Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2007 Inspirational women from all walks of life Contents Foreword 1 Foreword I am pleased to present the stories of 2 Phyllis Andy the remarkable women who have joined 3 Dianne Bailey-Tribe the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2007. 4 Annette Bear-Crawford These women have used their skills, 5 Marilyn Beaumont knowledge, commitment and compassion 6 Josie Black OAM to better their communities and have made 7 Anne Brunell OAM a lasting contribution to women in Victoria. 8 Ola (Carola) Cohn MBE They have excelled in their chosen fi elds 9 Lynda Gibson and are testament to the depth of talented 10 Barbara Jennings women we have in this State. 11 Licia Kokocinski 12 Cuc Lam Given their tireless work for others, it is 13 Professor Pranee Liamputtong fi tting that we honour them, and the causes 14 Voula Messimeri-Kianidis they serve, on International Women’s Day. 15 Maggie Millar They join 356 women already inducted 16 Bruna Pasqua on the Honour Roll, which began in 2001 as 17 Maureen Postma part of our Centenary of Federation celebrations 18 Dr Belle (Isabel) Reid and continues until 2008, when we mark the 19 Professor Doreen Rosenthal AO centenary of women’s suffrage in Victoria. 20 Kay Vrieze 21 Kaele Way I’d like to thank these extraordinary 22-23 Queen Victoria Hospital Founders women for their passion and determination. They are role models for women’s leadership and their achievements stand as an inspiration to us all. Jacinta Allan MP Minister for Women’s Affairs 1 Victorian Honour Roll of Women Phyllis Andy Dianne Bailey-Tribe Strengthening Indigenous communities Dedicated crusader in the fi eld of autism For more than 20 years Phyllis Andy has Her exposure and deep understanding of For the parents of a child diagnosed with Her inspiration is seeing the milestones been an active community leader and tireless Indigenous issues was garnered from her the complex, lifelong condition of autism reached and says “it is important to provide worker for the East Gippsland communities various roles working in childcare, family spectrum disorder, their child’s diffi cult and opportunities for parents to get enjoyment out of Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance and Lake support and community health. challenging day-to-day behaviour requires of their children and remember that they are Tyers, focusing on women and children. sensitive understanding, specialist support children fi rst and autism is secondary.” Phyllis was a founding member of Lakes and intervention. Using her standing as a Entrance Koori Elder groups and Lakes Children with autism can be anxious, rigid, respected Indigenous Elder, Entrance and Lake Tyers women’s groups. Dianne Bailey-Tribe has become have pedantic speech patterns, throw Phyllis has infl uenced change She was also involved in the Gippsland and a renowned expert and leader tantrums and Dianne says “we use a lot of East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative Board, in the fi eld of autism. She has pictures to help the child understand the world and established partnerships, Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust Board, around them and it works like magic.” programs and services that create and the Gippsland Lakes Community Health pioneered the delivery of services Dianne trained and became a leader in her lasting benefi ts and a growing Board of Management. for children with autism to give all those associated with the child the fi elds of occupational therapy, psychotherapy sense of local reconciliation. To her community, Phyllis has also become an and community service and has always tools and understanding to better Phyllis sees education as the key to unoffi cial adviser, giving guidance and showing worked with children and adolescents with a better future. leadership on Indigenous community issues, work with them. mental health issues. as well as advocating for women’s issues. “I try to make it a little bit better for the next “The secret is that it’s an all-of-family She recognises the need for greater generation of Indigenous women and children “Women are the drive behind our families like approach and we are no longer working knowledge and understanding for to access things better than what we did as our mothers were and their mothers before just with the child. Now the parents are fi rst, occupational therapy treatment for children kids and young adults,” Phyllis said. that. We are always out front making changes then the parents together in partnership with autism.This has become not only her for the betterment of our communities,” with the child,” Dianne said. hobby but her working passion. “The inspiration to help others came when Phyllis said. I presented graduation certifi cates to 10 Much of Dianne’s work involves helping Dianne is a Trustee of Occupational Therapy Indigenous women on a childcare course. parents to grieve in the early stages of Research Trust Fund. She is a mentor, trainer, It meant the future and it felt special to see diagnosis and understand the challenges counsellor and friend to many in her role as the Indigenous women standing side-by-side they face, as well as offering cautious optimism Chief Executive Offi cer at Irabina Childhood with the white people and they were equal about the future for them and their child. Autism Services, and she continues to raise at that moment,” she said. awareness of the complexity of autism spectrum disorders in the community. Phyllis later campaigned to improve the health and safety of Indigenous families and often placed herself in diffi cult and dangerous circumstances to protect vulnerable Elders, women and children. Victorian Honour Roll of Women Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2 3 Annette Bear-Crawford Marilyn Beaumont 1853 – 1899 Creating healthy environments Social reformer for women and children Annette Bear-Crawford was a leading Annette was born in Melbourne, trained in Marilyn Beaumont is passionate “The longer I worked in advocacy the more force in Victoria’s feminist movement and England and worked as a social worker in about standing up for what is I’ve learnt to speak the truth and bring others a passionate advocate for equal rights for the London slums before returning to Victoria, right and is driven by the way along with me. I trust my instincts and give women. She worked tirelessly to improve the where she became one of the fi rst members voice to what I see around me that isn’t right. status and conditions of women and children of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to women unite. To act upon it, stand up and say it.” in the late nineteenth century. Children and the Victorian Vigilance Society. “Together we have to be courageous and Now the Executive Director of Women’s Annette united the existing suffrage societies She helped obtain amendments to legislation name whatever it is that’s not right, from the Health Victoria, Marilyn continues to provide to establish the Victorian Women’s Franchise affecting women including successfully raising really big issues about women being unequal leadership and advocates for the specifi c League in 1894, and formed the United the age of consent for girls to sixteen years to women’s access to superannuation,” health needs of women. Council for Women’s Suffrage. and the appointing of women as factory Marilyn said. “Seeing how the health system works or inspectors. She also campaigned for police Both groups were infl uential in gaining equal Marilyn’s forthright attitude, enduring vision doesn’t work and using resources more matrons and for women to administer the opportunities for women and ultimately the and women’s health knowledge have been effi ciently is what drives me now,” she said. Infant Life Protection Act 1890. vote for the women of Victoria. used to inform policy, infl uence government Her commitment extends to mentoring One of her most enduring achieve- and health professionals, and create healthy As an important social reformer of her time, environments for women. staff and she sits on a number of boards Annette’s infl uence extended to encouraging ments grew out of her concerns for including Melbourne Health and Corrections and educating women to undertake public the welfare of unmarried mothers After training as a nurse, Marilyn was involved Victoria, as well as being a member of the in the grass roots women’s movement and work, attend speaking engagements and and their children. Women’s Correctional Services Advisory to stand for election on all-male boards gay liberation, and emerged in the 1970s Committee and the Ministerial Advisory and committees. Annette led the fundraising campaign to as an activist for street kid services and for Committee on Gay, Lesbian, Transgender establish the Queen Victoria Hospital and women with drug and alcohol dependence. and Bisexual Health. as a result, the Queen’s Shilling Fund raised As State Secretary South Australia and then 63,250 shillings from the women of Victoria, Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing equivalent to around $2.5 million today. Federation (ANF) she raised the professional Sadly, she did not live to see this hospital recognition of nurses to an unprecedented opened, dying prematurely from pneumonia degree on national heath policy issues. while in London representing Australia at the She campaigned for the introduction of Women’s International Conference. important working conditions that have, and continue to have, a positive and enduring Annette is buried in London and a plaque in effect on nurses across Australia. Christ Church, South Yarra, commemorates her life. Victorian Honour Roll of Women Victorian Honour Roll of Women 4 5 Josie Black OAM Anne Brunell OAM Community activist and educator Inspiring those who have set their limits Josie Black has been leading, shaping Josie organises activities ranging from Dressed in her jeans, Anne Brunell looks “I saw people with disabilities worse than and enhancing the lives of people in festivals to leadership programs, and also like every other young mum attending to mine.