Vol 26, No 2 — May 2015 NEWSLETTER To keep women’s words, women’s works, alive and powerful — Ursula LeGuin THE SCOURGE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The Honourable Quentin Bryce AD CVO is guest Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1988- speaker for the Library’s Annual Luncheon on Monday 1993) it was considered she managed her role adroitly with 14 September. She will discuss the problem of domestic both firmness and finesse and during a period of much violence. In Australia, about one in three women has legal reform in the area of women’s rights. She has been experienced physical violence; almost every week a woman Convenor, National Women’s Advisory Council, founding is killed by her former or current partner. Quentin sees Chair and CEO of the National Childcare Accreditation domestic violence as the gravest human rights issue world- Council, and Director of Queensland’s Human Rights wide; she is especially concerned about the lifelong toll and Equal Opportunity Commission. Her recent civic wrought on children by this scourge. roles have won acclaim. We remember how from being Who better to reflect on this issue and how we Governor of Queensland she transitioned to Governor- might handle it? Appointed in March 2014 as Chair and General of Australia (2008-14), her dignity, inclusiveness Commissioner of a Task Force inquiring into domestic and strong humanist values on display for all to see. Role violence in Queensland, she declared, ‘I cannot believe model and mentor for women, she has encouraged women that in our society, we are seeing this horrific, abhorrent to develop enduring intellectual and emotional friendships behaviour increasing … I feel very, very and mutual support within families, deeply about the responsibility I have workplaces and community. These values as a woman to make any contribution she has carried into volunteering too, I can to addressing this issue’. In including Chair of this Library (1995-98). February 2015 the new Queensland So a great depth of experience Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk released informs her commitment to fighting the Task Force report, ‘Not Now, Not domestic violence. The 140 Taskforce Ever’ — Putting an End to Domestic and recommendations are mostly for Family Violence. Its grim picture: in 2013 action by government but Quentin’s in Queensland, over 64,000 domestic perspective extends also to individual violence incidents, over 12,800 breaches action and responsibility. ‘We all need of domestic violence orders and 17 courage: courage for a victim to tell her domestic and family violence related story; courage from each one of us to homicides were reported. Quentin Bryce take action and not be a bystander; and and the Task Force had been inundated courage from perpetrators to seek help’. It for twelve months with stories of abuse. must be acceptable for men to talk about A 20-something young woman once their issues. ‘We must break down those approached Quentin waiting to collect terribly outmoded stereotypes of men’s her airport luggage. The woman told and women’s roles … This really starts in how at times her mother would keep the car running in the cradle,’ she says. Parents need support with parenting, case the family needed a quick getaway from their violent perhaps most importantly with role modelling, ‘especially father. Quentin said, ‘Hearing that long story, I must have of fathers for their boys’. missed my bag 10 times on the carousel’. Stories about Police response is another key factor: the responsibilities, children upset her the most. ‘I know from the research … dangers and complexity. One man told her, ‘it’s not about [that] no baby or toddler is too small to be traumatised by punches here, love; it’s about ropes and knives’. She says, ‘we domestic violence’. One nine year-old boy, she says, when are talking about strangulation, about stabbings ... and the asked what he wanted to be when he grew up looked me insidious, controlling coercion that is domestic violence’. straight in the eye and said, ‘I don’t want to be anything’. When police go to a home, ‘they have no idea what they’ll Later a policewoman told her one parent had stabbed the find … we need to put in place the best responses. We need other more than 20 times. our police to be very observant, to take immediate action’. In public life, Quentin has filled with distinction Quentin Bryce is passionately committed to combatting numerous positions advancing human rights and equality, domestic violence. We look forward to her insights and the rights of women and children, and the welfare of the possible ways to deal with it. family. As Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner in the Margot Simington Annual Luncheon Monday 14 September 2015 Booking form enclosed or download from www.nationalwomenslibrary.org.au 1 Contents 1 The Scourge of Domestic Violence A life: Faith Bandler 2 Annual General Meeting 2015 2 A life: Faith Bandler 1918-2015 3 Faith Bandler’s State Funeral Faith Bandler AC, feminist and political activist, died 3 Lunch Hour Talks program in February aged 96. A tireless campaigner for the 4 Lunch Hour Talk – Dr Meredith Burgmann rights of Indigenous 4 Donations Australians and of 5 Lunch Hour Talk – Dr NicolaTeffer; New Members Australian South 6 Book Review: The Golden Age Sea Islanders, Faith 6 Josephine Conway: a radical life was probably best 7 Howl for a Black Cockatoo known for her 7 Capital Investment Fund leadership in the 1967 Referendum Jessie Street National Women’s Library campaign which Australia’s National Women’s Library is a specialist library, overwhelmingly its focus being the collection and preservation of the supported federal literary and cultural heritage of women from all ethnic, government religious and socio-economic backgrounds. implementation of Aims policies to benefit • To heighten awareness of women’s issues Aboriginal people. She worked closely with Jessie Street over many years on that campaign. • To preserve records of women’s lives and activities Her father was 13 years old when he was • To support the field of women’s history kidnapped from Vanuatu — blackbirded in 1883 to • To highlight women’s contribution to this country’s work on Queensland cane fields. He escaped and later development married Faith’s Scottish-Indian mother. Faith grew up Patrons on a farm near Murwillumbah NSW, sixth of eight Elizabeth Evatt AC; Sir Laurence Street AC KCMG; children. Professor Emerita Jill Roe AO; Clover Moore Lord Mayor of During the 1950s, Faith became involved in the Sydney peace movement. In 1956 she was instrumental in setting up the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship. She Annual General Meeting 2015 was a founding member of the Federal Council for Thanks to everyone who came to the Library’s Annual the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait General Meeting on Saturday 11 April. The Annual Report Islanders in 1957 and became Campaign Director for and the audited Financial Statements were approved, and the 1967 Referendum. She was a founding member the new board was confirmed. of the Women’s Electoral Lobby in 1972. In 1974, Members of the Board are unchanged, but our limited she founded the National Commission for Australian tenure rule brought about the end of Jan Burnswoods’ South Sea Islanders to campaign for the rights of her five years as Secretary. The full Board of Management own people. By 1994 the 16,000 descendants were first is as follows: Chair Jozefa Sobski, Vice-Chair Suzanne recognised as a distinct cultural group. Her first book, Marks, Secretary Michele Ginswick, Treasurer Jean Burns, a novel Wacvie (1977), was based on her father’s early and Members — Jan Burnswoods, Diane Hague, Robyn life. Harriott, Barbara Henery, Beverley Kingston, and Beverley Faith was guest speaker at the Library’s 2003 Sodbinow. Annual Luncheon, her topic ‘Jessie Street for Peace’. Following She spoke about Jessie’s many campaigns, overviewing the conclusion the most important: the 1967 Referendum campaign of the statutory took ten years beginning with a petition to the federal requirements. government. Faith was a great supporter of the Library there was a great and regularly attended Annual Luncheons. opportunity for She had refused in 1976 to accept an MBE from members to chat ‘an empire that had kidnapped and enslaved my over a cup of tea. father’ and also in protest against the dismissal of Left: Auditor Jann the Whitlam Labor Government. She was appointed Skinner and Returning Companion of the Order of Australia in 2009. A very Officer Audrey Wacks at great Australian. Diane Hague the 2015 AGM Editorial Team Faith was such a gracious and lovely person, with a twinkle in Kris Clarke and Margot Simington, Co-editors her eye. But she was also a determined fighter for her causes. And Katharine Stevenson, Graphic Designer they were just causes for Indigenous peoples and for the islanders. Not surprisingly, the Vale to Faith Bandler AC was She played a pivotal role with Jessie Street in the campaign for the the most popular posting on our Facebook page 1967 referendum. We need her now to work for Recognition. I will since it was launched in February 2014: 1,734 hits. miss her — Elizabeth Evatt AC 2 Faith Bandler’s State Funeral of a slave married to a Holocaust survivor who had been The State Funeral at the Great Hall of Sydney University under ASIO surveillance from 1950 to 1977. She was on on 24 February was a deeply moving farewell. Tributes were the Boards of Sydney University Women’s College and of wrapped in love and respect. She was an elder, activist, Sisters Publishing as well as a longstanding supporter of the author and advocate whose tireless commitment was an Jessie Street Trust and the Jessie Street National Women’s inspiration, both in how she worked as well as what she Library.