Media Release by Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone

Honouring Women

The Honouring Women initiative was launched by the Prime Minister on Australia Day 2001. It is a network of 27 high-profile female ambassadors – led by Dame Margaret Guilfoyle and the Hon Joan Kirner AM – who spread the message that many more Australian women achievers need to be publicly recognised.

I am pleased to announce that six new Honouring Women ambassadors will join the group working to make sure more women are honoured in our national awards schemes. Each of these women has received awards and honours in their own fields of endeavour.

The new Honouring Women ambassadors are:

  • Lady Jean Brodie-Hall AM – award winning landscape architect and conservationist and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects;
  • Counsellor Deirdre Ford AM – Cairns City Council, Local Government Women’s Association and international speaker on domestic violence and issues affecting children and families;
  • Air Commodore Julie Hammer CSC – Commandant, Australian Defence Force Academy (highest ranked woman in the Australia Defence Force);
  • Mrs Rosemary Sinclair – co-founder of the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, former board member of Life Education Australia;
  • Professor Judith Whitworth AC – Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research; and
  • Mrs Carla Zampatti AM – Chairman, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), award-winning fashion designer and business woman.

The Honouring Women initiative has a very clear message – for more women to be awarded, more women must be nominated. We want to make sure that awards and honours are more fully representative of the community contributions made by men and women alike.

There are many different awards schemes – from the national Order of Australia and Australia Day awards to local awards and profession-specific awards, like the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards. There are also awards for particular fields of endeavour like the RIRDC Rural Women’s Award and Telstra Business Women’s Award to the ANZAC Peace Prize.

Throughout the past year, our ambassadors have been actively encouraging members of the community to nominate extraordinary and inspiring women for awards and honours.

The Honouring Women ambassadors network members will be meeting in Canberra this week to workshop – with one another and with representatives from the honours and awards schemes – strategies to increase the number of women nominated for awards.

Ambassadors for the Recognition of Women – 2002 Membership

Lead Ambassadors

  • The Hon Dame Margaret Guilfoyle DBE Former Senator for Victoria and Former Liberal Minister (VIC).
  • The Hon Joan Kirner AM Former Premier of Victoria (VIC).

NEW SOUTH WALES

  • Ms Priya Cooper OAM Multiple Gold Medal winning Paralympian; Australian Team Captain, Atlanta Paralympic Games; Young Australian of the Year Achiever 1999.
  • Ms Betty Johnson AO National Secretary, Older Women’s Network; advocate and lobbyist for the Australian Pensioners’ and Superannuants’ Federation.
  • Ms Gabrielle Molnar Executive Director, Hamilton James & Bruce; Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year 2000.
  • Mrs Imelda Roche AO Chairman Nutri-Metics International; Co-Chairman Roche Group, Chancellor, Bond University; 1997 internationally recognised as one of 50 ‘Women Entrepreneurs of the World’.
  • Mrs Rosemary Sinclair Co-founder of the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, former board member of Life Education Australia.
  • Mrs Margaret Smith AO Former National President Country Women’s Association of Australia; Board Director Rural Women’s Advisory Council, Graincorp Foundation and the NSW Committee on the Ageing.
  • Mrs Carla Zampatti AO Chairman, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS); award-winning fashion designer and business woman.

VICTORIA

  • Ms Tan Le Business Development Director, SASme; Young Australian of the Year 1998; community leader and role model.
  • Ms Eve Mahlab AO Executive Director, Mahlab Investments; Founder Mahlab Group of Companies; Board Director Westpac, 1982 Australian Business Woman of the Year.
  • Ms Marilyn Rowe OBE Director Australian Ballet School; Recipient of two Green Room Awards for Best Female Dancer 1982 and 1985 when Prima Ballerina of the Australian Ballet.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

  • Lady Jean Brodie-Hall AM Award winning landscape architect and conservationist, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects.

QUEENSLAND

  • Ms Sallyanne Atkinson AO Special Representative for Queensland, South East Asia, Queensland Government; Former Lord Mayor, Brisbane; Deputy Mayor Olympic Village, 2000 Games; Former Senior Trade Commissioner.
  • Cr Deirdre Ford AM Cairns City Council, Local Government Women’s Association, international speaker on domestic violence and issues affecting children and families.
  • Dr Cherrell Hirst AO Chancellor, Queensland University of Technology; former Director of the Wesley Breast Clinic, 1995 Queenslander of the Year.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

  • Professor Freda Briggs Professor of Child Development, University of South Australia; Senior Australian of the Year 2000; Inaugural Australian Humanitarian of the Year 1998.
  • Ms Anne Skipper AM Director, Teleran Group (communication and marketing); Chair International Year of the Family SA 1995.
  • Dr Tran My-Van OAM Associate Professor and Coordinator, Asian Studies, School of International Studies, University of South Australia.

TASMANIA

  • Ms Jane Bennett Production Manager, Ashgrove Farm Cheese; ABC Radio Australian Rural Woman of the Year 1997; Young Australian of the Year Achiever 1998.
  • Ms Melissa Carlton OAM Multiple medallist at the Paralympic Games; Australian Sports Medal 2000.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

  • The Hon Justice Sally Thomas AM Judge, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory since 1992.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

  • Dr Liz Dennis Program Leader CSIRO Plant Industry; winner of the inaugural Prime Minister’s Prize for Science 2000.
  • Magistrate Maria Doogan Magistrate in the Magistrates Court of the ACT; ACT Telstra Business Woman of the Year 1999, First person to be appointed to the ACT Magistracy from a non-English speaking background.
  • Air Commodore Julie Hammer CSCCommandant, Australian Defence Force Academy, highest ranked woman in the Australian Defence Force.
  • Professor Sheryle Moon Managing Director of Wildtwo Pty Ltd – a knowledge services company. 1999 Telstra Business Woman of the Year.
  • Professor Judith Whitworth AC Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research.