to study photography instead and in September 1930 she moved to Munich, enrolling in the Bavarian State Institute for Photography. Morrison completed the two-year course, her final certificate referring to her outstanding outdoor photography skills and the fact that she had received third prize in a student competition.\nAs a student she became familiar with the 'new realist' (Neue Sachlichkeit) photographic style of the time, which was characterised by the capturing of close up shots of everyday objects. It was a style that was to influence the photography she produced in her later career. Some of her earliest works, especially those taken while she was still a student, embodied this style and they were published in a book entitled Making Pottery by the potter Walter de Sager. For the book she documented the various stages of his work by focusing on close up shots of the potter's hands.\nWith little work available for photographers during the Depression years, Morrison volunteered to work at the studio of Adolf Lazi in Stuttgart. The studio specialised in architectural, portrait, landscape and advertising photography in the 'new objectivist' style that in Weimar Germany was the photographic manifestation of modernism. Only 44 negatives have survived from this era. All were portraits and all were entitled 'Trachtenfest' (folk costume festival) and dated Stuttgart 1931. She kept these negatives with her throughout her life taking them with her from Germany to China and Borneo and then to Australia. They reflected her interest in capturing details, shapes, textures, but also her lifelong interest in the exotic.\nMorrison spent five months in Hamburg. Aware of the rising strength of the Nazi Party and its policy of co-opting photographers for their propaganda campaigns, she decided to travel to Yugoslavia. These plans did not eventuate as she saw an advertisement in a German photography journal for a photography position in China. Even though she knew practically nothing about China, she submitted an application and was successful.\nIn 1933 she arrived in Peking and immediately began working as manager of the Hartung Photo Shop, a German owned commercial photography studio. The position required coordinating the work of the 17 Chinese photographers who worked in the studio. The studio was well-established and the clientele powerful, being for the most part diplomats and foreign residents; indeed, the studio was situated in the diplomatic quarter of the city in a two storey building at 3 Legation Street, East Peking. She held this position for five years, after which she worked as a freelance photographer from her home in Nanchang Street. The photographs she produced were theme-based, encompassing handicrafts, temples, imperial palaces, 'lost tribes,' and so on. An especially popular line of work she offered was whole albums filled with her photographs. Her European clients would either order an album or make selections of their own.\nFrom 1938-40 she worked for Caroline Frances Bieber (a wealthy British woman), who was a dealer in Chinese arts and crafts for the Brooklyn Museum in New York. Morrison's knowledge about China was invaluable to Bieber and the partnership proved financially beneficial to Morrison. It was through this connection that she met an American writer by the name of Beatrice Kates. Kates, Bieber and Morrison worked on a project together documenting Chinese household furniture and the group finally published a book in New York in 1948. Morrison took photographs for the book in 1937-1938, with George Kates (Beatrice Kates brother, who was the director of the Brooklyn Museum in New York) writing the text.\nMorrison produced two major books relating to her time in China. Both were aimed at capturing the 'Old Peking' that Westerners enjoyed reminiscing over, and they ignored the changing nature of the city, in particular those aspects of life relating to the social, political and economic impact of the Japanese occupation. Nor were the poverty, civil unrest and social conflict that resulted from the Japanese occupation depicted in these books.\nHedda Hammer, as she was then called, met Alastair Morrison (an Australian) in 1940, and in 1946 they married in Peking but left the country soon after due to the increasing political unrest in China. They travelled to Hong Kong where they stayed for six months and then moved to Borneo, where they settled on the island of Sarawak. Alistair worked for the British Colonial Service, eventually being appointed as the district officer of Sarawak, the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. During 1960-1966, Hedda worked for the Information Office in Kuching, in the photographic section on a part-time basis. Her work involved training government photographers, setting up a photographic library and taking photographs. In 1965 the Sarawak Government awarded her the Pegawai Bitang Sarawak (Officer of the Order of the Star of Sarawak) for her work.\nShe apparently did not see herself as a photojournalist. Instead, she felt her work had an ethnographic emphasis, her focus being to depict traditional cultures in the process of change. In line with this her subjects included landscapes, architecture, portraits, and handicrafts.\nShe produced two major books during the time spent in Sarawak, the first entitled Sarawak (1957) and the second Life in a Longhouse (1962). These documented the traditional lifestyle and culture of the Iban people who live on Sarawak. They are ethnographic books capturing the people's traditional practices and documenting the changes brought about by the British Colonial administration as well as the Malaysian Government. Hedda Morrison recalled that, '[w]henever I visited longhouses I was conscious of the fact that the longhouse way of life is in the course of changing. I have tried to record faithfully in photographs whatever was typical of people, and which might not be there to photograph at all for very much longer' (Powerhouse 9). Morrison had a strong affinity with Asian people. She was known to be respectful and polite and was able to convince people to allow her to enter their homes so as to take the photographs she had in mind.\nIn 1967 the Morrisons moved to Canberra, Australia, and Hedda continued her photography, producing 24 albums of photographs as part of her Views of Australia 1961-1988. These captured views of the ACT, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, the subjects including public buildings, suburbs, people and landscapes.\nHedda Morrison died in Canberra, in 1991, aged 82 and a year later her husband, Alastair Morrison donated an important collection of her photographic works to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.\nIn 1995, eight of her photographs capturing the Flinders Ranges (c.1971) were included in the Beyond the Picket Fence exhibition held at the National Library of Australia.\nAn exhibition entitled Old Peking: Photographs by Hedda Morrison 1933-46 was held at the Art Museum of the China Millennium Monument, Beijing in May - June 2002 and at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney in November - December\n2002.\nTechnical\nMorrison's first camera was a Box Brownie. She went on to use a 6 x 6 cm twin lens Rollei camera for most of her shots and this was to become her favourite camera. On arriving in China she used a 9 x 12 cm Linhof hand camera which she kept throughout her life.\nShe was known for her inventiveness and whilst in Sarawak used two car batteries to power her portable enlarger as they were without power for six years. She kept her negatives in an airtight chest using silica gel as a drying agent to overcome the perils of a tropical climate.\nMorrison worked largely in black and white, except for in the early 1950s. She found that the Ektachrome 120 format roll film which was widely used up until that time, was limiting and it also faded.\nCollections\nDivision of Rare Book and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library\nHarvard-Yenching Library, Harvard University. Over 5 thousand of Hedda Morrison's photographs are held in this collection, encompassing the period 1933-1946 that she spent in Beijing\nHedda Morrison, Views of Australia, 1961-1988, National Library of Australia\nhttps:\/\/nla.gov.au\/nla.cat-vn1585946\nNational Gallery of Australia\nHedda Morrison photographic collection, Powerhouse Museum\nHedda Morrison, Germany\/China\/Sarawak, 1928-1968 archive, Powerhouse Museum\nVirginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia\nPortraits of Hedda and Alastair Morrison, and a photograph of their wedding in Peking, 1946 [picture] \/ Reg Alder, National Library of Australia\nhttps:\/\/nla.gov.au\/nla.cat-vn1585592\n", "Events": "Hedda Morrison was awarded the Pegawai Bitang Sarawak (Officer of the Order of the Star of Sarawak) for her work by the Sarawak Government. (1965 - 1965) \nHedda Morrison won third prize in a student competition State Institute for Photography (1931 - 1931) \nHedda Morrison worked in China, Borneo and Australia. (1930 - 1988) \nHedda Morrison's Chinese Photographs (1940 - 1940) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in An Asian Experience: 1933-6,organised by the Asian Studies Association of Australia. (1986 - 1986) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in Beyond the Picket Fence. (1995 - 1995) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in In Her View: The Photographs of Hedda Morrison in China and Sarawak 1933-67. (1993 - 1993) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in In Her View: The Photographs of Hedda Morrison in China and Sarawak 1933-67. (1994 - 1994) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in Old Peking: Photographs by Hedda Morrison 1933-46. (2002 - 2002) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in Old Peking: Photographs by Hedda Morrison 1933-46. (2002 - 2002) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in Peking: 1933-1946 - A Photographic Impression (1967 - 1967) \nHedda Morrison's work featured in Travels of an Extraordinary Photographer: Hedda Morrison - A Retrospective Exhibition, organised by the Canberra Photographic Society. (1990 - 1990) \nHedda Morrison's work was included in The Family of Man at the Museum of Modern Art. (1955 - 1955) \nPhotographs by Hedda Morrison. (1949 - 1949)", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nanking\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/chinese-household-furniture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/children-of-melugu\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/craftsmen-in-a-harsh-environment\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/educating-the-peoples-of-sarawak\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jungle-journeys-in-sarawak\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/life-in-a-longhouse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-lost-tribe-of-china\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-photographer-in-old-peking\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sarawak\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/some-musical-instruments-of-china\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/travels-of-a-photographer-in-china\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tribal-crafts-of-borneo\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vanishing-world-the-ibans-of-borneo\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/chinese-toggles-a-little-known-folk-art\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fair-land-sarawak\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hedda-morrison-in-peking\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-photographers-at-national-geographic\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/in-her-view-hedda-morrisons-photographs-of-peking-1933-46\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-family-of-life-unesco-memory-of-the-world\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hedda-morrison-photographic-archive\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-hedda-morrison-photographs-of-china-1933-1946\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Plumwood, Val", "Entry ID": "AWE6137", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/plumwood-val\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Terry Hills, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Activist, Author, Environmentalist, Feminist, Lecturer, philosopher, Teacher", "Summary": "Val Plumwood was an eminent Australian environmental philosopher.\n", "Details": "Val Plumwood was born on 11 August 1939 in Terry Hills, Sydney. She started her first year of philosophy at Sydney University in 1956 and, after a short break, resumed her studies in the 1960s.\nVal taught at Macquarie University, Murdoch University, the University of Tasmania, North Carolina State University and the University of Montana. She published widely during the seventies, including papers with Richard Routley (her second husband) and four books. At the time of her death, she was working on a further two manuscripts.\nIn the 1970s Val was a prominent member of a group of philosophers at the Australian National University who formed the first wave of Australian environmental philosophy. She was also an important environmental activist, and in the 1970s and 1980s was instrumental in a campaign to save rainforests in eastern Australia.\nVal received a PhD from the Australian National University in 1990 was a member of the university's Social and Political Theory Program, Research School of Social Sciences. She held visiting professorships at the University of California-Berkeley in the US, McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, the University of Lancaster in the UK and the University of Frankfurt in Germany. Val was also a Fellow at the Australian National University, first as an Australian Research Council fellow and later as a Visiting Fellow of the Fenner School of Environment & Society.\nVal passed away in late February 2008.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-val-plumwood-philosopher-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-judith-wright-1944-2000-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Rockwell, Coralie Joy", "Entry ID": "AWE6138", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/rockwell-coralie-joy\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Woden Valley, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Musician, Teacher", "Details": "Coralie Joy Rockwell undertook her tertiary studies at the University of Sydney, receiving an Honours degree in music in 1966 and a Diploma of Education in 1967. Coralie won a scholarship to UCLA and completed a Masters Degree in ethnomusicology in 1969.\nAfter returning to Sydney, Coralie sang alto with the Leonine Consort, the Sydney University Renaissance Players and the ANU Choral Society (SCUNA) in the 1960s and 1970s. She taught at high schools and colleges in Sydney and Canberra, and was instrumental in the foundation of the first non-Western music course at the Canberra School of Music, where she also taught.\nShe undertook research in Indonesia and South Korea, specialising in the kayagum (12-string zither). In 1975 Coralie returned to Canberra to study Chinese and later completed the Chinese major at CCAE. She spent three years with her husband Michael Sawer in Shanghai and Beijing, teaching English, studying Chinese language and researching Chinese music. From 1988 to 1990 she undertook doctoral research at the University of Sydney. Sadly, this work remains incomplete.\nCoralie was an active member of the Musicological Society of Australia (MSA), serving as President of its ACT Chapter from 1987 until 1989. She worked hard to forge links with the Shanghai Conservatorium, and to establish a gamelan ensemble at the School of Music and ANU, linked with the Indonesian Embassy. She also published widely and contributed to various MSA conferences, seminars and publications.\nAfter her death in 1991, the Coralie Rockwell Foundation was formed and raised funds to purchase an Indonesian gamelan orchestra for the Canberra School of Music.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-and-recordings-of-coralie-rockwell\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "White, Elizabeth", "Entry ID": "AWE6172", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/white-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community worker, Volunteer", "Details": "Elizabeth White was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne, before working as a school teacher. On 18 October 1930 she married Harold Leslie White, deputy-librarian of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library (later to become head of it and of the National Library of Australia).\nIn Canberra, in addition to close association with the National Library, Elizabeth pursued her interest in volunteering and being involved in many aspects of the local community. Of particular interest to her were remedial teaching and the introduction of creative day-carer programs. In her later years, her attention turned towards enhancing the quality of life of the elderly.\nElizabeth was a member of the National Council of Women (NCW) and a foundation member of the Goodwin Centre Development Association, which was established in July 1954. She was also a foundation member of the Australian Association of Gerontology and president (1964-65) of a sub-committee for a proposed new building for the NCW's Thursday Club (renamed in 1965 the Canberra Senior Citizens Club). For the next twenty years she undertook voluntary work with the elderly, at their homes and in hospitals. In 1983 the Canberra Senior Citizens Club awarded her life membership. In 1982 the Penguin Club of Australia recognised her with life membership for her exceptional talent as an impromptu public speaker.\nIn 1962 Lady Elizabeth White was appointed an MBE for her service to elderly people.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-sir-harold-white-and-lady-elizabeth-white-1911-1992-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/memorial-service-of-june-25-1988-for-lady-elizabeth-white-sound-recording-recorded-by-kevin-bradley\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Templeman, Romola", "Entry ID": "AWE6183", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/templeman-romola\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Perth, Western Australia, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Artist, Painter", "Summary": "Romola studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London from 1953 to 1955, followed by a year of study at the University of Western Australia where she became a medical artist. Romola held her first solo exhibition at the age of twenty-one, at Perth's Skinner Galleries, in 1959.\nRomola won the Claude Hotchin Prize and also the Helen Rubinstein Portrait Prize (1960). She was the former director and art consultant of Molongolo Press.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-romola-templeman-1940-circa-1989-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-romola-templeman-artist-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-ian-templeman-circa-1990-2011-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/romola-templeman-art-artist-files-australia-and-new-zealand-romola-templeman\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Pizer, Marjorie", "Entry ID": "AWE6197", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/pizer-marjorie\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Poet, Psychotherapist, Publisher", "Summary": "Poet and publisher Marjorie Pizer founded the Pinchgut Press with her husband in 1947.\nMarjorie was also a psychotherapist for more than 50 years.\n", "Details": "Marjorie Pizer attended Merton Hall, a Church of England girls' grammar school in South Yarra, Victoria. She began writing poetry as a teenager, following her father's death.\nDespite her mother's protests, Marjorie attended Melbourne University and there she worked on the student newspaper Farrago and was appointed co-editor to work on MUM, the literary annual. Marjorie also became an activist, joining the Labor Club and the Communist Party. After leaving university, she joined the Department of War Organisation (where she met her husband Muir Holburn) for a time, before moving on to practice psychology.\nIn 1945 Marjorie and her husband moved to Sydney to work on their books and together they joined the Fellowship of Australian Writers. Sadly, Muir passed away at the age of 40, leaving Marjorie to care for two young children.\nMarjorie was prompted to once again write poetry after the death of her husband. Throughout her life, she edited, published and wrote 20 books of and about poetry and writing.\nIn addition, Marjorie volunteered for many years at Tranby College, Glebe, and the Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre as a psychotherapist.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marjorie-pizer-ca-1940-1989-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/marjorie-pizer-interviewed-by-claire-dunne-for-why-poetry-in-the-a-d-hope-ms-5836-collection\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/marjorie-pizer-interviewed-by-hazel-de-berg-in-the-hazel-de-berg-collection-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/poems-manuscript-2\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Watt, Mildred Mary", "Entry ID": "AWE6201", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/watt-mildred-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Death Place": "Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Author, Scholar, Translator, Writer", "Summary": "Lady Mildred Watt's obituary in the Canberra Times reports that she obtained a university medal in philosophy at Sydney and was a highly literate writer. She was also a Russian scholar and translator, who at one time translated a book on Australian foreign policy written by a Soviet official into English. Her manuscript was then donated to the Department of Foreign Affairs.\nLady Mildred Mary Watt was the wife of Sir Alan Watt, a diplomat and public servant, and together they had four children.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-sir-alan-and-lady-mildred-watt-1941-1974-2008-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Bambrick, Susan Caroline", "Entry ID": "AWE6233", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bambrick-susan-caroline\/", "Type": "Person", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Academic, Economist", "Details": "Susan Caroline Bambrick graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) degree in 1965. She received her doctorate from the Australian National University (ANU) in 1970 and was one of the first married female PhD students at the university.\nSusan gained employment in the Faculty of Economics and Commerce at ANU, where she specialised in the field of industry economics. In 1972 Susan set up the first undergraduate course in mineral economics at the university and in 1981 she was sub-dean of the Faculty of Economics. Susan was appointed to the Trade Development Council in 1979 and the following year she became the first female appointed to the council's executive. Then in March 1981 Susan was elected president of the Australia Institute of Energy; the first woman to hold the position. She was also a member of the Uranium Advisory Council since its inauguration in 1981 and a council member of the National Library of Australia\nAlso in 1981, Susan completed a year-long appointment as the director of studies for the Public Service Board and she also worked on their interchange program. In November 1982 Susan became the first Fulbright Australian Scholar-in-Residence at the Centre for Australian Studies, School of Mineral Sciences, at Pennsylvania University. For a time, she was also director of studies for management training courses run by the Australian Mineral Foundation.\nOn 31 December 1982 Susan was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire 'in recognition of service to education in energy and resource economics'.\nBetween March 1984 and January 1987 Susan was Dean of Students at ANU. Susan was appointed Mater of University House at the Australian National University in 1987 and later she became Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the Albury Wodonga Campus of La Trobe University.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-susan-bambrick-1999-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-dr-susan-bambrick-appointed-to-a-ministerial-working-party-and-being-master-of-university-house-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-files-of-dr-susan-bambrick-as-master-of-university-house\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australias-resources-sound-recording-an-anu-convocation-luncheon-address-given-on-15-november-1979-by-susan-bambrick\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Vassarotti, Therese Mary", "Entry ID": "AWE6574", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vassarotti-therese-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community Leader, Educator, Lecturer, Scholar", "Summary": "Therese Vassarotti was a pioneer and role model for women and girls and their participation in the Australian Catholic Church. From 2001 to 2005 Therese was the Executive Officer for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's Commission for Australian Catholic Women.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Bailey, Moya Kathleen", "Entry ID": "IMP0235", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bailey-moya-kathleen\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Gynaecologist, Obstetrician", "Summary": "Moya Bailey, n\u00e9e Blackall, graduated from Sydney University MB BS in 1929 and pursued her obstetric qualifications in England, completing them in 1936. She practiced in the Australian Capital Territory and was an active member of the Canberra Croquet Club for thirty-three years. Her appointment as Member of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1960 was 'in recognition of her outstanding service for over twenty years to the community of the Australian Capital Territory and surrounding districts as a member of the medical profession, particularly in the field of obstetrics'.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/faith-hope-and-charity-australian-women-and-imperial-honours-1901-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Worsley, Maureen Gertrude Theresa", "Entry ID": "AWE4387", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/worsley-maureen-gertrude-theresa\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Burton-on-Trent, England", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "Originally a member of the Australia Party, Maureen Worsley was one of the first women to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory in September 1974. She resigned from the party in 1977 and intended to stand as an Independent in the 1977 election, but her marriage breakdown meant she had to find full-time work. As a result she did not contest the 1979 election but was an Independent candidate for the electorate of\u00a0Canberra\u00a0in the\u00a01982 election\u00a0for the\u00a0House of Assembly. She died of emphysema in 2001.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/no-ordinary-lives-pioneering-women-in-australian-politics\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/beryl-henderson-maureen-worsley-and-liz-goldring-at-the-womens-embassy-at-parliament-house-protesting-against-abortion-laws\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/biographical-cuttings-on-maureen-worsley-politician-containing-one-or-more-cuttings-from-newspapers-or-journals\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Dawson, Elizabeth OAM", "Entry ID": "AWE23090699", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dawson-elizabeth\/", "Type": "Person", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "social activist, Teacher", "Summary": "Liz Dawson trained and worked as a speech therapist and teacher and her early social activism related to school education. Later in life, she lobbied through the organisation Common Ground to provide permanent, safe and supported homes for the homeless and for low-income families in Canberra. She was nominated as Canberran of the Year and ACT Local Hero in 2012 and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal 'for her tireless work providing for homeless individuals and their families' in the Queen's Birthday honours in 2013.\nLiz Dawson was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll in 2014.\n", "Details": "Elizabeth (Liz) Dawson was born on 28 May 1936, the daughter of Olga Mary (nee Barton) secretary and later newsagent, and David Francis Lewis, a judge in the New South Wales District and Quarter Sessions courts. Educated at a private boarding school in Tamworth NSW and later at Ascham school, Sydney, she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sydney University and a Licentiate of the Australian College of Speech Therapy in 1958. \u00a0She worked as a children's speech therapist in Brisbane. Following her marriage to Peter Dawson on 8 June 1963 at St John's Anglican Church, Balmain, she moved to Canberra where she worked in the Commonwealth Public Service. She accompanied her husband to Indonesia when he was appointed Trade Commissioner and to his next posting in Kenya. The couple returned to Canberra in 1969 with their two daughters, Julie and Kate, where their third daughter, Sophie, was born.\nLiz's life reflected her passion for social justice, education and gender equity. After graduating with a Diploma of Education from the University of Canberra in the mid 1970s, she became a primary school teacher and in 1997 was awarded a Master of Education from that university.\u00a0 She and Peter became involved as parents in the Association for Modern Education School. Operating in Canberra from 1972 to 1996, the independent, progressive school encouraged students to develop their individual talents rather than following a set curriculum. In 1989 she received an ACT Government Achievement Award for her innovative work as a teacher at Duffy Primary School and for promoting gender equity in education. Active in the ACT Teacher's Federation and the Labor Party, of which she was a life member, Liz initiated a political campaign to have class sizes in the ACT reduced to 20 at the kindergarten level, a policy later adopted by the Labor Party and extended to all ACT primary schools. In 1990 Elizabeth joined the Public Service Commission as its Women's Advisor. She subsequently worked in the Department of Education until her retirement in 2005.\nIn the early 2000s she completed a Graduate Diploma in Community Counselling at the University of Canberra, while working part time at Marymead, a support agency for families, and at a women's refuge. This experience made her determined to support homeless people. As an employee of the Salvation Army, she initiated and developed a dental support program for pensioners amd arranged for Canberra hairdresser, Angelo Cataldo, to provide free haircuts to clients to boost self-esteem. Despite undergoing bouts of chemotherapy for bowel cancer from December 2010, and blindness suddenly brought on by temporal arteritis in March 2011, Elizabeth remained undaunted in her social activism. She was nominated as Canberran of the Year and ACT Local Hero in 2012 and was awarded an Order of Australia Medal 'for her tireless work providing for homeless individuals and their families' in the Queen's Birthday honours in 2013. Her name was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2014.\nElizabeth tirelessly lobbied the ACT Government to establish permanent, safe and supported homes for the homeless and low paid workers in the ACT, such as those first established by Common Ground in New York in 1980.\u00a0 Similar centres were already operating in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide. She gained support from the Snow Foundation and from Tanya Plibersek, Federal Minister for Housing in the first Rudd government. A persistent lobbyist, Liz observed: 'The great thing about having terminal cancer is no one ever says no to you'. Common Ground ultimately received a $4 million grant from the Commonwealth and a further $7.5 million from the ACT government, enabling it to build 40 secure, self-contained, one-bedroom apartments in Gungahlin. Twenty apartments were for people who had experienced chronic homelessness, the remainder reserved for people on low incomes. The complex opened on 3 July 2015. Elizabeth worked with the Gungahlin Community Council to enhance community support for the project and promote better understanding of homelessness. She obtained funding from the Thyne Reid Foundation to make three films featuring local homeless people, each launched by Andrew Leigh, ACT Labor Member of the House of Representatives.\nElizabeth used her experience of blindness to help fellow Canberrans with visual impairment. She formed a drumming group, The Groves, served on the Board of the Blind Society and in 2014, with the aid of her daughter Kate, published a book, Where is my left eyebrow?: Losing my eyesight overnight that described her battle with cancer and gave practical tips to people with impaired vision. Elizabeth died on 16 November 2014, survived by her husband, daughters and six grandchildren. In his tribute, read in the House of Representatives on 27 November 2014, Andrew Leigh remarked: 'Liz was just a firecracker for change \u2026 She saw that parliamentarians were not to be feared but were to be used'. The Chief Minister of the ACT, Katy Gallagher, described her as a friend and the Member for Canberra in the House of Representatives, Gai Brodtmann, said in her speech to Parliament: 'Liz inspires us to be the best we can be. To act on disadvantage. To better contribute to our community'.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-honour-walk-act-australias-local-hero-nominee-2012\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/queens-birthday-honours-2013\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/in-memory-of-elizabeth-dawson\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elizabeth-dawson-with-kate-dawson-where-is-my-left-eyebrow-losing-my-eyesight-overnight\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hansard-statements-by-members-statement-by-the-hon-gai-brodtmann-mp-re-dawson-ms-liz-oam\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Kellett, Joan Mary OAM", "Entry ID": "AWE23090765", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kellett-joan-mary\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Brisbane, Queensland, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community activist, Sports administrator", "Summary": "Joan Kellett's community activism focused on the education and welfare of children in the ACT. In 1977 she established one of Australia's first after-school programs and a home for the Australian Early Childhood Association in the Majura Primary School, Watson. She served as Chair of the school board at North Ainslie Primary School and on the boards of Lyneham High School and Dickson College. For 30 years from 1984, she was an executive member of the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations. Her dedication to the sport of swimming as an administrator and official, and her contribution to the Canberra community, was recognised by the award of the Order of Australia Medal in 2003.\nJoan Kellet was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2018.\n", "Details": "\"Joan Mary Kellett was born in Brisbane on 2 May 1929, the eldest daughter of Gertrude and Alec Bell. She lived with her family above their pharmacy in Logan Road, Greenslopes and attended the local public primary school. She completed her secondary education at All Hallows Catholic school in Brisbane before studying science at the University of Queensland. She worked as a pathology biochemist at the Mater Hospital, Brisbane, and at Lewisham Hospital, Sydney, before marrying Harry Kellett in 1957. Following Harry's appointment to the plumbing department of Canberra TAFE, the couple moved to Canberra with their young son in 1960, settled into their lifelong home in Dumaresq St, Dickson, and subsequently had three daughters. Joan devoted the rest of her life to promoting the education and welfare of children in the ACT.\nJoan's commitment to high quality public education and effective school management began in 1977, when she established one of Australia's first after-school programs and a home for the Australian Early Childhood Association in the Majura Primary School, Watson. As resources officer she maintained a library on education strategies and policy. She served as Chair of the school board at North Ainslie Primary School and joined the boards of Lyneham High School and Dickson College. For 30 years from 1984, she was an executive member of the ACT Council of Parents and Citizens Associations and was awarded life membership of that body in 2003. In this role she formulated policy, prepared submissions and represented the Council's views on several government advisory committees. From 1984-89 she was the Council's elected nominee on the ACT Schools Authority (later the ACT Education Council), and took on the Teachers' Union to ensure that parents' representatives had a say in the appointment of school principals. She was a founding member of the Education Council's Disability Working Group and for 12 years the Council's delegate member of the Turner School Board, and for a time its Chair, retiring in 2015.\nBelieving that drowning was one of the principal causes of children's death, Joan was determined that all ACT children should be water-safe by the time they finished primary school. In 1967, the Kellett family joined the Dickson Swimming Club, with both Joan and Harry taking leadership roles in its administration and volunteering in coaching and officiating duties. Joan initiated a free Learn-to-Swim program at the pool and changed the focus of the Dickson swimming club from competitive swimming to be a more inclusive community-based body. Over the next 50 years Joan promoted the sport through leadership in several peak swimming organisations. From 1981 to 1985 she was an office bearer in the ACT Swimming Council, President of the Capital Territory Amateur Swimming Association (later Swimming ACT) in 1985, and its Secretary until 2004. In this role Joan had input into the construction of a number of public facilities, including the learners' pool at Dickson. Noticing how few women were involved in sports administration, she became involved in the Women in Sport Committee for many years. As member of the Minister's Advisory Committee for Sports and Recreation, and its Chair for three years, she lobbied for the construction of pools in Tuggeranong and Belconnen and was instrumental in the development of Swimming ACT's program for people with disabilities. An accredited race official, she officiated at events from local club competitions and school carnivals to Special Olympic meets and country, state and national swimming championships, clocking up more hours officiating at swimming events than any other person in the ACT. A volunteer at the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2000, she headed the swimming working party for the 2008 Pacific School Games. Her dedication to the sport of swimming as an administrator and official, and her contribution to the Canberra community, was recognised by the award of the Order of Australia Medal in 2003. In 2010 she received Life Membership of Dickson Swimming Club and was named Volunteer of the Year. In 2011 she was awarded the title of ACT Sportstar of the Year and given Associate Membership of the ACT Sport Hall of Fame. Joan also volunteered for 20 years with the Girl Guides as a Brownie unit leader and later Division Commissioner, served on the Board of the YMCA from 2002 to 2016 and volunteered with the social program run by Alzheimer's Australia from 2006 to 2016.\nJoan stood unsuccessfully for the first ACT Government election in 1989 on the Residents Rally ticket. Before the election she had collaborated with the Rally's founder, Michael Moore, in developing the Party's philosophy relating to the balance of power. She was particularly influential in preventing cuts to the education budget and was, Moore observed, 'a somewhat understated but powerful influence' on Canberra's politics. Her belief in the importance of community input to planning and development inspired her to chair the North Canberra Community Council in 1994-95 and 2004, and to become a member of the Majura Local Area Planning Advisory Committee. She attended hearings in the ACT Assembly and represented the Council in a variety of fora. In 2010 she helped form the Dickson Residents Group and remained a member for the rest of her life, working to maintain a balance between development and the preservation of the character and amenity of the neighbourhood. She valued Canberra's heritage, serving as a committee member of the Friends of the Albert Hall for several years. She appreciated the cultural institutions of Canberra, holding long time memberships of the Friends of the National Library and the National Gallery of Australia.\nAn unassuming woman with exceptional skills as a listener, her empathetic nature made her an effective and influential agent in her various spheres of action and earned her many friends. 'I just see myself as someone who sees things to be done and thinks how I can do them', she once observed. She died in Canberra on 20 June 2017, leaving four children and nine grandchildren. About 350 mourners attended her memorial service. Her name was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2018.\"\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-government-website\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "McGuire, Ethel Clarice MBE, JP", "Entry ID": "AWE2309076", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mcguire-ethel-clarice\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social worker", "Summary": "Described in obituaries as 'a ruthless battler, hard to beat', and 'a fiery champion of the battlers', Ethel McGuire was a founding member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. She married in 1953 requiring her to resign from her permanent position in the Commonwealth public service, but she returned as a full-time temporary officer by the early 1960s, eventually becoming Assistant Director of the Welfare Branch in the Department of the Interior. Ethel was the driving force in the establishment of social welfare services in Canberra and in 1963 was instrumental in the creation of the ACT Council of Social Service. She played key roles in numerous Catholic voluntary and professional activities including marriage guidance, adoption, the development of the Marymead Child and Family Centre and the formation of Catholic Social Services in Canberra. She was renowned for her formidable advocacy for people, especially children, in need.\nEthel Clarice McGuire was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2020.\n", "Details": "Ethel Clarice Cannon was born on 1 June 1923, the eldest surviving child of Thomas and Jane Cannon of Sunshine, Melbourne. A devoted Catholic all her life, Ethel's family background was a potent mix of Irish Catholic working class and Scots Presbyterian, and she grew up in an environment of heated discussions around the dining table about politics, religion, trade unions, the public service, and family matters. These laid the basis not only for her steadfast determination to help children in need, in particular, but also for her formidable debating and advocacy skills later on. Her father died when Ethel was 11 and she helped her mother to raise her younger siblings, taking on part-time jobs to help the family finances. She won scholarships to secondary school and the University of Melbourne where she pursued a BA degree and studies in social science while also caring for homeless women through the Legion of Mary. Ethel graduated with a BA from the University of Melbourne in 1946 and became a founding member of the Australian Association of Social Workers. She worked for the Department of Social Security in Hobart, Melbourne and Perth where she met fellow public servant Kevin McGuire and married him in 1953. The McGuires moved to Canberra in 1955 where Kevin continued his public service career. They had five children - Thomas, Peter, Dermot, Justin and Jane.\nCanberra grew rapidly after World War 2 as public service departments were moved to the capital. The growing population was young: throughout 1950-1975, almost 40% of the population was under 21. Few people had an extended family nearby to help with burdens or crises, and social networks were insufficient to compensate for that lack. There were very few professional social workers in Canberra, and most of them were married women who were unable to pursue their careers full-time because of the near-ubiquitous 'marriage bar'. Government-funded child welfare in the ACT was originally handled by the NSW Child Welfare Department from its offices in Cooma and later in Queanbeyan. Their staff visited Canberra and supported a number of families who made their homes available for fostering and short term placement as family crises emerged. Similarly, church-based social services in the ACT were typically managed by their larger NSW service systems - e.g. the NSW Catholic Adoption Agency handled adoptions for the ACT archdiocese. These arrangements became unworkable as Canberra grew, and in 1968 the Commonwealth government enacted a Child Welfare Ordinance for the ACT, funded through and administered by the Department of the Interior. The ACT then withdrew from the NSW system. The widespread 'marriage bar' had required Ethel to resign from her permanent job but in no way stopped Ethel from continuing her involvement in social welfare matters when she arrived in Canberra, first as a volunteer and, by the early 1960s, as a full time temporary officer in the Welfare Branch of the Department of the Interior. After the marriage bar was removed in 1966, Ethel regained tenure as a permanent officer, ultimately becoming Assistant Director of Welfare until her retirement in 1989.\nEthel's 40-year career coincided with significant shifts in philosophies and practices in social welfare practice. In the 1960s, for example, she was involved in the adoption programs of both government and the Catholic church, but by the 1980s she was helping change the law to make it possible for children and their birth mothers to obtain information about each other. As the senior social worker and then Director of Welfare, Ethel had a particular interest in child welfare. Through much of her career, the policy of removing children at risk from their parents or their environment, typically placing them in institutions or foster care, was widespread and taken for granted. Ethel insisted that the ACT try to ensure that children of Indigenous background were adopted or fostered by other Indigenous families. Later in her career, as the awful consequences for many children of being removed and placed in situations of abuse and fear became much clearer, Ethel was an adviser to the Catholic church and various religious organisations in trying to help and compensate people who had suffered in such places.\nWhen Ethel arrived in Canberra in 1955, she found a very small number of other professional social workers, most of them married women who could not work full-time and so volunteered in various organisations (e.g. Ethel herself was secretary of the Catholic Marriage Guidance Council). She brought them together as the ACT Social Workers Group to encourage and support the growing number of social welfare and non-for-profit organisations that were serving the Canberra community. Under Ethel's leadership, the Group obtained a grant of 10 pounds from the local chapter of the National Council of Women to help establish an ACT Council of Social Service (COSS) as a coordinating mechanism to lead local service development, promote positive social change, be part of policy debates and contribute to the national network of Councils of Social Service. At the inaugural meeting of the ACT COSS on 30 July 1963, Ethel was appointed the Honorary Secretary of the Executive Committee. Twenty-nine agencies became members. Ten years later that had grown to 74 agencies and 34 individual members; by 2000 it had risen to some 130 agencies. The COSS was run on a shoestring in the 1960s, relying entirely on volunteers (the first paid staff member was appointed in 1972). Ethel was its driving force from the outset, and through the COSS she was able to influence almost every aspect of policy and practice in social welfare in the ACT over the next 25 years. Importantly, she ensured a significant, if hidden, subsidy from the relevant Commonwealth departments which gave their staff flexibility in volunteering their time to the COSS and its activities. As it grew, the COSS, with Ethel's close involvement, addressed issues ranging from initiation of mental health services, public housing and child poverty, to needs of the elderly, day care services, and services for children and families in crisis.\nEthel also played a key role in the formation of Catholic social services in the ACT, as the powerful NSW Catholic Welfare Service and Catholic Adoption Agency withdrew and the ACT developed its own social welfare systems and services from 1968. In particular, Ethel was instrumental in enabling the establishment in Canberra in 1967 by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary of Marymead Child and Family Centre as an out-of-home care facility for children of families in crisis, with funding support from the Commonwealth. Over the ensuing 20 years Ethel championed Marymead and its services behind the scenes and, on occasions, in fiery battles with authorities in the Department, the ACT justice system and the Archdiocese. By the time she retired in 1989, Marymead had grown substantially and had expanded into in-home care for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and their families. Ethel joined the Board of Marymead on her retirement, serving until 1998.\nEthel McGuire was renowned for her formidable political and networking skills. As Jack Waterford, former editor of the Canberra Times, noted in his obituary, she had 'an inside line to powers through Catholic, feminist, judicial, public service, civic or old mates, as well as the experience of having been in Canberra from the time it was a fairly intimate town of under 10,000. She helped develop many of them. She never hesitated to co-opt anyone to a purpose; if her motives were invariably pure, she was entirely ruthless in pursuing her ends.' Ethel McGuire was awarded an MBE in 1976 for her public service. In addition to her responsibilities as a public servant, and voluntary work for Marymead, she served on other boards such as the YMCA and Outreach and was the first woman elected president of the ACT branch of the Professional Officers Association of the Commonwealth Public Service. Her name was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2020 in recognition of her contribution to the ACT's social services. Ethel died on 14 March 2011. Bishop Pat Power, in his eulogy at her funeral, commented that 'everyone here today would have witnessed Ethel McGuire standing up for the most vulnerable in the Canberra community. She used her professional skills, her vast experience and her considerable influence in the community to be a fierce and tireless champion of those people who would have been damaged or disadvantaged without her intervention.'\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Whetnall, Tracey Fowler", "Entry ID": "AWE23090768", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/whetnall-tracey-fowler\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Sydney, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Public servant", "Summary": "Tracey Whetnall's lifelong dedication to making a difference through supporting Aboriginal people was recognised by her inclusion on the ACT Honour Walk in 2020. She had been appointed the first Indigenous Official Visitor to the Alexander Maconochie Centre in 2011 and also conducted many cultural awareness workshops for staff of the Australian Federal Police and ACT Corrective Services.\nTracey Whetnall was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll in 2020.\n", "Details": "\"Tracey Fowler Whetnall was born in Sydney Women's Hospital on 30 June 1963, one of the six children of Iris Fowler (nee Dixon), a Dharawal woman, and John Fowler, a Scottish man. Until her marriage in 1981 she lived in Ashcroft, a south-western suburb of Sydney. On leaving school, Tracey joined the Department of Defence, first as a trainee and later with the Army Reserve, where she worked as a cook and met her husband. In 1983, she enrolled in Tranby Aboriginal College, Glebe, where she gained her Year 12 High School Certificate. She joined the NSW Public Service Commission in 1984 where her duties involved supporting the career development of Aboriginal public servants. She divorced her husband that year.\nIn 1988, Tracey moved to the ACT where she undertook various roles in the Australian Public Service. She gave birth to her only child, Shara Fowler, in 1990 and a few years later opened her successful business, Tracey Whetnall Consultancy, designed to promote Aboriginal Cultural Awareness. Throughout the 1990s, Tracey worked intensively with the Australian Federal Police, conducting many training workshops. Conscious of her family's anxiety in dealing with police, she became an Interview Friend, being frequently called to the watch house to ensure that Aboriginal people felt supported during interviews.\nIn 2009, the ACT established its first prison for both male and female detainees, the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC). In 2011 Tracey was appointed the AMC's first Indigenous Official Visitor by the Minister for Justice, to whom she reported directly at quarterly meetings. She was empowered under legislation to undertake independent inspections of adult correctional facilities in the ACT, and places outside correctional centres where detainees worked or participated in activities. She received complaints from detainees about any aspect of their detention and was obliged to investigate all such complants. She made recommendations to the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and provided written reports to the Minister on the outcome of such complaints. The Annual Report of the Justice and Community Safety directorate in 2014-15 described its Official Visitors as 'the eyes and ears of the Minister'. Tracey was on the Board of the Gugan Gulwan Association Youth Corporation, established in 1992 to support young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families in the ACT and surrounding regions. In 2012-13, for example, Tracey's Consultancy facilitated 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness Training Programs, attended by 187 of its executives and staff and all operational members of ACT Corrective Services, as part of their induction. During NAIDOC Week that year she addressed the 35th Annual Aboriginal Hostels Limited's function in her role as AMC Indigenous Official Visitor. In 2014-15 she reported that she had visited adult correctional centres twice weekly on 43 occasions and found a significant rise in the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander detainees. The following year the number of her visits had risen to 96. She attributed this to a futher increase in the number of detainees and recidivists. She believed that many of the detainees' complaints, particularly about their interactions with Indigenous case managers, related to the heavy workloads of these staff members and detainees' misunderstanding of their role and responsibilities. A number of complainents, she observed, seemed unaware of the programs available to them and how participation in those programs could assist in their parole applications or their reintegration into the community. Tracey concluded both her annual reports with the comment 'Most Issues that I have raised over the year are being dealt with by Corrections staff to the best of their abilities \u2026(they) are very approachable about any concerns that I have'. Tracey officially resigned as Official Visitor in 2019 due to ill health.\nA passionate supporter of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Tracey was also fundamental to the success of Narrabundah's Boomanulla Oval. She was immensely proud of her family's history, reporting that her great-aunt, one of the Stolen Generations, was placed as a domestic for Dame Nelly Melba and that her Indigenous great-grandfather served as a Light Horseman in the First World War, sadly without recognition. Tracey died of cancer on 10 July 2019 aged 56. Her lifelong dedication to making a difference through raising cultural awareness and her achievements as the ACT's first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Official Visitor and the longest serving in Australia was recognised by the ACT Government by her inclusion on the ACT Honour Walk in 2020.\"\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-report-24\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Waterhouse, Dawn", "Entry ID": "AWE23090744", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/waterhouse-dawn\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Historian, Homemaker, Laboratory assistant", "Summary": "In her long life since her birth in 1923, Dawn Waterhouse was a participant in the development of the Canberra community and the city's evolution as the National Capital from the transfer of the Commonwealth Parliament to Canberra in 1927 to the present day.\nDawn Waterhouse was inscribed on the ACT Honour Walk in 2019.\n", "Details": "Dawn Waterhouse, laboratory assistant, housewife, mother, Canberra identity, community participant and community historian, was born Allison Dawn Calthorpe in Queanbeyan, New South Wales in 1923, the younger daughter of Della (Dell) and John Henry (Harry) Calthorpe. Dawn's mother, Della Ludvigsen, was born in Sydney of an American mother and Norwegian father. Dawn's father, Harry Calthorpe, born at Drake near Tenterfield, New South Wales, lived in Glen Innes and Cootamundra as a young man. He gave his occupation as pastry cook when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 19 August 1914 just three weeks after the beginning of World War I. He trained in the Middle East and was seriously wounded at Gallipoli on 2 July 1915 while serving with the 1st Light Horse. Struck in the lower jaw by a fragment of a radio hit by a high explosive, his jaw shattered and he lost all but two teeth, leaving him, at that time, unable to chew solid food. After being hospitalised in Egypt for his injuries and shell shock, he was repatriated to Australia towards the end of 1915. After extensive medical treatment in Concord Repatriation Hospital, he became a recruitment sergeant in the Southern Tablelands.\nHarry married Della Ludvigsen in Sydney in 1917 and they had two daughters, Del and Dawn. Dawn described her mother as a modern woman who loved Sydney where she was a roller-skater and dancer. She disliked living in Braidwood, one of their early homes, but became proud of Canberra; she had no affinity for horses but, from the late 1920s, loved driving her own car, a Morris Cowley that bore the number plate ACT 51. Dawn's father suffered very much from his war injuries, but he was a happy person, a good swimmer and horse rider, and played the cornet. After walking off a soldier settlement block at Braidwood, on poor farming land infested with rabbits, Harry Calthorpe became a stock and station agent in Queanbeyan. Soon after, he joined a firm begun by William George (Bill) Woodger and his brother Tom, which became Woodgers & Calthorpe. The firm was joint auctioneer at the auction of the first group of Canberra business and residential leases held on 12 December 1924 at Camp Hill, close to where Parliament House now stands. Registered as a limited company in 1927, Woodgers & Calthorpe continued acting for the Commonwealth in the sale of Canberra leases for the next 35 years.\nWhen Dawn was three, she attended the opening of the Provisional Parliament House (now Old Parliament House) on 9 May 1927 by the Duke of York. She remembered being taken for a joy ride with her family by pioneer aviator Charles Kingsford Smith when he flew to Canberra in his famous aeroplane the Southern Cross a couple of years later. In 1927, the Calthorpe family moved from Queanbeyan to their Canberra home built at 24 Mugga Way on a block Harry Calthorpe bought at one of the first auctions of house leases. Dawn remembered Canberra as just a paddock, but her father assured her, 'one day this will be a city'. The town's 9000 residents struck hard times during the Great Depression when the development of Canberra virtually ceased. In an effort to combat moves to abandon Canberra as the national capital, Bill Woodger and Harry Calthorpe joined a small group named the Kangaroo Club which aimed to 'keep Canberra hopping'. Both invested in Canberra businesses and, through the Canberra Building & Investment Co. Ltd, were active in the development of the Sydney and Melbourne buildings, the nucleus of Canberra's future city centre. Dawn's childhood memories were of riding bikes, looking for fossils at Mugga, swimming in the Cotter River, and roaming wherever she liked. One day she walked from Red Hill to Mount Ainslie and back, a 'long way' and 'such an adventure'. The opening of Manuka Swimming Pool in 1931 was a very clear memory as a sign of the advent of a modern city. 'Dad bought us season tickets at the cost of 12\/6 \u2026 it was absolutely wonderful.' She enjoyed films at the Capitol Theatre Manuka, concerts at the Albert Hall, and celebrations for Empire Day and Wattle Day.\nThe Calthorpe family house was designed by Oakley and Parkes under the direction of architect Ken Oliphant. The firm won a national competition to design houses suitable for the national capital and were the designers of the Prime Minister's Lodge - the Lodge and 24 Mugga Way had identical bathrooms. On one memorable trip to Sydney Dell Calthorpe ordered almost all the furniture and many household items from the Sydney firm Beard Watson & Company. Little was changed over the following decades which explains why the house was described as 'a time-capsule'. Dawn grew up in a comfortable, fashionable house with her own bedroom where she kept her toys. In the back garden there was a special cubby house furnished with a wood stove, chairs and boxes for toys. Originally one of the huts built as temporary accommodation for Canberra's early construction workers, Harry Calthorpe bought it as a playhouse for his daughters. Their home was very cold - it was Dawn's job to collect the kindling - and even though there were two large fireplaces and a fuel stove in the kitchen, the warmth hardly reached the bedrooms and they often suffered from chilblains. The Calthorpe children were brought up strictly, punctuality being especially important. They saw the handle of the feather duster for any infringement of rules. Both parents placed great emphasis on the attractive presentation of meals and good table manners. As the family had many country friends and had their own chooks, both red and white meat were plentiful. The family enjoyed vegetables and fruit from the garden and mushrooms picked in nearby paddocks. The Great Depression of the 1930s impacted the family. When Dawn asked her father what 'prosperous' meant, he said it was when you could afford to go on holidays. The family's holidays at Narooma ceased during the Depression but her parents used to say, 'Oh well, we've got a lovely garden, we'll\u00a0 holiday in the garden'.\nDawn began her schooling at Telopea Park public school in Barton and remained there during the Depression. In these early years, Dawn maintained a competitive relationship with her sister Del, exacerbated when, during these difficult years, her sister, a high achieving student, was able to stay at the fee-paying St Gabriel's school. Opened in 1926 by Anglican Sisters of the Church in the old St John's Rectory near Glebe Park, it soon moved to its permanent site in Melbourne Avenue, Deakin, followed by a name change to the Canberra Church of England Girls' Grammar School. In 1937, when there was more money after the stringent times in the Depression years, Dawn, who described herself as a daydreamer as a student, achieved her wish to be enrolled at Girls' Grammar and soon flourished. That year she was a member of the Junior Athletics team and in 1940 she was a prefect. She loved Grammar, especially her time in the boarding house, and remembered the teachers long after.\nWhen she left school, 'all the boys were heading off to the war so the girls got the jobs'. Dawn was employed as a laboratory assistant at the entomology division of CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the forerunner of CSIRO), engaged in experiments feeding mosquitoes and grasshoppers. She learnt how to crutch sheep and drive a gas producer, an improvised wartime attachment that enabled cars to run without relying on petrol which was rationed. Her work took her to Trangie in the central west of New South Wales. In Canberra, entomologist Douglas Waterhouse was her boss and she worked with him on research on blowflies. During World War II, Waterhouse served as a captain in the Australian Army Medical Corps. He was posted to the mouth of the Lakekamu River in the Gulf Province of New Guinea from August to October 1943, testing mosquito repellent and engaged on other medical research projects. He was the inventor of the insect repellent known commercially as Aerogard. In 1944, Dawn Calthorpe and Douglas Frew Waterhouse, the second son of Professor and Mrs E.G. Waterhouse of 'Eryldene' in the Sydney suburb of Gordon (later a house museum), married in the Anglican Church of St John the Baptist in Reid, ACT. Eighty guests attended the wedding reception held at the Calthorpes' home in Mugga Way. 'Doug was a very plain-looking man,' Dawn said years later, 'but absolutely the most witty and very clever. I loved him so much.' Once she married, Dawn, like all married women, was barred from returning to work in any government job. The couple built a house in National Circuit, Deakin, which remained Dawn's home for over seventy years. From the age of 12, she had always hoped to have a large family. After the birth of their daughter Jill, Dawn suffered several miscarriages, and the births of the three boys, Douglas, Jonathon and Gowrie, occurred over the next eighteen years. In 1956, the family accompanied Doug to Yale where he had an academic research appointment. In 1960, Doug became chief of the CSIRO Division of Entomology. While raising a family, Dawn spent some years as honorary director of the Red Cross Blood Bank, studied Australian literature at the Centre for Continuing Education at the Australian National University, joined a multitude of societies including the Canberra & District Historical Society, and was a member of the first committee of the Children's Medical Research Foundation. Her mother-in-law, Janet Waterhouse, inspired in her a love of Ikebana, and in 1954 she was invited to arrange the flowers for the visit of Queen Elizabeth to the Provisional Parliament House and later for the visits of\u00a0 the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.\nDawn described the early 1960s, when Canberra began a decade of rapid growth, as an exciting era. The Molonglo River was dammed, ready for the rains that turned it into Lake Burley Griffin. A new Commonwealth Avenue bridge straddled the lake and the low-level river crossings were submerged. The Defence departments began the long-planned move to the national capital and their staff and families, at first reluctant to leave Melbourne, came to like living in Canberra. New buildings sprang up everywhere including the Royal Australian Mint in Deakin and the National Library on the southern shore of the lake. Dawn and Doug led a busy social life, entertaining friends, colleagues and overseas visitors with cocktail parties and dinners at home and enjoying the varied gatherings at the increasing number of embassies. Birthdays were the occasion for special festivities with Dawn elaborately decorating home-made cakes. She helped to arrange extensive women's programs for conferences in which her husband was involved. Despite having a busy job that often took him overseas, he was a keen gardener and was always willing to bath the baby and cook for the family whenever his wife was away. From the 1950s, they enjoyed family holidays at Mossy Point on the south coast of New South Wales. Working hard for school fetes, Dawn rarely missed a school event in which her children were involved and was a caring nurse when they were sick. She was an enthusiastic reader, especially of books written by Australian authors, and enjoyed sewing and knitting for the family and for charity.\nAfter Harry Calthorpe died in 1950, Dawn's mother remained living in the Mugga Way house until shortly before her death in 1979. Dawn was always interested in Aboriginal culture and in the mid-1970s, while her mother was still living in the family home, a group of First Nations peoples, several of whom Dawn knew from holidaying at Mossy Point, set up an embassy in the house next door at 26 Mugga Way, owned by a former army officer, John Moloney. Joining Dawn and her mother for afternoon tea, they happily renewed their acquaintance. The Mugga Way embassy, facilitated by John Moloney, was superseded by the more permanent embassy on the lawns in front of Old Parliament House.\nIn the mid-1980s, with increasing awareness of the loss of Canberra's heritage, the Commonwealth Government bought 24 Mugga Way. One of three heritage houses administered by the ACT Historic Places, Calthorpes' House is preserved as a window into a family's life in the 1920s-1950s period, but especially, as most of the furnishings are original, as a time capsule of life in the 1920s. Of the three, it is the most recent in the historical timeline: Lanyon from the convict and squatter era, Mugga Mugga from small settler times, and Calthorpes' House from the early days of Canberra as the national capital. The apostrophe after the 's' in Calthorpes' is to show that it was a family home, not a grand estate. 24 Mugga Way was opened as the house museum on 15 December 1986, coincidentally on Dawn's 62nd birthday. As a volunteer, she enthusiastically helped with the cataloguing and organising public programs, exhibitions, and initiated a group called 'The Friends of Early Canberra'. Calthorpes' House is a treasure house of domestic history. It houses a pianola with dozens of pianola rolls, a gramophone, radio, and Bridge cards reflecting the family's entertainments and pastimes. The Calthorpes bought some new household gadgets, a toaster, iron and fan, but they persevered for some time with an ice chest with blocks of ice delivered regularly and a wood-fired copper with a copper-stick to transfer the boiling clothes to the laundry sink, and a bag of blue for bleach. In harmony with Canberra's planned garden city design, the house is set on a large block with a formal front garden, a side lawn with a favourite prunus tree, and a large back garden with vegetable plots and an orchard. They kept chooks which it was Dawn's job to feed. Near the back fence is the World War II air raid shelter, big enough for two families in event of an enemy attack that, fortunately, never eventuated.\nWell into her 70s, Dawn wrote two books, Chortles, Chores and Chilblains: Cameos of childhood in Calthorpes' House and Janet of Eryldene. She composed carols celebrating the Australian bush, sung by crowds of over one thousand at Christmas festivities held at the historic property, Lanyon. Dawn was a keen collector, especially of items relating to early Canberra and Old Parliament House. She was a strong advocate for the permanent observance of Wattle Day and collected depictions of wattle in all its forms, on china, linen, and stamps, in pictures, as jewellery, in poetry and more. She argued that, as the wattle grew in this country from many thousands of years ago and is in flower somewhere in this land every day of the year, it would be an appropriate symbol of reconciliation. Further advancing this argument, she considered that Wattle Day would be an appropriate supplement to, or better still, a replacement for, Australia Day. Many items in her various collections were later donated to other museums, including the National Museum of Australia and the Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG). Not long after CMAG opened in 1998, Dawn and Doug were made its first Life Members.\nEspecially from the age of forty, Dawn took an interest in Bridge, a game in which her mother had excelled. After Doug died on 1 December 2000, she found that playing Bridge was an excellent social outlet and, until a few weeks before her death at the age of 102, took great pleasure in playing with friends in their homes or at the Commonwealth Club in Yarralumla.\nDawn followed developments in Australian politics, not least because she knew Paul Hasluck (later Governor-General) and Gough Whitlam (later Prime Minister) from their Canberra boyhoods. She was surprised by the dismissal of the Whitlam Government with its new ideas in 1975. She believed that Julia Gillard did well as Prime Minister; her view was that women are part of men's strength and ideas. A Canberra patriot all her life, a few negative comments made their way into Dawn's published observations in later years, beginning with her firm view on handling isolation during the Covid pandemic. Speaking from her long experience of living through the Great Depression, World War II, bush fires, drought and epidemics, particularly recurrent polio epidemics when no vaccine was available, she remarked: 'When I was young and had chickenpox or measles, we had three weeks' isolation. I think they are letting people out too early.' In another interview she lamented the poor planning that had allowed parts of Canberra to be overwhelmed with concrete buildings. 'I don't like cement. I don't like the overcrowding and I don't like what seems to be disrespect for the city's poorer citizens,' she said. 'Where has our community spirit gone? I'm so proud I'm a Canberra girl. If only they would stop building with concrete, they have lost the plot.'\nOn 14 June 2021 Dawn received the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her service over many years to community history. Stylish and always carefully groomed, Dawn defied her age. In 2022, when she gave a talk at the October meeting of the Canberra & District Historical Society, she was offered a chair and a microphone but did not need either. Her topic was 'Canberra and Blowflies', detailing her collaboration with her late husband in his work on the eradication of blowflies. At her 100th birthday, she listed over 300 close friends and relations, a tribute to her warm personality - albeit a judgemental one at times - and also to have lived every single one of her 102 years (except for about nine months overseas) within a few kilometres of where she was born and grew up. Dawn's secret for a long life was 'always be involved in something' and face life with a 'positive attitude' - 'keep busy'.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dawn-waterhouse-recalls-a-bygone-era-and-rich-memories-of-canberras-past\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dawns-seen-it-all-but-not-like-this\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/feisty-fond-memories-from-dawn-of-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-dead-end-has-plenty-of-soul-canberra-had-few-early-admirers-but-it-did-have-happy-inhabitants-says-dawn-waterhouse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dawn-waterhouse-oam\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Taverner, Lesley Ellen", "Entry ID": "AWE23090880", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/taverner-lesley-ellen\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Griffith, New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Homemaker, Pool Manager", "Summary": "Lesley Taverner was recognised, together with her husband Owen and son John, for her contribution in managing and conserving the buildings and grounds of Manuka Pool in the Australian Capital Territory from 1955 to 2012 by their inscription on the ACT Honour Walk in 2016.\nLesley Taverner was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll in 2016 following the Taverner family inscription on the ACT Honour Walk.\n", "Details": "Lesley Ellen Taverner was born on 20 February 1925 in Griffith, NSW, the fifth of fourteen children of Margaret Gladys (nee Wilson) and Arthur Kelly. When she was two, the family moved to Boorowa, where Arthur had a butcher shop. They then moved to Queanbeyan and Canberra, where they initially lived in the former Molonglo Internment Camp in Fyshwick, and Lesley began school. When they later moved to The Causeway, she attended St Christopher's School in Manuka. Her father initially worked at the Yarralumla Brickworks until 1937, then later at the Kingston Power House, where he stoked the furnaces. Her family lived in one of the three weatherboard cottages on site until Arthur died in 1942. Lesley left school at 15 and worked as a waitress in a cafe in Kingston where she met Owen George Taverner, at that time enlisted in the Army. They married in 1943. On his discharge from the Army in 1945, Owen worked in Canberra as a bricklayer and builder. He was a volunteer lifeguard at Casuarina Sands on the Cotter River and from 1947 at the Manuka Pool.\nAfter the Olympic Pool opened in Civic in 1955, the Department of the Interior leased Manuka Pool and in 1956 Owen became its first leaseholder. At that time the Taverner family lived in Bougainville St, Manuka. As the mother of three children, Lesley was busy with home duties during the week but on weekends, when the pool was often crowded, she worked as cashier and sold ice creams at the pool. As the pool initially had no refrigerator, the ice creams were kept cold in canvas bags filled with dry ice. In 1980 their son John, previously a gardener at the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, was recruited to help manage the pool. When Owen retired in 1990, John became its second leaseholder. Owen died in Canberra in 1999 aged 75. Lesley died in Canberra on 26 August 2012 aged 87. The contribution of the Taverner family to Canberra in managing and conserving its buildings and grounds from 1955 to 2012 was acknowledged by their inscription on the ACT Honour Walk in 2016.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interview-with-lesley-taverner\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Reed-Gilbert, Kerry", "Entry ID": "AWE2309083", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/reed-gilbert-kerry\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Wiradjuri Country (Gulgong), New South Wales, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Activist, Artist, Consultant, Educator, Writer", "Summary": "Kerry Reed-Gilbert was an Aboriginal author, editor, educator and activist. A number of books of her poetry were published in her lifetime. She also compiled and contributed to numerous anthologies, and produced non-fiction related to her work as an educator and consultant. Her memoir, The Cherry Picker's Daughter was published in 2019, shortly after her death. Her friend and fellow Wiradjuri writer, Jeanine Leane described her as 'the matriarch of First Nations' Writing in Australia'.\nKerry Reed-Gilbert was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll in 2019.\n", "Details": "\"Kerry grew up on Wiradjuri country, living in Condobolin NSW, raised within a large extended family by her Mummy and Daddy - Joyce and Ned Hutchings. As she grew up, she came to know the troubled story of her biological parents. Kerry was only three months old when her father, Kevin Gilbert, killed her mother, Goma (nee Scott) in Parkes NSW in 1957. Kerry and her older brother (also called Kevin) were then taken in by their father's older sister Joyce, and Joyce's husband Ned. In her writing and in interviews, Kerry always refers to them as Mummy and Daddy. In addition to Kerry and her brother Kevin, Joyce Hutchings cared for her own three children, and three children of other family members. The Cherry Picker's Daughter describes Kerry's hard and precarious childhood. While being raised by Joyce in a loving home, Kerry and Kevin were officially wards of the state, and lived in constant fear of the 'welfare'. The family were subject to covert and overt racism. Public policies and attitudes of the time meant that access to fairly paid work, adequate housing, and educational opportunities were severely limited. Most of their income came from working as itinerant fruit-pickers (for which they were paid significantly less than non-Aboriginal workers), and from Ned Hutchings's work as a railway fettler, which often kept him away from home. Joyce Hutchings also took on other work like domestic cleaning, cooking, stick-picking and timber-cutting to keep the family afloat. When their home in Condobolin was destroyed by fire, they endured the uncertainty of temporary and makeshift accommodation for some time, until Joyce was able to buy a house in Koorawatha. Although The Cherry Picker's Daughter is described by the publishers as a childhood memoir, it is also Joyce Hutching's story, and a tribute to her resilience and dedication to her family.\nIn 1971 when Kerry was 15, her father was released from jail, and he continued pursuing the activism, art and writing that he had taken up while in prison. Kerry frequently acknowledged that despite the difficulties of her childhood, she was luckier than many other Aboriginal children of the time, as Joyce was able to achieve what many others could not, and keep her family together. Kerry said 'I've got all the goodness of this amazing family. I've got all the principles of this amazing Aboriginal woman - her strength, her dignity\u2026[and] I got the fire in the belly of my old man'. After leaving school Kerry worked as a fruit-picker and became a mother to two daughters. In the late 1980s she lived in Wagga Wagga and pursued further study. Initially undertaking an Associate Diploma in Adult Education, she later completed a Bachelor of Arts in Adult Education. While studying she also worked in women's housing, employment services and literacy programs in Wagga. She attended the 1988 Aboriginal protest at the Tent Embassy with her father in Canberra, this event fuelled her involvement in activism and calls for Aboriginal sovereignty through a treaty.\nIn the 1990s she moved to Sydney and commenced working at the Office of Youth Affairs and established Indigenous employment programs with Telstra. She later started her own business Kuracca Consultancy, providing training in Aboriginal culture and history to government and community organisations, and consultancy services supporting research and evaluation related to Indigenous health, education, homelessness and other social issues. While working to advance human rights and social and educational opportunities for Aboriginal people, Kerry also found time for creative output. She practiced art and photography and had started sharing her poetry, supported by her close friend Anita Heiss. In 1993 she performed some of her poems at Writers in the Park at the Harold Park Hotel and in 1996 Black Woman, Black Life, the first collection of her poetry, was published. In 1997 she compiled and edited Message Stick: Contemporary Aboriginal Writing. In 2000 she also compiled and edited The Strength of Us as Women: Black Women Speak, which she described in the preface as an outlet for Aboriginal women to describe 'their issues, their loves, their hurts'. In an ABC radio interview, she spoke about her hope that Indigenous women's writing would flourish and not just be confined to autobiography and survival stories but might expand into other genres; asking 'why can't we write erotica\u2026or murder mysteries?'.\nKerry moved to Canberra in the late 1990s, to be closer to her youngest daughter and grandchild, and brought her eldest daughter and her children to live there too. Canberra also allowed for improved work opportunities. She was a founding member of Us Mob Writing, a Canberra-based group of emerging and established Indigenous writers. In 2012-13 she co-founded the First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN) and became its inaugural chairperson. The last few years of her life were very productive, despite ill health. Publications she was involved with included A pocketful of leadership in the ACT (2016); Too deadly: our voice, our way, our business. Us Mob Writing (2017) and A pocketful of leadership in First Nations Australia Communities (2017).\nIn 2016 the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) acquired an extensive collection of 'Aboriginalia' that Kerry had begun accumulating in the 1970s. The collection includes plates, figurines, badges, ashtrays, prints, and velvet paintings.\u00a0Responding to criticism that such material demeans Aboriginal people, she said 'We are masters of our own destiny and we will decide what we see as being culturally right for us. I believe these objects represent who we are as people, from then to now. Each piece represents Aboriginal Australia and we will own them.'\nKerry Reed-Gilbert received a number of awards for her writing and has been acknowledged as a generous mentor and supporter by many other contemporary Indigenous writers. In 2003 she was the recipient of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board\u00a0fellowship for poetry and writing, which provided a two-month residency in New York. Her name was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll in 2019. Through her writing and public speaking, she advocated against tokenism, for Indigenous people to be paid fairly for their contributions to public cultural activities and events, and for non-Indigenous writers to be more thoughtful in their portrayal of Aboriginal characters in their writing. She also challenged non-Indigenous Australians to engage with and acknowledge the history of colonisation and dispossession, and its ongoing impact on Aboriginal people. She passed away in Canberra in July 2019 surrounded by her daughters, grandchildren, other family and close friends.\"\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kerry-reed-gilbert-her-eulogy-from-my-heart-anita-heiss-blog\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/vale-kuracca-a-tribute-to-kerry-reed-gilbert\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/honouring-the-words-of-the-messenger\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/desperate-measures-kevin-gilbert-with-kerry-reed-gilbert\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/kerry-reed-gilbert-interviewed-by-mary-hutchison-in-the-centenary-of-canberra-oral-history-project-2014\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/aiatsis-collection\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Notaras, Helen", "Entry ID": "AWE23090841", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/notaras-helen\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Athens, Greece", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community Leader, Property developer, Retail worker", "Summary": "Born and educated in Athens, Helen Notaras arrived in Australia in 1927 with her maternal uncle and his family. Having worked in her uncle's butcher's shop in Sydney, she moved to Canberra in 1933 following her marriage to Harry Notaras. Their Highgate Caf\u00e9 served as a focal point for the Canberra community and through the family's property and development interests, in which she was influential, she contributed to Canberra's growth and amenity. In 2005, the ACT Honour Walk recognised the Notaras Family for its long-term contribution to the Territory's commercial and community life.\nHelen Notaras was inscribed on the ACT Women's Honour Roll as part of the Notaras family inscription on the ACT Honour Walk in 2005.\n", "Details": "\"Born to Kiparissoula Vamvakaris and George Poulis, who operated a 'fournos' or commercial oven in Omonia, Athens, Helen Poulis was the eldest of four children. Her mother came from Kythera (she died in July 1973 aged 97), her father from Santorini (he died in July 1937 aged 52). She received a good education to secondary level in Athens and attributed her emigration to her mother's view that she would be better off in Australia. With her maternal uncle, George Peter Vamvakaris (later anglicised to Harris), his wife, and family she arrived in Fremantle in September 1927. The extended family travelled to Sydney, where George Vamvakaris had previously, between 1911 and 1923, operated as a butcher and restaurateur. Helen Poulis and the Vamvakaris family stayed initially with Harry Samios at 472 George Street in the city and then moved to the residence above the Vamvakaris' butcher shop, 'The Phoenix', in Taylor Square.\nHelen Poulis worked in the Taylor Square shop developing her knowledge of the retail meat industry, customer service, and business principles as well as her facility with English. Her thirst for learning and knowledge was lifelong and she was admired for her intelligence and articulacy. In Paddington, on 23 July 1933, Helen married Haralambos (Harry) Notaras (21 November 1897-29 July 1971). Their eldest son, Jim Notaras, believed that his parents met in Sydney when his father sought advice from Helen Poulis' uncle, George Vamvakaris, a fellow Kytherian. Following their marriage, Helen Notaras arrived in Canberra where the couple lived behind the Highgate Caf\u00e9 in Giles Street and then in Trent Street in Kingston. The family moved briefly to Queanbeyan during the Second World War as Harry Notaras feared Canberra, the national capital, might be a target for Japanese attack. By the end of the decade the family was established in Evans Crescent in the suburb of Griffith a short walk to and from the Highgate Caf\u00e9.\nBetween 1934 and 1946 the couple had five children: Dimitri (Jim) in 1934, Georgios (George) in 1936, Stamatina (Nina) in 1937, John in 1939, and Emmanuel in 1946. The children testified to the importance their parents attached to education, completing their early schooling at Telopea Park, and then moving to one or other of the Canberra Grammar Schools. John Notaras recollected their mother's interest in, and supervision of, their homework and that they were encouraged to play sport and become involved in other extra-curricular activities. Jim Notaras remembered that, as the only daughter, Nina Notaras, was 'very, very protected' and she remembered extra-curricular classes in deportment, elocution, ballet, piano, and music. This emphasis on education as the path to learning, to a greater choice of careers (beyond the milk bar, fish and chip or fruit shop the three standard occupations for Greek immigrants), to integration and success is a familiar motif in immigration stories and so it was in the Notaras family.\nThe twin priorities of prospering in an adopted country while nurturing one's inherited culture found expression in the family speaking Greek at home, enjoying Greek cuisine, celebrating Greek festivals and religious observance. Helen Notaras is remembered as a devout weekly attendee (in a pew in the first row) at the Greek Orthodox Church of St Nicholas, in Kingston, and as a long serving, compassionate, and active member and president of the Church's Ladies' Auxiliary, 'Philoptochos' (in English, 'friend of the poor'), which raised money to assist those in need. Her willingness to help new arrivals settle in Canberra and to assist with translating between Greek and English, for example, for Ray Whitrod of the then Commonwealth policing service, were appreciated. The descriptors most frequently ascribed to Helen Notaras by her children and grandchildren were 'strict', 'strong', and 'intelligent'. 'Strict' was often tempered by 'fair' and by the acknowledgement that a mother of five might have had much to arbitrate and conciliate. Her involvement and interest in family carried through to her grandchildren. They remember her as providing sound counsel and having an apposite Greek proverb for every situation. They also recollect her as always looking elegant and being an inspiration. While protective of family, she had a strong work ethic and expected it to be mirrored by her children and grandchildren who were taught that nothing is free. Her devotion to family could take the form of knowing what was best for individual members and making decisions for them (often without letting them know), and she could be unbending in her views.\nHelen Notaras worked with her husband in the Highgate Caf\u00e9. The family operated a variety of other retail businesses over the decades. On Harry Notaras' death in 1971, the family development company was believed to be a large holder of Commonwealth leases in Canberra with real estate interests in Queanbeyan, Sydney, and Yass. Emmanuel Notaras described his father as an astute businessman who could see opportunities and capitalised on them, wanting the family to be financially secure and comfortable. Notwithstanding his father's lack of formal education, Harry Notaras envisioned a thriving future for the fledgling national capital of seven thousand and planned to play a role in the capital's development. It was Harry Notaras' good fortune that his wife's side of the family had strong mercantile instincts with Emmanuel Notaras observing 'Mum valued the fruits of enterprise.' Historians Tamis and Tsolakis noted that 'The caf\u00e9's success allowed him [Harry Notaras] to build a considerable retailing empire in the ACT. His wife \u2026 took a leading part in the business and much of his success should be credited to her.' Hers was a long widowhood - thirty-six years - and although her sons, in various combinations over the years, managed the family's interests, they noted when, in 1993, the Notaras family won the inaugural Property Industry Award presented by the Real Estate Institute of the ACT 'it was all done \"with mum's support\".' She was clearly involved in the business, had views about the most strategic course of action (particularly in terms of property acquisition) and was vocal in articulating her perspective.\nHer family, her faith, and her curiosity in the world all sustained her until the end of her long life. On Canberra Day, in March 2005, together with almost one thousand pioneering Canberra residents, Helen Notaras was recognised with a 'Canberra Gold' award for her commitment to the early development of Canberra. Also in 2005, the ACT Honour Walk recognised the Notaras Family for its long-term contribution to the Territory's commercial and community life. The redoubtable and respected Helen Notaras died in Canberra on 12 November 2007 and is buried beside Harry in the Woden Cemetery. Over the course of her seventy-four years in Canberra, she made significant contributions to Canberra's early hospitality industry, was a shrewd property investor and developer, and an admired community leader.\"\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-history-of-greeks-of-canberra-and-districts\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/oral-history-recorded-with-jim-notaras\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/helen-notaras-a-family-celebration\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Grant, Mary Elizabeth (Liz)", "Entry ID": "AWE2407043", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/mary-elizabeth-liz-grant\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Mornington, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian, Pharmacist", "Summary": "Pharmacist Liz Grant was a foundation member of the ACT Division of the Australian Liberal Party and was elected a Liberal Party member for the electorate of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) House of Assembly from 1979 to 1982. She maintained an active and prominent role in the Liberal Party for several decades thereafter, as well as close involvement in women's affairs, health policy and social affairs in the ACT and nationally. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1987, a Life Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia in 1991, and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Monash University in 2005.\n", "Details": "Mary Elizabeth Grant - known affectionately to all as Liz - was born to Les and Mary Allen on 23 February 1930 in Mornington, then just outside Melbourne. She completed her schooling at the selective entry Mac.Robertson Girls' High School in Melbourne where she was a House Captain and a swimming champion. Liz followed in her father's footsteps as a pharmacist, training at the Victorian College of Pharmacy from 1947 to 1951. She was then apprenticed to her father in his Melbourne pharmacy.\nLiz married Howard Grant in 1952. They had two children Allen and Sue and eventually four grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. She continued to work and in 1958 took a radical decision to open her own pharmacy in Greensborough, a Melbourne suburb, becoming one of the first female pharmacy owners in the State. This meant long hours getting the business up and running while also raising a young family, but Liz persisted and the business was very successful.\nPharmacy and the potential for the pharmacist to play an integral role in the development of communities became an underlying driver for many of the activities and roles Liz took on over the next 65 years. She always said she was a pharmacist first, and then a lot of things thereafter. She proudly maintained her registration and membership of both the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia until her death in 2023.\nLiz sold her pharmacy when the family moved interstate in 1963. While she never owned another pharmacy, she continued her work as a pharmacist in hospital and community pharmacies in Mt Gambier, Melbourne and Canberra for many years.\nIn 1985, Liz and Howard established Commerce Management Services - a family company dedicated to providing secretariat services and administrative support to associations, industry groups and small businesses. She maintained an active involvement in the business almost until her death.\nWhen she moved to Canberra, Liz became a foundation member of the ACT Division of the Liberal Party. From 1977 to 1984 she was Convenor of the ACT Division of the Liberal Women's Committee, and in 1979-1982 served as a Liberal Member elected to the seat of Canberra in the ACT House of Assembly. In 1977 she also became a member of the Federal Women's Committee of the Liberal Party, and chaired that Committee from 1980 to 1985. She stood for election (unsuccessfully) in the federal seat of Fraser in the ACT at the 1983 election.\nDuring and after her term in parliament, Liz played a prominent role in many of the ACT's health-related boards and councils, notably as Chair of the ACT Health Services Council (1981-1985), member of the ACT Hospital Services Board (1986-1987) and its Chair in 1989, and Chair of the ACT Health Authority (1987).\nLiz maintained her active involvement in women's affairs after she left politics, as President of the ACT Division of Business and Professional Women (1986-1989), and member of the ACT Women's Consultative Council (1989-1998). She remained a strong advocate for women in the Liberal Party and was much respected and loved for her kindness and supportive mentorship across the political aisle. She was greatly encouraged in this advocacy by attending the United Nations Women's Conference in Copenhagen in 1980 where she met women from all over the world with one common agenda - to promote women at all levels.\nLiz was very active in other areas of ACT society as well. From 1981 to 1999 she chaired the ACT Australia Day Sports Carnival. She was a member of the ACT Parole Board during her term in the Assembly (1982-1985). She chaired the Canberra Festival Inc. in 1987, and in 1997 became a member of the ACT Centenary of Federation Committee. She was a Board member of the Council of the Ageing (ACT) from 2000 to 2016 and Chair from 2005 to 2011, and also a director of COTA Australia for several years. She chaired the Gorman House Community Arts Interim Management Committee for many years and maintained her interest in and support for Gorman House for over 40 years. Liz was a driving force for Care Financial Services in Canberra for 30 years, the majority as the Chair, as a Board Member and the organisation's Patron; she maintained an active interest and engagement until her death.\nAt national level, Liz was appointed to the National Health and Medical Council (NHMRC) from 1982 to 1985 - one of only two women on the Council. She developed a particular interest in the ethics of health care and animal-related research, becoming a member of the NHMRC Animal Experimental Ethics Committee in 1998 and Chair of its Animal Welfare Committee in 2000. In Canberra, she joined the ACT Department of Health and Community Care Ethics Committee in 1997 and she was a member of the ACT Health Human Research Ethics Committee from the late 1980s to 2009.\nLiz Grant was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1987 in recognition of her service to health administration and the community. In 1991 she was made a Life Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by Monash University in May 2005. She died in Canberra on 7 February 2023 at the age of 92.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elizabeth-grant-liberal-politician-and-health-advocate-remembered-as-dedicated-canberran\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/grant-mary-elizabeth-australian-encyclopaedia-of-science-and-innovation\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Wells, Anika Shay", "Entry ID": "AWE26012941", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wells-anika-shay\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Australian Labor Party, Anika Wells was elected to the House of Representatives division of Lilley in the Australian Parliament at the general election held on 18 May 2019. A complete record of her parliamentary service, including a link to her first speech, can be found in the Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (see below).\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wells-the-hon-anika-shay\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Thwaites, Kate Lynne", "Entry ID": "AWE26012942", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/thwaites-kate-lynne\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Melbourne, Victoria, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Parliamentarian", "Summary": "A member of the Australian Labor Party, Kate Thwaites was elected to the House of Representatives Victorian division of Jagajaga in the Australian Parliament at the general election held on 18 May 2019. A complete record of her parliamentary service, including a link to her first speech, can be found in the Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia (see below).\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/thwaites-the-hon-kate-lynne\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Tyndale-Biscoe, Marina", "Entry ID": "AWE26022433", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tyndale-biscoe-marina\/", "Type": "Person", "Birth Place": "Budapest, Hungary", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Conservationist, Entomologist, Scientist", "Summary": "Born in Hungary, Marina Tyndale-Biscoe migrated with her family to Australia in 1949 and grew up in Tasmania. She moved to Canberra in 1962, joining the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) as an entomologist, studying bushflies which breed in fresh cow dung and were a serious health hazard in summer. She went on to play a major role in a team assessing the suitability of foreign dung beetles for controlling the breeding cycle of bushflies. As a result, summers in south eastern Australia and Tasmania are no longer bedevilled by flies, which has had a major beneficial impact on the outdoor lifestyles of Australians.\n", "Details": "Marina Szokoloczi was born in Budapest shortly before World War 2, and grew up on the family estate in Slovakia. After the war, her family was forced off the estate by the communist government and migrated to rural Tasmania in 1949. Marina fell in love with the Australian landscape; her love of nature led her to complete a zoology honours degree at the University of Tasmania.\nShe met and married zoologist Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe in 1960 and they moved to Perth where she joined the Western Australia Museum, working on the taxonomy of pebble crabs. In 1962 the family moved to Canberra where Hugh took up a position at the Australian National University and Marina became a full-time mother with three young children. In mid-1965 she shocked many of her contemporaries by returning to research full-time at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Division of Entomology, entrusting the children to the care of a family friend. She spent the next five years studying bushflies.\nAt that time, bushflies were a serious health pest for humans in the summer months in south eastern Australia. In Canberra, for example, it was illegal for restaurants to serve food outside and any outdoor venture was accompanied by 'the great Australian salute'. Marina's research investigated the physiological age of adult female bushflies; from this it became possible to determine where they went in winter. In spring, colonists are blown south from breeding areas in Queensland to re-establish the population. Their success depends on the quantity and quality of fresh cow dung, so the key to their control was to find ways to disperse the dung. Native dung beetles cannot break down large cow pats. In 1972 Marina joined another CSIRO program assessing the suitability of many species of foreign dung beetles for breaking down the cow dung and burying it (which also benefited the soil). As a result of that very successful program, south eastern Australia and Tasmania are now relatively free of bushflies in summer and outdoor lifestyles have become the norm.\nTyndale-Biscoe published her research in a series of papers from the late 1960s. It also formed a major part of her PhD thesis completed at James Cook University in 1985. In the 1990s CSIRO Publishing published two books by Tyndale-Biscoe on dung beetles which were widely used by farmers to help them choose the most effective dung beetle types for their area.\nIn 1980 the Tyndale-Biscoes bought a property by the Mongarlowe River, near Braidwood NSW, and revegetated the degraded native forest. With the poet and environmentalist Judith Wright, she was a founding member of the Friends of the Mongarlowe Forest. This group sought to protect the forest, the river and its headwaters from logging and mining.\nTyndale-Biscoe deposited her archives with the National Library of Australia in 2024. They included not only her records of her scientific research and conservation activities, but also family records made and kept by her mother during the dangerous and challenging times of the German and Soviet occupation of Slovakia. She had published these in 2014 as Horka - a Home that Was: Surviving in Czechoslovakia 1938 to 1949. Tyndale-Biscoe died in Canberra on 12 July 2025.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/common-dung-beetles-in-pastures-of-south-eastern-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cropping-and-distribution-of-exotic-dung-beetles-in-south-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/horka-a-home-that-was-surviving-in-czechoslovakia-1938-1949\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tribute-to-dr-marina-tyndale-biscoe-nee-szokoloczi-entomologist-and-conservationist\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/helped-save-great-aussie-lifestyle\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marina-tyndale-biscoe\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Canberra Women's Liberation Group", "Entry ID": "AWE0003", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-womens-liberation-group\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social action organisation", "Summary": "The Canberra Women's Liberation Group was formed in June 1970 after two women from Sydney Women's Liberation spoke to eight female anti-Vietnam War activists, who decided to meet on a weekly basis on Wednesday evenings, to discuss their own form of oppression. The weekly meetings continued until 1976. One of its founding members was Julia Ryan. Their meetings were held in different houses in Canberra suburbs until 1975, when they shared Canberra Women's House with the Women's Electoral Lobby and the Abortion Counselling Service.\n", "Details": "Meeting venues were initially at Canning Street, Ainslie, then in the living rooms of various women's homes. The group grew quickly to more than twenty, with recruits mainly being students, junior academics, or teachers in their twenties and thirties. They rented a house in Bremer Street from 1972 to 1974. In 1975 it moved to Lobelia Street, O'Connor to Canberra Women's House and shared that house with the Women's Electoral Lobby, (WEL) which was formed in 1972 and the Abortion Counselling Service There was no formal membership, hierarchy or structure, although minutes of meetings were kept. Women enrolled on a mailing list and volunteered for jobs. They had a monthly newsletter, which ceased in 1976 as original members moved on to other activities.\nMembers undertook research into topics such as education, psychology, the nuclear family, and femininity and led the weekly meetings.\nThe group was invited to address organizations such as the Humanists, Rotary, schools and women's service clubs. Other activities included running information stalls, celebrating International Women's Day, consciousness raising and organizing conferences.\nJulia Ryan has argued that 'Canberra WL did not die. It changed our lives, and the ideology spread so wide that those of us who had known every feminist in Canberra now did not know every feminist in our suburb. The movement had grown, not in the way we imagined, but beyond our dreams.'\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-womens-liberation\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/julia-ryan-interviewed-by-sara-dowse-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elizabeth-ward-interviewed-by-sara-dowse-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-womens-electoral-lobby-1952-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-julia-ryan\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-christine-fernon-1970-1985-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Women's Studies Program, Australian National University", "Entry ID": "AWE0007", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-studies-program-australian-national-university\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Tertiary education institution", "Summary": "The Women's Studies Program was established at the Australian National University in 1976 as the result of activism and political pressure applied by students who were connected to the Women's Liberation movement. In the first instance, the program's key aims were to explore the position and representation of women in Australian and other societies, the forces producing female subjectivity and women's experiences of femininity. Moving the examination of these questions into the academy was an important step in the development of a feminist critique of existing disciplines and institutional structures and the development of feminist scholarship in general.\n", "Details": "The introduction of the Women's Studies Program was approved by the Faculty of Arts and the Board of the School of General Studies at the Australian National University in 1974 as an interdisciplinary course for advanced-year students. In January 1976, Dr Ann Curthoys was appointed as a Lecturing Fellow to develop and teach the course as a full-year single unit. It was described at the time as 'concerned with the study of women in society, and the biological, psychological, social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of gender differentiation' (ANU Calendar, 1977). The Program was administratively attached to the History Department.\nAfter two years of teaching the course, Curthoys transferred to the University of Technology Sydney in February 1978 (she returned to ANU as Professor of History in 1994) and Dr Susan Magarey succeeded her as lecturer. The early years of the program featured a number of lecturers from a range of departments such as History, English, Psychology, Philosophy, Demography, Sociology and Anthropology, as well as guest lecturers Senator Susan Ryan, Sara Dowse (who had been head of the Women Affairs Unit in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 1974-77) and Jenny Macklin (later a Labor minister). Magarey was later joined by Julia Ryan as a temporary lecturer (1981-82). In 1983, Magarey went to the University of Adelaide as the founding Director of the Research Centre for Women's Studies.\nIn 1984, Dr Dorothy Broom (Department of Sociology) was appointed lecturer and convenor of the program. Dr Jill Julius Matthews (Department of History) was also appointed lecturer in 1984, becoming convenor in 1987, a role which alternated between them. By the late 1980s, the program offered four annual and two semester units, a 4th year honours program, a Graduate Diploma, a Master of Letters and higher degrees by research. It also supported a Resource Unit on Women and Gender which developed teaching bibliographies to inject gender issues into other Faculty of Arts courses.\nAfter a period of financial cutbacks and uncertainty about the Program's longevity, a review of the Program resulted in the ANU Council resolving in September 1995 that the Program be designated the Centre for Women's Studies, with Matthews as Director (she had been promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1991 and Reader in 1994). Dr Jan Jindy Pettman (Department of Political Science) was appointed Director and Reader from the beginning of 1997. At that time, there were four lecturers: Dr Jill Matthews, Dr Rosanne Kennedy, Dr Fiona Paisley and Dr E Wilson.\nOn 7 April 2000, the ANU Council approved a general restructure of the Faculty of Arts which abolished the Centre for Women's Studies as an administrative unit with effect from 1 July 2000. In 2001, the 25th anniversary of the Women's Studies Program was celebrated with a seminar featuring current and former staff including Ann Curthoys, Susan Magarey and Liz O'Brien.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-studies-at-the-australian-national-university-the-early-years\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/orphans-of-the-storm-the-attrition-of-the-anu-womens-studies-program\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-studies-tenth-anniversary-at-anu-dr-dorothy-broom-dr-jill-matthews-dr-susan-magarey-ms-wang-ying-ms-wu-lintao-ms-xu-xuehai-ms-liu-maoshu-ms-lian-lijuan-kathleen-taperell\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-studies\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-national-university-council-minutes\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/anu-womens-studies-program-audiovisual-material-and-photographs\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/material-relating-to-25th-anniversary-celebrations-of-anu-womens-studies-department\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/jill-matthews-papers\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "ACT Women's Consultative Council", "Entry ID": "AWE0008", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-womens-consultative-council\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Advocate, Consultant", "Summary": "The ACT Women's Consultative Council was established in 1989 by the then chief minister Rosemary Follett to advise the chief minister on the status of women and women's issues. It ceased operation in 2001.\n", "Details": "The ACT Women's Consultative Council was established in 1989 by the then chief minister Rosemary Follett. The Council was given the following terms of reference:\n\nto advise the Chief Minister on the status of women in the ACT;\nto develop a broad overview of women's status in the ACT, with a particular emphasis on identifying gaps in programs or services and on advising priorities for attention, acknowledging that all programs, services and policies affect women to a greater or lesser extent;\nto provide to, and receive from women, and the organisations involved in women's issues, information about issues of concern to women; and\nto prepare a yearly work program for approval by the first ACT Women's Consultative Council under these terms of reference.\n\nThe following women were members of the Council:\nFirst Women's Consultative Council, 1989-1992\n\nPamela Cahir (Convenor to April 1990)\nSusan Bambrick (Convenor September 1990-March 1991)\nMaureen Bromfield (to May 1991)\nDanielle Hyndes (Convenor March 1991-May 1992)\nGillian Boyd\nKathryn Cole\nElizabeth Grant, AM\nWinsome Hall\nMargaret Munro\nKoula Notaras\nVanda Podravac\nAlison Purvis (to July 1991)\nKaren Richards (to May 1991)\nJulia Ryan\nMargaret Timpson\n\nSecond Women's Consultative Council, June 1992-June 1994\n\nJulia Ryan (Convenor)\nAnn Quadroy (Deputy Convenor from December 1993)\nDorothy Broom (until March 1994)\nGrace Coe\nJennifer Bradley\nBeverly Ch'ng\nJacklynn Draper\nJane Grace\nGwen Gray\nCharlotte Palmer\nJayne Pilkinton (until February 1994)\nHeather Ponting\nFelicity Rafferty\nBetty Searle\nLorraine Weatherall\n\nThird Women's Consultative Council, July 1995-June 1996\n\nJenny Morison (Chair)\nDanielle Hyndes (Deputy Chair)\nRobyne Bancroft\nPaula Calcino\nMargaret Carmody\nBetty Craig\nElizabeth Grant, AM\nDonna Holden\nIngrid McKenzie\nAnne Ranson\nDennise Simpson\nJean Thomson\nLita Vidal\n\nFourth Women's Consultative Council, July 1996-March 1998\n\nDanielle Hyndes (Chair)\nElizabeth Grant, AM\nMargaret Carmody\nJean Thompson\nBetty Craig\nKaren Sorensen\nDennise Simpson\nLinda Crebbin\nIngrid McKenzie\nRobyne Bancroft\nLita Vidal\n\nAugust 1998-June 2000\n\nKaren Fogarty (Chair)\nJacqueline Pearce (Deputy Chair)\nAysun Adams\nLibby Bell\nMyriam Bonazzi\nBetty Craig\nMargaret Head\nCathi Moore\nGlenda Munro\nJulia Nesbitt\nMargery Smyth, OAM\nMegan Thompson\nJean Thompson\nLulu Turner\nAnn Wentworth, AM\n\nJuly 2000-September 2001\nmembership as above, with the addition of:\n\nMatilda House\n\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/getting-equal-the-history-of-australian-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Beryl Women's Refuge", "Entry ID": "AWE0010", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/beryl-womens-refuge\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Women's refuge", "Summary": "Beryl Women's Refuge was the first women's refuge for women and children escaping domestic violence in the ACT. It provided accommodation and a range of legal, welfare and health services to a diverse range of clients.\n", "Details": "Inspired by the feminists who established the Elsie Women's Refuge in Sydney, Julia Ryan, Elizabeth 'Biff' Ward, Pamela Oldmeadow and other members Women's Liberation in Canberra formed a Refuge Committee in 1974 to investigate through local welfare organisations the need for a similar refuge for victims of domestic violence in the ACT. Their evidence-based funding submission to the Commonwealth Department of the Capital Territory resulted in the lease of a three-bedroom house in Adams Place Watson and a grant of $4,000 towards its running costs. On 8 March 1975 Pat Bryant, wife of Gordon Bryant the Minister for the Capital Territory in the Whitlam Government, officially opened the Canberra Women's Refuge and handed its keys to veteran feminist and abortion law reform advocate, Beryl Henderson. In 1989, the refuge was renamed Beryl Refuge Inc. in her honour. Originally staffed by trained volunteers from Canberra Women's Liberation and Women's Electoral Lobby, it was managed by a Collective of the Refuge Committee, operating by consensus decision-making.\nIn May 1976 the refuge moved to a two-storied duplex in Kingston, provided rent-free for two years by a Canberra businessperson, and received government funding for paid staff. Initially, all homeless women were accepted into the refuge but on 8 August 1983, Toora, a separate refuge for single women, was opened, allowing Beryl to focus on women with children.\nIn July 1986 the Incest Centre (now Canberra Rape Crisis Centre) was established, initially as a subsidiary of the Canberra Women's Refuge. In 1990 Beryl opened a halfway house for women and children awaiting priority government housing. A $40,000 government grant in 2001 allowed Beryl to run children-focussed programs and in 2004 further funding permitted the provision of a twelve-month outreach program for former clients.\nOn 19 December 2005, Beryl Refuge Inc. was renamed Beryl Women Inc. In response to significant cuts in government funding the management of Beryl transitioned in April 2007 from a collective to a committee model of governance. Beryl increasingly employed ethnically diverse staff to better reflect the diversity of their clients and created two designated positions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.\nIn 2015 Aboriginal woman Robyn Martin, Beryl's Manager from 2005, was named ACT Woman of the Year.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/opening-a-new-door-the-herstory-of-beryl-women-inc-1975-2015\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elizabeth-ward-interviewed-by-sara-dowse-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-julia-ryan-1947-1982-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/woman-sorting-clothes-in-the-lounge-room-of-a-canberra-womens-refuge\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/bedroom-at-the-canberra-womens-refuge-watson-which-is-being-used-by-an-adult-and-five-children\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/escargo-go-with-domestic-dirt-canberra-womens-refuge-dinner-dance-1982\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/red-fems-collection-njsn_ac-007\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/elba-cruz-zavalla-interviewed-by-ann-mari-jordens-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "National Social Welfare Commission", "Entry ID": "AWE0070", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-social-welfare-commission\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Government department", "Summary": "The National Social Welfare Commission was created by the Whitlam Labor Government in 1972. It was abolished in 1975 following the election of the Fraser Liberal-National Party Government. \nAs Chair of the Commission, Marie Coleman introduced the Australian Assistance Plan..\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/minutes-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Office of Child Care", "Entry ID": "AWE0071", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/office-of-child-care\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Government department", "Summary": "Marie Coleman was Director from 1975.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Family Support Program", "Entry ID": "AWE0072", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/family-support-program\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Government department", "Summary": "The Family Support Program was a youth refuge program introduced under the Office of Child Care when Marie Coleman was Director.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "National Women's Conference", "Entry ID": "AWE0074", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-womens-conference\/", "Type": "Event", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Conference", "Summary": "The first National Women's Conference was held in Canberra in 1990. It was organised by Marie Coleman and other members of the National Foundation for Australian Women.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Canberra Mothercraft Society Inc", "Entry ID": "AWE0078", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-mothercraft-society-inc\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community organisation, Women's organisation", "Summary": "Canberra Mothercraft Society (CMS) was established in 1929, one of many women's organisations at the time which formed around the National Council of Women in the Australian Capital Territory to meet the needs of public servants being transferred to the new capital city, and of workmen engaged in building it.\n", "Details": "Canberra had been proclaimed capital of Australia on 12 March 1913 by Lady Gertrude Denman, wife of the then Governor-General.\nInitially the CMS provided its first mothers and babies health service in the same central Canberra premises housing the national newspaper, the Canberra Times. From these premises, visiting clinics were organised at workers encampments in the newly developing suburbs. Later the CMS also operated Canberra's first cr\u00e8che.\nThe growth of Canberra was slowed during the Great depression of the 1930s, and during World War II, but the CMS continued to provide its services in partnership with the relevant Commonwealth Government agency, the Department of the Interior.\nAfter World War II the Federal Government under Prime Minister Robert Menzies acted decisively to speed the growth of the national capital, and many more Federal agencies, with their staff, were transferred from other Australian cities to Canberra.\nAs Canberra's population grew, so grew the need for services for mothers and babies. To mark the coronation in 1953 of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a public appeal in Canberra raised funds to build a post-natal residential care service in central Canberra on land donated by the Department of Territories.\nThe building was opened in 1953 by the wife of the Prime Minister, Mrs (later Dame) Pattie Menzies. Subsequently, the Commonwealth Department of Health through its territorial administration took on increased responsibility for the provision of infant welfare services.\nAfter self-government was granted to the Australian Capital Territory in 1989, the ACT Health department took over responsibility for child health services and clinics, and continued to work in partnership with the CMS in the operation of the QEII.\nChildren's day care services became more commonly provided through a range of community based and commercial agencies as the Commonwealth provided financial support for child day care services from 1972 onwards, accelerating after 1975.\nIn 1999 the Territory Government provided a new building in Curtin, by now the demographic centre of Canberra, for the operation of the QEII under the aegis of the Canberra Mothercraft Society.\nThis entry was researched and written by Marie Coleman \n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-mothering-years-the-story-of-the-canberra-mothercraft-society-1926-1979\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-general-meeting\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/annual-report-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/constitution-of-the-canberra-mothercraft-society\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-helen-crisp-1939-1983-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0043-canberra-mothercraft-society-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "International Women's Year National Advisory Committee", "Entry ID": "AWE0171", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/international-womens-year-national-advisory-committee\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The federal government (Whitlam) appointed the International Women's Year National Advisory Committee to oversee the distribution of government funding for projects between 1974 and 1976 associated with the United Nations-proclaimed International Year of Women (1975). Australia's activities for the International Year of Women were also supported by a secretariat under Elizabeth Reid, the women's advisor to the Prime Minister. Reid also convened the committee. Membership included Ruby Hammond, Irene Greenwood, Caroline Jones, Margaret Whitlam and Shirley Castley. \nThe committee attracted criticism from some activists in the Women's Liberation movement over spending priorities. However, seed and grant funding assisted the development of many important organizations and publications including the Working Women's Centre and Dr Kay Daniels's Women in Australia An Annotated Guide to Records.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-feminism-a-companion\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/report\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/getting-equal-the-history-of-australian-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/femocrats-and-ecorats-womens-policy-machinery-in-australia-canadaand-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-advisory-committee-files-single-number-series-with-w-nac-womens-national-advisory-committee-or-nac-prefix\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ephemera-relating-to-international-womens-day\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "National Women's Consultative Council", "Entry ID": "AWE0189", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-womens-consultative-council\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The federal government replaced the National Women's Advisory Council with the National Women's Consultative Council in 1984. The NWCC produced its last report in December 1992 and in late 1993 it was replaced by the Australian Council for Women.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/femocrats-and-ecorats-womens-policy-machinery-in-australia-canadaand-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/getting-equal-the-history-of-australian-feminism\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/report-of-the-national-womens-consultative-council\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-joyce-mcconnell-1960-1989-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-womens-consultative-council-ephemera-material-collected-by-the-national-library-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/speech-by-bob-hawke-to-national-womens-consultative-council\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-womens-electoral-lobby-1952-2010-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ephemera-relating-to-international-womens-day\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sylvia-kinder-summary-record\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ephemera-relating-to-womens-movement-organisations\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "National Women's Round Table", "Entry ID": "AWE0190", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-womens-round-table\/", "Type": "Event", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The National Women's Round Table is an annual meeting convened by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women. The Round Table was first held in 1994. It replaced the National Women's Consultative Council as the primary direct mechanism for women's input into government. For the first three years, the Round Table was held twice each year for one day, with just over 50 organisations represented. Meetings were held in Parliament House during sitting weeks to facilitate participants' access to Parliamentarians.\nIn 1997, the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, Jocelyn Newman, changed the arrangements to two day meetings, once each year.\nSources: http:\/\/www.capow.org.au\/AWOC\/story.htm and http:\/\/www.nwjc.org.au\/pamelaslist.htm\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Australian Women's Organisations Conference", "Entry ID": "AWE0191", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-womens-organisations-conference\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Conference", "Summary": "AWOC is a conference for representatives of Australian women's organisations. It replaced the traditional 'Pre-Round Tables' which were generally held on the days preceding the National Women's Round Table (NWRT). It brings the input of organisations not participating in the NWRT to that forum.\nThe inaugural AWOC was organised by the National Women's Justice Coalition, the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia, Women's Electoral Lobby Australia and the YWCA, with program input from representatives of national women's organisations on Pamela's List.\nSources: http:\/\/www.nwjc.org.au\/pamelaslist.htm and http:\/\/www.capow.org.au\/AWOC\/story.htm\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Office for Women", "Entry ID": "AWE0192", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/office-for-women\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Government department", "Summary": "The Office for Women (previously the Office of the Status of Women) works to mainstream women's issues in Australian society and internationally. Its work with governments, the women's sector, and the broader community is focused on three priority areas:\n\nReducing violence against women \nWomen's equal place in society \nEconomic Independence.\n\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/femocrats-and-ecorats-womens-policy-machinery-in-australia-canadaand-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/recording-of-a-women-writers-forum-sound-recording\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/osw-office-of-the-status-of-women-third-national-womens-consultative-concil-jessie-street-trust-1989\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-council-for-women-acw-collection-njsn_ac-005\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/subject-index-cards-alphabetical-series-relating-to-the-office-of-the-status-of-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/file-registration-and-movement-cards-relating-to-the-office-of-the-status-of-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patricia-brennan-records-relating-to-movement-for-the-ordination-of-women-sydney-1974-2009\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "CAPOW!", "Entry ID": "AWE0193", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/capow\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Women's organisation", "Summary": "CAPOW! is a networking coalition for women's non-government organisations (NGOs) in Australia Since its foundation in 1992 at a WEL national conference CAPOW! has played a major role in developing cooperative ventures and mechanisms across the women's movement. It held twice-yearly face-to-face meetings for this purpose.\nCAPOW! helped coordinate NGO forums to facilitate submissions to the federal government and the United Nations World Conference on Women in Beijing, (September 1995). It has since worked to follow up the commitments made by the Government and NGOs at Beijing, and continues to encourage women's' NGOs to make submissions to the government.\nBy 1996 the CAPOW network linked more than sixty national women's organisations and served to improve information flow and coordination of advocacy in international as well as domestic spheres.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-feminism-a-companion\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/femocrats-and-ecorats-womens-policy-machinery-in-australia-canadaand-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-womens-honour-roll-b\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-womens-constitutional-convention-1997-1998-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Office of Women's Affairs", "Entry ID": "AWE0199", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/office-of-womens-affairs\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "Formed under the leadership of Sara Dowse, the Office of Women's Affairs (OWA) was the bureaucratic support unit of the women's adviser to the Prime Minister, a position created in 1973 under the Whitlam Labour government. OWA became the state apparatus through which many Australian feminists worked to achieve measures of women's advancement in equal employment opportunity, legislation and law reform, health funding, refuges, childcare, arts and sport, media representations and school curricula.\nThe OWA played an important role in securing government funding for women's services. The Office was originally located in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. However, in 1977, under the Fraser Liberal government, bureaucrats announced the Office was to move to the Department of Home Affairs, representing a significant loss of status given Home Affairs was ranked 26th out of 27 ministries in seniority. Dowse resigned over this move, having always argued for the importance of having the Office located in the chief policy-making agency of the government (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet). The Office (by then called the Office of the Status of Women) was restored to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1983 when Labour returned to office; prominent feminist academic Anne Summers was then appointed its head.\nSources: Sawer, M. 1996 and Caine, B. 1998\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/femocrats-and-ecorats-womens-policy-machinery-in-australia-canadaand-new-zealand\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-feminism-a-companion\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interdepartmental-working-group-on-womens-affairs-report-of-task-force-on-migrant-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-elizabeth-reid-1963-1981-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-sara-dowse-1958-2007-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cabinet-documents-for-the-office-of-womens-affairs-single-number-series-with-alphabetical-prefix\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Women's Constitutional Convention", "Entry ID": "AWE0200", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-constitutional-convention\/", "Type": "Event", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The Women's Constitutional Convention met at Parliament House, Canberra, 29-30 January 1998. Discussions included whether or not Australia should become a republic, women's place in politics and the status of women in Australia.\nSource: RAAM\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/not-another-mens-convention\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-womens-constitutional-convention-1997-1998-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Nancy T Burbidge Memorial Amphitheatre", "Entry ID": "AWE0207", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-t-burbidge-memorial-amphitheatre\/", "Type": "Place", "Birth Place": "Australian National Botanic Gardens, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Commemoration", "Summary": "An amphitheatre located in the eucalypt lawn was erected as a memorial to Dr Burbidge's contribution to Australian botany.\n", "Details": "The Nancy T Burbidge Memorial Amphitheatre was opened in the presence of Her Excellency, Lady Cowen, CStJ on 14 September 1980. The Amphitheatre is used as an open-air classroom and meeting place for students and other groups and was designed to assist in the education, conservation and scientific functions of the Gardens. The lectern is made from jarrah timber and was donated by Mr and Mrs D Cullity, of Perth, in recognition of Dr Burbidge's Western Australian background.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/nancy-t-burbidge-memorial-amphitheatre-2\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "ACT Feminist Anti-Nuclear Group (FANG)", "Entry ID": "AWE0490", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-feminist-anti-nuclear-group-fang\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/act-feminist-anti-nuclear-group-fang-collection-njsn_ac-023\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Catholic Women's League Australia Inc.", "Entry ID": "AWE0656", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/catholic-womens-league-australia-inc\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Braddon, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social action organisation", "Summary": "The Catholic Women's League Australia (CWLA) was established in 1975. It evolved from the Australian Council of Catholic Women, which began in 1928. Its major objectives are to enable women to participate more effectively in working for and building Christianity by promoting the spiritual, cultural, intellectual and social development of women. It aims to foster ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue and provides a national forum for the voice of the Catholic Women's League Organisations in Australia.\n", "Details": "The member organisations comprise CWL South Australia Inc., CWL Western Australia Inc., CWL Tasmania Inc., CWL Victoria\/ Wagga Wagga, Inc., CWL Queensland Inc., CWL NSW Inc., and CWL Canberra\/Goulburn Inc.\nThe CWLA is affiliated with the United Nations (UN) on a Roster Status. It is able to attend the UN meetings and conferences accredited to the UN as an observer. The CWLA conveys matters of social justice and issues relevant to women and the family to the Federal, State and Local levels of government.\nIt also works with the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations, National Council of Women, Commission for Australian Catholic Women and the Office of the Status of Women.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/catholic-womens-league-australia-inc-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Catholic Women's League Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Inc.", "Entry ID": "AWE0752", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/catholic-womens-league-archdiocese-of-canberra-and-goulburn-inc\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social support organisation", "Summary": "The Catholic Women's League Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn was established on 8 November 1945. It began as a small group in St Christopher's Parish, Canberra to provide hostesses for official parish occasions and to raise money for the church community. It spread later to the city of Goulburn, to town and country centres outside the Archdiocese. Its affiliation with the Federal Council of Catholic Women of Australia in 1953 meant that its agenda broadened from parish affairs to the wider community and to matters of national and global importance to women and their families. It now promotes the intellectual, spiritual, cultural and social welfare of women. It is affiliated with the Catholic Women's League Australia Inc.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-power-for-good-a-history-of-the-catholic-womens-association-and-catholic-womens-league-canberra-and-goulburn\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/catholic-womens-league-archdiocese-of-canberra-and-goulburn-records\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0335-canberra-catholic-womens-league-st-patricks-branch-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Ordination of Catholic Women Australia", "Entry ID": "AWE0783", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ordination-of-catholic-women-australia\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Religious organisation, Social action organisation", "Summary": "The Ordination of Catholic Women was founded by Zoe Hancock and Marie Louise Uhr in December 1993 to advocate the inclusion of women as ordained priests in the Catholic church. A national organisation, it held its first conference in Canberra in 1994 and its first international conference in 1999. It maintains a national office in Canberra, with regional convenors in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria and contacts in South Australia, North Queensland and the Northern Territory.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/woman-and-man-one-in-christ-jesus-report-on-the-participation-of-women-in-the-catholic-church-in-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-god\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-hour-has-come\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ordination-of-catholic-women-australia-records\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/patricia-brennan-records-relating-to-movement-for-the-ordination-of-women-sydney-1974-2009\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "National Labor Women's Network", "Entry ID": "AWE0806", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-labor-womens-network\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Political party", "Summary": "The National Labor Women's Network ( NLWN) was established in 1996 and is the peak women's organisation within the Australian Labor Party. It aims to increase the numbers of women active in the Labor Party at all levels, to facilitate and strengthen relationships between the state Labor women's organisations and the National Network. Membership is open to all current financial women members of the Australian Labor Party. The National Executive comprises representatives from all states and territories. The current Convenor is Nicola Roxon, Federal Member for Gellibrand, Victoria.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-last-bastion-labor-women-working-towards-equality-in-the-parliaments-of-australia\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/party-girls-labor-women-now\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Liberal Party of Australia Federal Women's Committee", "Entry ID": "AWE0807", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/liberal-party-of-australia-federal-womens-committee\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Political party", "Summary": "The Federal Women's Committee ( FWC) was established at the inaugural meeting of the Federal Council of the Liberal Party in August 1945. It is the peak body representing women in the Liberal Party and acts as a voice for women in the development of policy and party organisational matters. Its aims are to promote and encourage women to become involved in political life, to contribute effectively to the formulation of policy and to assist the Party in implementing its decisions through effective community interaction.\n", "Details": "Each State and Territory Division of the Liberal Party has a women's section, with constituted powers and representation at senior Party levels. Another role of the Federal Women's Committee is to act as a coordinating body of women's work and activity within the divisional Women's Sections, receiving and distributing information from the women in the Divisions and reporting to the Federal Executive of the Party through the President of the Committee. The President of the Committee is also a member of the Advisory Committee on Federal Policy. The voting membership of the Federal Women's Committee comprises the Chairperson of each state and ACT Women's Section, the woman Federal Vice-President of the Party, the President and Immediate Past President of the Federal Women's Committee. The Committee usually meets in Canberra three or four times a year to discuss policy issues.\nThe Liberal Party of Australia was the first political party in Australia to make provision for equal numbers of men and women in some of its senior Party positions, particularly in the Victorian Division, which has had a formal provision for equal representation at vice-presidential level.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-australian-woman-her-future-and-opportunity\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/beryl-beaurepaire\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-of-influence-the-first-fifty-years-of-women-in-the-liberal-party\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/menzies-child-the-liberal-party-of-australia-1944-1994\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/a-liberal-nation-the-liberal-party-australian-politics\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-australian-liberals-and-the-moral-middle-class-from-alfred-deakin-to-john-howard\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/robert-menzies-forgotten-people\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/liberal-women-federation-to-1949\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-liberal-party-of-australia-federal-secretariat-circa-1945-1990-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies", "Entry ID": "AWE0964", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-institute-of-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-studies\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) was founded in 1961 as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. The Institute is Australia's premier institution for information about the cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. AIATSIS research staff conduct high-quality research and administer research grants. The Institute's award-winning in-house publisher, Aboriginal Studies Press, publishes an extensive array of books, cassettes and CDs, films and videos, reports, and the Institute's journal, Australian Aboriginal Studies. The Library holds the world's most extensive collections of printed, audio, and visual material on Australian Indigenous topics, including the writing of, and oral interviews with, indigenous women.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Seven Writers", "Entry ID": "AWE2108", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/seven-writers\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Writers Group", "Summary": "Seven Writers was a group of Canberra-based women writers who met regularly to debate and critique one another's work.\nThis entry was sponsored by a generous donation from Christine Foley.\n", "Details": "Beginning with three members in 1980, the group grew to include seven female Canberra-based writers by 1984. They were founding member Dorothy Johnston (1948- ), Margaret Barbalet (1949- ), Sara Dowse (1938- ), Suzanne Edgar (1939- ), Marian Eldridge (1936-1997), Marion Halligan (1940- ) and Dorothy Horsfield (1948- ).\nMembers' published works include short stories, novels, children's literature, non-fiction, articles and reviews, and in diverse ways their writing vividly portrays life 'beneath the surface of Canberra'.\nCollectively the group authored Canberra Tales in 1988, later republished as The Division of Love in 1996, an anthology of short stories about life in Canberra. This was considered a landmark publication for Canberra fiction and received an ACT Bicentennial Award.\nSeven Writers raised the profile of Canberra-based authors, and in 1995 a photographic portrait of the group appeared in the National Library of Australia exhibition, Beyond the Picket Fence.\nAfter the death of Marian Eldridge in 1997, the group did not meet again for one year. Sara Dowse relocated to Canada in 1998. She returned to Australia in 2004. The members are still friends but no longer meet formally to critique one another's work.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-division-of-love-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-fog-garden-a-novel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/counting-backwards-and-other-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/west-block-the-hidden-world-of-canberras-mandarins\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/silver-city\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/schemetime\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/sapphires\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/digging\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dream-run\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/venom\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-house-at-number-10\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-worry-box\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-apricot-colonel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/cockles-of-the-heart\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collected-stories\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eat-my-words\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-golden-dress\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-hanged-man-in-the-garden\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-living-hothouse\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lovers-knots-a-hundred-year-novel\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/out-of-the-picture\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/self-possession\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/spidercup\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-taste-of-memory\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wishbone\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/maralinga-my-love\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/one-for-the-master\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/ruth\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-trojan-dog\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/tunnel-vision\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/springfield\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/blood-in-the-rain\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/far-from-a-low-gutter-girl-the-forgotten-world-of-state-wards-south-australia-1887-1940\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/steel-beach\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/lady-baby-gypsy-queen\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-presence-of-angels\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-seven-writers-group-between-1986-and-approximately-2000\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-sara-dowse-1958-2007-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marian-eldridge-1942-1997-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-margaret-barbalet-1974-1993-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/papers-of-marion-halligan-circa-1970-circa-2003-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/maralinga-cycle-1988-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Eldridge Award", "Entry ID": "AWE2109", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/eldridge-award\/", "Type": "Award", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory", "Summary": "The Marian Eldridge Award is a national award to encourage an aspiring female writer to undertake a literary activity such as a short course of study, or to complete a project, or attend a writers' week or a conference. There is no age limit.\nThe award was established in 1998 under the auspices of the National Foundation for Australian Women, as a legacy of Marian Eldridge (1 February 1936 - 14 February 1997), an acclaimed short story writer, a novelist, poet and teacher who spent most of her creative writing years in Canberra, where inter alia she was instrumental in establishing the ACT Writers' Centre.\nIn the last months of her life she planned a gift to establish a professional development award to nurture writers. She said that the recipient should not be established but someone whose writing showed promise, and that the writing need not be fiction. Marian said that \"when trying to assist aspiring writers 'every little bit helps' and that such recognition would be an important milestone in a developing literary career.\nAn Advisory Group selected by Marian Eldridge's family decides each year on guidelines for applicants, assesses applications and selects the recipient of the award.\nThe first four competitions ($1000 cash prize) were confined to residents of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and New South Wales (NSW), and brought in a total of 78 applications. The winners of those competitions of were:\n\u2022Sarah St Vincent Welch (1998)\n\u2022Julie Simpson (1999)\n\u2022Rose de Angelis (2000)\n\u2022Elanna Herbert (2001)\nA wider Advisory Group has since been established, which now includes representatives from the National Library of Australia, the School of Creative Communication at the University of Canberra and the ACT Cultural Council. From its fifth year, the award was open to applicants throughout Australia. National competition winners have been:\n\u2022Annah Faulkner (2002\/2003)\n\u2022Caroline Lee (2005).\nThe award amount is currently $1500.\n(This entry is sponsored by generous donation from Christine Foley.)\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/collection-of-marian-eldridge-photographs\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/marian-eldridge-interviewed-by-heather-rusden-sound-recording\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Office of Multicultural Affairs", "Entry ID": "AWE2124", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/office-of-multicultural-affairs\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Government Agency", "Summary": "The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) was a division of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. It was established early in 1987 to advise the Prime Minister directly on issues relating to Australian multicultural society. The purpose of the office was to be that of a 'bridge-builder', linking community and government to further the policy of multiculturalism. To that end, it had a liaison and Community Information Branch and a Policy and Research Branch. The focus of the community information program was on building upon research undertaken and evaluating ongoing projects. Although most staff were located in Canberra, there were Regional Coordinators in each State and in the Northern Territory, so there was some attention to decentralised services.\nIn early 1995 the functions of the OMA were to be transferred to the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. For administration purposes, OMA officially ceased to be part of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet on 26 January 1995.\n", "Details": "The Office of Multicultural Affairs aimed to:\n\nPromote acceptance of and respect for cultural differences;\nImprove communication between community groups and Government;\nEnsure equal access and equity for all groups to government services and programs, including health, social welfare, employment, training and education;\nDevelop a National Agenda of practical long-term strategies for multiculturalism;\nAdvise Government on multicultural programs and services after consultation with community groups;\nProvide information on multicultural policies.\n\nThe OMA's first head, Peter Shergold, adopted the view that, as a bridgebuilder, the agency would be best served by appointing community workers to the regional coordinators' positions. It is said that he believed that is was easier to teach community advocates how to be bureaucrats than it was to teach bureaucrats how to liaise with the community. This type of thinking led to Beryl Mulder being appointed to the position of Regional Coordinator for the Northern Territory. It also led to innovative programs, such as employing bilingual officers to run the OMA's consultative programs. This meant that consultations could be managed in community languages, but reports could be written in English. This process resulted in a series of Policy Options Papers, many of which informed debate about access and equity to services for women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/issues-for-non-english-speaking-background-women-in-multicultural-australia-australian-office-of-multicultural-affairs-policy-options-papers-series\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/dr-peter-shergold-foundation-director-of-the-office-of-multicultural-affairs-looks-at-the-role-of-the-office-and-ethnic-support\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/correspondence-files-department-of-prime-minister-cabinet-annual-single-number-series\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Review of Post Arrival Programs and Services to Migrants", "Entry ID": "AWE2126", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/review-of-post-arrival-programs-and-services-to-migrants\/", "Type": "Event", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "government review", "Summary": "The review of Post Arrival Programs and Services to Migrants was established by Cabinet decision and announced by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Malcolm Fraser, on August 31, 1977. Established in order to ensure that the changing needs of migrants were being met by available resources, the review was conducted under prime ministerial authority in order to circumvent some allegedly obstructionist senior bureaucrats in the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. The first meeting of the Review Group, which was chaired by Mr Frank Galbally, C.B.E, was held on 1 September 1977. The committee of review consulted widely, seeking submissions from individuals and organisations, government and non-government. Advice from migrant community groups was actively sought.\nThe report brought down by the review group, Migrant Services and Programs, was submitted to\nthe Prime Minister on 27 April 1978 and tabled by him on 30 May 1978. It was made available in Arabic, Dutch, English, German, Greek, Italian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese. In it, the Review Group came down with a total number of fifty-seven recommended improvements to\nprograms and services involving expenditure of about $50 million in such areas as initial settlement and education, especially the teaching of English, with emphasis placed on the role of ethnic communities themselves, and other levels of government, to encourage multiculturalism.\nOf particular significance to migrant women was recommendation number 43, which stated 'the implementation of the general recommendations of the Report, which have been framed in recognition of the special problems of migrant women, should take particular account of their needs'.\nConducted at a time, according to the committee, when Australia was 'at a critical stage in the development of a cohesive, united, multicultural nation', the Galbally review of Post Arrival Programs and Services to Migrants marks an important development in the evolution of Australian official policy towards settlers from one of assimilation to multiculturalism. Its pointed reference to the needs of women also marked a moment when ethnic and gender politics connected.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/double-disadvantage-migrant-and-aboriginal-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-origins-of-multiculturalism-in-australian-politics-1945-1975\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/frank-galbally-chairman-of-the-review-of-post-arrival-programs-and-services-for-migrants-discussing-migrants-settlement-into-australias-way-of-life-including-rights\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/migrant-services-and-programs-usually-known-as-the-galbally-report\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-ca-1981-1997-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-1973-1986-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Interdepartmental Working Group Taskforce on Migrant Women", "Entry ID": "AWE2131", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interdepartmental-working-group-taskforce-on-migrant-women\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "In 1977, when the Galbally review of Post-Arrival Migrant Programs and Services was announced, Senator Margaret Guilfoyle wrote to the Prime Minister advising him of the specific problems and special needs of migrant women. In June of that year, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser asked the Office of Women's Affairs to set up an Interdepartmental Working Group Taskforce on Migrant Women. Officers from the following department were involved:\n\nImmigration and Ethnic Affairs\nSocial Security\nEmployment and Industrial Relations\nProductivity\nHealth\nEducation\nSchool's Commission\n\nUnder extremely trying conditions, including endless delays caused by the Department of Employment and Industrial Relations, the taskforce completed its report in November, just making the deadline to be considered by the Galbally Review. Among other things, the report recommended that 'wherever possible action should be taken to provide services through or in co-operation with ethnic organisations and migrant women'.\nThe report was regarded as a valuable resource for implementation of Recommendation 43 of the Galbally Report.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/interdepartmental-working-group-on-womens-affairs-report-of-task-force-on-migrant-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/double-disadvantage-migrant-and-aboriginal-women\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Revolution and Reform - 1975 and Beyond", "Entry ID": "AWE2186", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/revolution-and-reform-1975-and-beyond\/", "Type": "Event", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "On August 6 2005 hundreds of women (and a few men) from all around Australia gathered in Canberra to celebrate the 30th anniversary of International Women's Year (IWY) and the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration on Women in the United Nations Charter.\nOrganised by the National Foundation for Australian Women (NFAW), UNIFEM Australia, the Jessie Street Trust, and the Jessie Street National Women's Library, and supported by a host of sponsors the event celebrated 30 years of achievements by women and for women, in Australia and worldwide. Participants got a centre stage view of IWY events, including the Mexico Conference, and some keyhole glimpses of how that year and what flowed from it has changed the lives of women around the world.\nHighlights of the day included 'snapshot' talks with Sara Dowse and other speakers, recreating the events of IWY and reflecting on the present and future. Australian journalist Maxine McKew compered the formal reception and Elizabeth Reid, who led the Australian delegation to the 1975 Mexico Conference, reprised the speech she gave to that historic conference.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Canberra Women's Bowling Club", "Entry ID": "AWE3957", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-womens-bowling-club\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Kingston, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Sporting Organisation", "Summary": "Inaugurated on October 10th, 1957, the Canberra Women's Bowling Club was the first all women's bowling club in Canberra. Prior to its formation, only the wives or sisters of Canberra City Bowling Club members could play the sport, so one aim of the women's club was to open it to more participants.\nLocated on Wentworth Avenue, in the Canberra suburb of Kingston, the first green was installed in 1958 and the second in 1969. The clubhouse was officially opened on 25th February 1961. Until the opening of the Kingston green and clubhouse, members played on the Parliament House green, at the Canberra Bowling Club and on the private green at the Victoria Hotel in Queanbeyan.\nThe Canberra Women's Bowling Club's closure in 1992 was occasioned by dwindling membership and inflation. Membership peaked during the 1960s at about 136 and later dropped to 46.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/shes-game-women-making-australian-sporting-history-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/growing-with-the-capital-a-history-of-the-canberra-city-bowling-club-1928-2005\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fifty-years-at-souths-a-short-history-of-canberra-south-bowling-clubs\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0001-canberra-womens-bowling-club-papers\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Australian National University Women's History Group", "Entry ID": "AWE3958", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/australian-national-university-womens-history-group\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Academic Organisation", "Summary": "The ANU Women's History Group operated from 1982 to 1987. The Group held regular meetings and talks on various aspects of Women's History. It also sent out monthly newsletters which kept members in touch with other activities, for instance, the Feminism Year at the Humanities Research Centre of the ANU in 1986.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/hmss-0060-anu-womens-history-group-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "U3A Warrani Chorale", "Entry ID": "AWE4108", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/u3a-warrani-chorale\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Women's Musical Group", "Summary": "The U3A Warrani Chorale is a choir for senior women organised by volunteers, which is affiliated with the University of the Third Age, Australian Capital Territory. It was established in 1998 by its musical director and conductor, Pixie Gray, OAM, and its piano accompanist, Barbara Hall, OAM, and provides tuition in vocal and choral techniques and musicianship to its members. It holds annual free public concerts, as well as regularly performing at events organised by a wide range of community organizations. Its repertoire is drawn from a range of musical styles such as madrigals, classical, modern and sacred music, spirituals, ballads, folk songs and jazz, all usually sung in four part harmony. In 2006 it participated in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Choir of the Year competition. Its name, 'Warrani', is derived from an Aboriginal word for 'to sing'.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/archives-of-the-u3a-warrani-chorale\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "The Business and Professional Women's Club of Canberra", "Entry ID": "AWE4875", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-business-and-professional-womens-club-of-canberra\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Lobby group, Professional Association, Women's Rights Organisation", "Summary": "The Business and Professional Women's Club of Canberra formed in 1954, affiliated to the Australian Federation of Business and Professional Women (now BPW Australia) which had formed in 1947, which was in turn part of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women which had formed in Geneva in 1930. The Club remained active until the 1990s, with separate clubs for Woden and Belconnen meeting in the 1980s.\n", "Details": "The inaugural meeting of the Business and Professional Women's Club of Canberra was held at the Hotel Civic on 9 April 1954 - the office bearers were elected at the Annual General Meeting on 12 July - President Betty Jackson, Vice-Presidents Mrs Chandler and Kitty Peisley, Secretary Dr M Granger. Other women prominent in the early years were Jean and Isabel Sheaffe, Sister Sylvia Curley, Joan Binns, Heather Shakespeare, and Margaret Timpson (President 1970-1971, 1985).\nThe objects of the Club were to promote the interests of business and professional women, to awaken and encourage in them a realisation of responsibilities in their own country and consequently world affairs, to raise and maintain standards of education and training of women, and to work for the removal of sex discrimination in remuneration, opportunities for women in employment and selection for office and promotion in all positions for which women are qualified by their skill and training.\nRepresentations were made to the government regarding equal pay, equal employment and training opportunities, superannuation, and family law reform, and the 1985 National Women's Tax Summit was jointly sponsored with the Women's Electoral Lobby and other women's organisations. Among speakers to monthly meetings were politicians, diplomats, and academics on current political and international affairs. Meetings also provided opportunities for networking and social activities. The Canberra club also sponsored prizes for nurses, stenographers and book-keepers, and scholarships for young women completing year 10 in secondary school.\nThe Canberra club was initially under the NSW Division, and a separate ACT Division was formed in 1987 with the original Canberra club and two new clubs in Woden and Belconnen which had first met in 1985.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/the-business-and-professional-womens-club-of-canberra-1954-1985\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/business-and-professional-womens-club-of-canberra-records-deposit\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Soroptimist International of Canberra Incorporated", "Entry ID": "AWE4876", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soroptimist-international-of-canberra-incorporated\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Service organisation, Women\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s advocacy", "Summary": "Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Soroptimists work at all levels of civil society, local, national and international, and are involved with a wide spectrum of women's concerns. The Soroptimist Club of Canberra was chartered on 1 April 1955 and has met continuously since then.\n", "Details": "Soroptimists are committed to a world where women and girls together achieve their individual and collective potential, realise aspirations and have an equal voice in creating strong, peaceful communities worldwide.\nThe inaugural meeting of the Soroptimist Club of Canberra was convened at the Hotel Civic on 6 September 1954. The club was chartered on 1 April 1955 with a dinner at the Hotel Canberra. The Charter President was Mary Stevenson. In 1978 the Club became part of the new Federation, Soroptimist International of the South West Pacific (SISWP). Maris King of the Canberra Club was the second President of SISWP. The Canberra Club was incorporated in 1982.\nMuch of the effort of members has been devoted to service, an important objective of Soroptimism. The Canberra Club's first project was 'Buy a Brick' to assist in the provision of a unit for the proposed Goodwin Homes for the aged in Ainslie. Subsequently further funding was provided to Goodwin Homes and members took an interest in the occupants of Soroptimist Cottage until its demolition in the early 1990s.\nThe Canberra Club has helped, financially or in other ways, a wide variety of organisations in Canberra such as Sir Leslie Morshead War Veteran's Home, Koomarri, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Morling Lodge, Marymead Children's Home, the Girl Guides Association, Dr Barnardo's Children's Home, the Women's Shelter in Belconnen, Life Line, the Meals-on-Wheels Service, the Noah's Ark Toy Library, Multiple Sclerosis, ACT Blind Society, Motor Neurone Care and Support Group and the National Brain Injury Foundation. Assistance has also been provided in many other ways such as support for women's refuges, children with disabilities and needy women students in ACT tertiary institutions.\nMore recently the Club has provided scholarships through the Canberra Refugee Support Programme and microcredit loans to enable women to start their own small business.\nThe Club has also supported Soroptimist projects in other parts of Australia and overseas e.g. Fiji, Solomon Islands and East Timor as well as providing support for victims of natural disasters both in Australia and overseas. In recent years, the most successful international projects have been in Northern Thailand where young women were trained and given employment opportunities which meant that they didn't go to Bangkok to work in the sex industry (SIAM - Soroptimist International AIDS Mediation), and in Cambodia where schools and hospital facilities were provided for villagers on the Thai\/Cambodian border (Hands across Borders). The Club's current project is training PNG women as midwives to work in their villages to improve the conditions for mothers and babies at the time of birth (Birthing in the Pacific).\nContributing to good will and understanding is an important part of Soroptimism. Members of the Canberra Club have taken the opportunity to develop a spirit of friendship among Soroptimists of all countries by extending hospitality to the many Soroptimists visiting Canberra and by attending meetings and conferences at the local, regional, national and international level. Many members plan business and holiday trips round international gatherings.\nOver the years, the Club has taken an active interest in the Canberra community and has interacted with government, community and national organisations to promote public policy issues and projects of concern to its members.\nAs part of the centenary of Canberra celebrations, the Canberra Club has assisted the Canberra Museum and Gallery in an exhibition entitled The Women who Made Canberra to be held at the Gallery from 24 November 2012 to 17 March 2013. Additionally, in February 2013 Soroptimist Point at Yerrabi Pond in Gungahlin will be officially named in a ceremony recognising the contributions made by Soroptimist International. The Canberra Club has taken the responsibility for organising this event.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/one-very-big-year-canberra-100\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/fifty-years-on-the-history-of-si-canberra-inc-for-the-clubs-golden-jubilee\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soroptimist-international\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soroptimist-international-of-the-south-west-pacific\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-soroptimist-club-of-canberra-1955-1973-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Women's House (Canberra Women's Centre)", "Entry ID": "AWE4880", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-house-canberra-womens-centre\/", "Type": "Place", "Birth Place": "3 Lobelia Street, O'Connor, Australian Capital Territory", "Occupations": "Feminist support service", "Summary": "For almost 20 years the Women's House in O'Connor was an important feminist space providing support for community based women's groups and organisations. Activities and events at the house reflected the changing shape of the women's movement, both locally and nationally, as well as local women's involvement in broader political campaigns. The House was the first centre for community based women's services in Canberra with Canberra Women's Liberation, Women's Electoral Lobby, the Abortion Counselling Service and the Rape Crisis Counselling Service as the first tenants. Over the years many of the women involved formed significant groups and connections at the House, contributing to the establishment of some of the key women's services in Canberra. Lesbian Line, a telephone support service for women, operated out of the House for a number of years in the late 1980s and early nineties. An even wider range of women's groups used the House for meetings. By the mid 1990s there were more women-specific services established in Canberra, both government and non-government. This meant that the House was being used less often after having provided a critically significant place for a diverse range of Canberra women to meet, work, organise and party.\n", "Details": "The history of the Women's House in O'Connor is intimately interconnected with the early years of Women's Liberation in Canberra. When the women of Canberra Women's Liberation secured the house in O'Connor as a rental property from the government in 1975, they had already been meeting at 12 Bremer St, Griffith for a couple of years as well as providing some ad hoc informal services for women. As Julia Ryan noted 'the house is beaut and Ginny Ryan is living there as a caretaker cum housewarmer'. Canberra Women's Liberation regularly met there in the early years.\nWomen were invited to join what was to be called the Canberra Women's Centre (for $5) and become involved in the Collective which was responsible for managing the business of the House. In 1978 the Canberra Women's Centre Collective decided to go into print with a newsletter for Canberra women and in May 1978 the first issue of Wimminews appeared. For about 15 years Wimminews provided important information for Canberra women about upcoming events at the Women's House and around Canberra such as meetings, discussion of feminist issues, art, film, poetry, and it also ran some classifieds for accommodation and services for women.\nThe following groups met there on a regular basis: Rape Crisis Centre Collective, Abortion Counselling Service, Refuge Rap Group, Lesbian Group, Women's Electoral Lobby, Rape Law Reform Group, Women on Campus Collective, and Women's Radio Collective. A feminist bookshop was set up at the house and the Collective started a Women's Information and Health Counselling Service funded by a grant from the ACT Health Commission.\nIn 1978 Wimminews reported that 'the laundry of the Women's House has undergone a complete metamorphosis and is now the National WEL Communications Office'. There was also a complaint from a neighbour in Lobelia St about 'that noisy mob of women and all their bloody cars' which was resolved through neighbourly communication and compromises about car parking.\nFrom 1979 to the early 1980s the International Women's Day Collective met at the House to organise events to celebrate International Women's Day in Canberra and a Feminist Lawyers Group was also meeting there. Funds to keep the house financially viable were always needed and women were asked to pledge regular donations. Fundraising events were held at the house and a stall at Belconnen Trash and Treasure markets raised money so that in March 1983 the library could be refurbished. In 1983 Women's Salon meetings were held every fortnight at the Women's House with dinner and discussion, and in July an open event was held to raise money for Lesbian Line.\nIn the mid 1980s the House was also being used by women involved in the actions against American bases and the anti-nuclear movement - the Cockburn Sound Women's Action Group, Women Against Nuclear Energy (WANE), Women for Survival, and the Feminist Anti Nuclear Group (FANG), as well as Women Against Rape in War.\nFrom 1983 to 1985 the committee of Women's House, now referred to as the Women's Centre, were urging women to donate money to the House, to be involved in work to keep the house open and to promote it to women's organisations for meetings and events. In 1984 the House was refurbished and women continued to meet there, with new groups such as the Women and Addiction Group meeting there as well. In October 1984 a group of women (Medea) held an open meeting to discuss the need for 'a women's space run by women, for women to work through emotional and mental health problems'. This service would become what is now Inanna, a service for people who experience homelessness, are living with mental health issues, violence and the effects of trauma.\nIn 1989, as well as the Abortion Counselling Service and the Women's Electoral Lobby, the 2XX Feminist Broadcasting Collective were meeting there. In May, Chief Minister Rosemary Follett launched the Rape Crisis Centre's 24-hour service at the Centre. In June, there were Saturday night 'Soup Kitchens' for women and WEL held Writing Circles in the kitchen to support women to write letters to politicians. But it was a continuing struggle to get enough women to join up and stay on the committee for the House.\nBy January 1994, the Women's House had been going for nearly twenty years. A meeting was called by the Canberra Women's Centre Inc. to discuss future plans for the Centre with a plea for women to 'come along and put forward your ideas'. As one of the women involved in the House at the time recollected, the National and ACT WEL moved out, having found premises on the edge of Civic which they liked better than the previous laundry. It had become increasingly difficult to maintain the House financially and it closed not long afterwards.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wimminews\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wimminews-2\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wimminews-3\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wimminews-4\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/wimminews-5\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-womens-electoral-lobby-1952-2010-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Emergency Housekeeper Service", "Entry ID": "AWE4902", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/emergency-housekeeper-service\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community organisation", "Summary": "Following preparatory work and approaches to government by the National Council of Women (ACT) and the Nursery Kindergarten Society, the Emergency Housekeeper Service commenced in Canberra in April 1947. A Committee of Management, chaired by the National Council of Women, was established in February 1947 with representatives from the Canberra Mothercraft Society, the Nursery Kindergarten Society and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). An organising secretary, Ella Buttsworth, was appointed in March 1947. In July 1977, responsibility for providing the service passed to the ACT Division of the Australian Red Cross Society. With ACT self-government in 1989, Home Help Service ACT adopted its own constitution, becoming an incorporated association. It now operates as a community sector not-for-profit organisation that provides quality in-home support to the elderly and people with disabilities and their carers in the ACT, under the Home and Community Care Program and the Veterans' Home Care Program.\n", "Details": "The desirability of establishing an Emergency Housekeeper Service, along the lines of the NSW service, was first discussed at a meeting of the National Council of Women of the ACT in November 1943. Although there was support for the idea, nobody was willing to take the lead and it was not raised again until May 1945 when it became the Council's first big project. The vice-president, Yseult Bailey, undertook to collect information about other State services and formulate a plan for presentation to the Department of the Interior.\nAt the same time, the Nursery Kindergarten Society was collecting information about the working of housekeeper services and had advised the Minister for the Interior, Senator Collings, and Mr Daley in the Civic Administrator's Office of their interests.\nOn 26 September 1945 a joint meeting of interested groups, the National Council of Women, the Nursery Kindergarten Society, the Canberra Mothercraft Society and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), was held to discuss an Emergency Housekeeper Service (EHS) for Canberra. In 1946 a delegation from the National Council of Women met with the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to urge that a subsidy be given by the government towards the cost of the service. In February 1947 the Council agreed to accept responsibility for the EHS, through a Committee of Management with representatives from the four organisations.\nAn organising secretary was to be appointed (at first part-time) by the Committee to carry out the executive work of the service and to attend its meetings. The first organising secretary was a Canberra war widow, Mrs Ella Buttsworth who took up duty in March 1947. Helen Crisp and Loma Rudduck in 'The Mothering Years' reported that she helped to get the service off to a good start. Robbie Christian was the President from 1948 and held the position for eight years through the difficult formative years.\nThe aim of the service was to enable young children or the elderly to be cared for when illness, accident or hospitalisation prevented the usual care-giver from carrying out the task. The main qualifications required of housekeepers were a knowledge and ability to care for and manage various types of households, the ability to understand and care for children, and good health. They were to live out, with the Committee responsible for finding accommodation.\nIn November 1947, it was proposed that a social worker should be made available from the Department of the Interior to assist the EHS and, as a result, Canberra's first social worker, Miss Horswell, was appointed. The social worker would advise on the conditions of employment of the housekeepers, investigate relative family needs and decide the amount which a family should be asked to pay for the services provided.\nThe early years of the service were difficult with accommodation shortages and a lack of suitable housekeepers. Efforts were made to recruit post-war migrants as housekeepers and in 1950, Robbie Christian and Alice Halsey visited Bonegilla and selected two women for training. Although language proved a difficulty, the housekeepers were taken into Canberra homes where, with the aid of store catalogues and at least one German speaker (Dymphna Clark) they were able to manage within a short period of time.\nIn July 1962, at the request of the Department of the Interior, the EHS offered an Emergency Homehelp Service that provided help on an hourly basis, mainly to assist people who because of age or poor health, needed some part-time assistance to enable them to continue living in their own home. Joyce McConnell took over the chair of the EHS Standing Committee on the retirement of Robbie Christian. The demand for both forms of the service was increasing rapidly with the growth in Canberra's population and by May 1963, 25 full-time and part-time home helps were employed.\nThe organising secretaries of both the Housekeeper Service and the Home Help Service resigned at this time. Following pressure from the Department of the Interior, the Committee of Management proposed to advertise for a Secretary for both services who would use her own car, use her home as an office and receive a salary of between one thousand and thirteen hundred pounds.\nBecause of the growth in the service, an ever increasing subsidy was required and there was a constant tendency for the subsidy to lag behind financial commitments. The September 1965 Annual Report of the EHS reported that the Home Help division of the service had practically doubled in the previous twelve months. This hourly type service was increasingly used by pensioners and since charges were nominal, payments were meeting less than half of salary costs. The National Council of Women (ACT) recognised that it was becoming difficult for a voluntary committee to manage such a large community service. Financial problems continued, with outstanding debts and the costs of staff transport being particular issues of concern to the Committee of Management. In October 1966, the Council reported that the Department of the Interior had agreed to meet all administrative costs and that charges could be adjusted to New South Wales rates. A revised system agreed by the Department was also adopted to reduce charges depending on family circumstances. This new system would bring the EHS within the financial means of every applicant. After a trial period, the Committee recognised that the EHS was helping pensioners and the affluent but the Committee's attempt to bring the service within the financial means of every applicant had been unsuccessful.\nFollowing approaches to the Department of the Interior, a new Committee was established from July 1971 to administer the Emergency Housekeeper and Home Help Service Inc. The Committee consisted of two nominees from the National Council of Women (ACT), one from the ACT Council of Social Service, one from the Association of Social Workers and two from the Department of the Interior. In July 1977, responsibility for providing the service passed to the ACT Division of the Australian Red Cross Society.\nWith ACT self-government in 1989, Home Help Service ACT adopted its own constitution, becoming an incorporated association. On 1 July 2007 Handyhelp ACT Inc. and its programs were assimilated under its umbrella. On 1 July 2011 the organisation became Home Help Service ACT Limited. It operates as a community sector not-for-profit organisation that provides quality in-home support to the elderly and people with disabilities and their carers in the ACT under the Home and Community Care Program and Veterans' Home Care Program.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/home-help-service-act-limited\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/home-help-service-act-hacc-programs\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/capital-women-a-history-of-the-work-of-the-national-council-of-women-a-c-t-in-canberra-1939-1979\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/report-from-act-child-welfare-committee-and-emergency-housekeeper-service-act-advisory-council-1963-6\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/national-council-of-women-of-the-australian-capital-territory-emergency-housekeeper-service\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Country Women's Association of New South Wales, Canberra Branch", "Entry ID": "AWE4911", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/country-womens-association-of-new-south-wales-canberra-branch\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Community organisation", "Summary": "The Canberra Branch is the oldest of four located in the Australian Capital Territory. All four belong to the Monaro Group of the Country Women's Association of NSW. The Canberra Branch was founded in 1946. By March 1953 the members had raised enough funds to build their own rooms on the edge of what was then the Central Business District of Canberra. In the early 1980s high-rise office blocks were being built next to the rooms and the branch was able to negotiate the sale of its lease to a developer who provided the branch with a large area of the ground floor of a new building on Barry Drive. The branch provides education, health and social welfare support to its community with the funds it raises and through its crafts and cooking.\n", "Details": "The Canberra Branch of the CWA was formed in 1946. At its first meeting on 20 November in the Lady Gowrie Services Hut in Manuka, Wilga Ryrie was elected president. The other founding office-bearers were Mrs A D Campbell, Mrs Jeremy, Mrs G Campbell, Mrs Garrett, Mrs R Reid, Mrs O Dixon, Mrs R N Hancock and Mrs L Baird.\nEarly activities included food parcels for England and donating books to the Bungendore Library, then run by the local CWA branch. The Canberra Branch started to provide afternoon teas at the annual sheep sales and the races (at a racecourse which is now under Lake Burley Griffin). Other afternoon teas, cake stalls and street stalls raised more funds. A ball raised money for the Seaside Homes and a fete was held at Government House, both within the Branch's first two years of existence.\nAs early as April 1948 the Branch decided to lodge an application for land on which to build rooms. An offer of a block of land in 1949 had to be refused due to insufficient funds. The Branch met in various places around Canberra, including in the premises of the Young Women's Christian Association. By April 1951 its building fund contained \u00a3530. Some of this had been earned from the sale of wool donated by graziers and some came from functions, including a fete at the Prime Minister's Lodge.\nThe CWA State Executive offered to lend the Branch \u00a3600 towards a building, estimated to cost \u00a31360. Bertha Mac Smith, who had opened the Branch's first meeting in 1946, was invited to open the new building on Moore Street, Turner, on 14 March 1953. The final loan from the State Executive was \u00a31000, at bank interest, paid off only two years later.\nBy 1959 the Branch had so many members and activities that extensions to the building were needed. At this time there were few alternatives for women in Canberra who were not in the workforce. Again, members' fundraising paid for the extensions.\nDame Pattie Menzies was Patron of the Branch from 1955 to 1962. Dame Zara Holt (later Dame Zara Bate) succeeded her in 1967. Alice Pedley held the position from 1974 to 1981, followed by Dorothy Buckmaster in 1986 to 1988 and Joan Huston from 1989.\nBy the early 1980s high-rise office blocks surrounded the CWA building and the desirability of its location was obvious to all. A committee of the Branch investigated how best to deal with the development pressures. In May 1985 their single-storey building was demolished. This time the Uniting Church Hall in Reid became the temporary home. The Branch was able to move into its new premises on Barry Drive in Civic on 6 February 1988. The opening was performed by the State President, Audrey Hardman OAM.\nThe Branch now awards grants to Year 12 students and young carers in Canberra. The funds come from the interest derived from investing the bequest to the Canberra Branch by the late Salme Koobakene who was\na strong supporter of secondary and tertiary education, and showed a keen interest in the welfare of young carers in the Canberra community. The number of scholarships and carers' grants is dependent on the interest from the bequest in any given year. The interest is divided equally between the Canberra Branch and the Monaro Group. This Group uses its share to provide scholarships along similar lines. These scholarships are additional to scholarships provided by the Canberra Branch from normal funds. A nursing student at the University of Canberra also receives a grant from Canberra Branch funds each year.\nMore traditional Branch activities include knitting bootees and beanies for babies in the neo-natal unit in the Canberra Hospital and knee rugs for Canberra's hospice and its nursing homes. Members prepare bags for patients admitted to Canberra through its emergency departments. They collect goods for women in country areas affected by drought or floods. They make and bag biscuits several times a year for the St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol Van.\nAs well, they participate in the activities of the CWA of NSW, including those aimed at changing government policies at the State and Federal levels.\nAn international program has been a tradition first introduced by the CWA in 1938. The Canberra Branch's early food parcels for England were followed by silver coin donations for Holland. The first country of focussed study was New Zealand in 1947. More recently, members have helped with aid programs in Timor Leste, while Morocco is the latest focus.\nParticipants in the Canberra Branch's cultural program entertain every Social Day on the first Friday of the month. They can provide their own musical or dramatic presentations or invite in guest speakers and performers. The Canberra School of Music, the Canberra Youth Orchestra and the local Scottish dancers have provided particular enjoyment.\nThe three younger branches of the CWA in the urban Australian Capital Territory are known as Belconnen, Canberra Evening (formed in 1988) and Gunghalin. A Weetangera Branch existed but had closed before the Canberra Branch started in 1946. A Tharwa Branch was opened in 1957 but closed four years later.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/country-womens-association-of-nsw-canberra-branch-know-your-cwa\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/from-lady-denman-to-katy-gallagher-a-century-of-womens-contributions-to-canberra\/", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/history-1959-manuscript\/ \nhttps:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-country-womens-association-of-australia-1945-1969-2003-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory", "Entry ID": "AWE5379", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/supreme-court-of-the-australian-capital-territory\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory", "Summary": "The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory was established by the Commonwealth Seat of Government Supreme Court Act, 1933. It commenced operation from 1 January 1934 as the superior court of record for matters originating in the ACT. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters (although matters involving less than $250 000 are usually brought in the Magistrates Court), and hears the most serious criminal matters.\nWithin the Australian court system it is one of eight state and territory Supreme Courts having unlimited jurisdiction in their respective parts of Australia. These Supreme Courts are second only to the High Court of Australia as the final court of appeal in the Australian judicial hierarchy.\n", "Published Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/trove\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "ANU Club for Women Inc.", "Entry ID": "AWE6139", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/anu-club-for-women-inc\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Summary": "The ANU Club for Women Inc was established in 1961 by the Vice Chancellor's wife, Lady Molly Huxley. It was formed to provide support to the families of academics, staff, and visitors coming to the University.\nOriginally membership of the Club consisted mostly of wives of academics, past Vice Chancellors' wives and professional officers of the ANU. Today, however, members include all staff, as well as those who have a close association with the ANU.\nThe Club has various sub-groups, including: the Monday Group; the Bushwalking Group, the Morning Book Reading Group; and the Evening Book Reading Group.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/anu-club-for-women-administrative-records\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Catholic Women's League of Narrabundah", "Entry ID": "AWE6256", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/catholic-womens-league-of-narrabundah\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Narrabundah, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Social support organisation", "Summary": "The Catholic Women's League of Narrabundah was founded in 1960.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-1960-1980-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Soroptimist International of South Canberra", "Entry ID": "AWE6257", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/soroptimist-international-of-south-canberra\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Service organisation, Women\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s advocacy", "Summary": "Soroptimist International is a worldwide organisation for women in management and the professions working through service projects to advance human rights and the status of women. Soroptimists work at all levels of civil society, local, national and international, and are involved with a wide spectrum of women's concerns.\nThe South Canberra Branch of Soroptimist International was inaugurated in February 1971 and ceased operation in 2001.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-soroptimist-international-of-south-canberra-1970-2001-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Women's Union Committee of the ACT", "Entry ID": "AWE6337", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/womens-union-committee-of-the-act\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Union, Women's organisation", "Summary": "The Women's Union Committee of the ACT was formed in 1976 and promoted the role of women and their interest in unions. Some of the Committee's key areas of activity included petitioning for anti-sex discrimination laws to be introduced into the ACT, increased funding for child care and new child care centres.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-1978-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Federal District Women's Bowling Association Past Presidents' Association", "Entry ID": "AWE6345", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/federal-district-womens-bowling-association-past-presidents-association\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Sporting Organisation", "Summary": "As its name suggests, the Federal District Women's Bowling Association Past Presidents' Association is comprised of the past presidents of the Federal District Women's Bowling Association. The Association held its inaugural bowling match on Thursday 14 February, 1957.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/records-of-the-federal-district-womens-bowling-association-past-presidents-association-1965-1993-manuscript\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT)", "Entry ID": "AWE6451", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/women-with-disabilities-act-wwdact\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Advocacy organisation, human rights organisation, Women's organisation", "Summary": "Women with Disabilities ACT (WWDACT) is a systemic advocacy and peer support organisation for women, girls, feminine identifying and non-binary people with disability in the ACT region.\nThe WWDACT was established in 1995 and since then has worked with government and non-government organisations to improve the status and lives of women with disabilities in the area.\n" }, { "Title\/Name": "Canberra Church of England Girls' Grammar School", "Entry ID": "AWE6530", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-church-of-england-girls-grammar-school\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Educational institution", "Summary": "St Gabriel's School was renamed the Church of England Girls' Grammar School in 1933.\n", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-girls-grammar-school-archives\/" }, { "Title\/Name": "St Gabriel's School", "Entry ID": "AWE6531", "Entry URL": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/st-gabriels-school\/", "Type": "Organisation", "Birth Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Death Place": "Australian Capital Territory, Australia", "Occupations": "Educational institution", "Archival Resources": "https:\/\/www.womenaustralia.info\/entries\/canberra-girls-grammar-school-archives\/" } ]