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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
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Condolence

Southcott, Heather

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier) (14:00): With the leave of the house, I move:

That the House of Assembly expresses its deep regret at the death of Mrs Heather Joyce Southcott, former member of this house, and places on record its appreciation of her meritorious service, and that, as a mark of respect to her memory, the sitting of the house be suspended until the ringing of the bells.

The sad recent passing of Heather Joyce Southcott, Member of the Order of Australia, following a long illness, gives us pause to reflect on Heather's immense contribution to justice and equality in this state. A champion for women's rights through the last quarter of the last century, Heather served only briefly in this place but contributed so much in her efforts outside of parliament.

From their foundation in 1977, Heather was a prominent member of the Australian Democrats, holding the office of South Australian state secretary from 1977 to 1982. In 1982 she won the by-election for the seat of Mitcham and was elected by members to the position of state leader and then national leader of the Australian Democrats. Though the honour is often attributed to her South Australian Democrats colleague, Janine Haines, Heather was the first woman to lead a parliamentary political party in Australia. Her friends at the Women's Electoral Lobby have told us that she was never concerned, though, at that erroneous attribution.

A pharmacological graduate of the University of Adelaide and a pharmaceutical chemist by profession, Heather left her mark on our society with her tireless work for groups which included:

The United Nations Association of Australia

Amnesty

Adelaide UN Women's Australia Breakfast Committee

The Morialta Trust Inc.

National Council of Women

The Women's Electoral Lobby

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

The National Council of Women of South Australia

National Council of Women War Memorial Fund Members

PGC/Seymour for her dedication and commitment to the College Council of Governors and the Old Collegians' Association

Older Women's Advisory Committee

Graduate Women Australia

She served most of these groups for over 20 years. She was honoured by UNESCO for her services to the community and, in particular, as chairperson of the United Nations Association of Australia.

The breadth of her service is remarkable and, through it, you can see a common theme of fighting for justice, equality and promoting the rights of and opportunities for women. She will long be remembered as a strong advocate for social justice and children's rights.

Heather's leadership stands as an example to all, and I am sure that her legacy will live on in future generations, particularly the inspiration that her story can provide to young women. On behalf of all members and the state I would like to convey our deepest condolences to her daughters, Jane and Anne Marie, and the family at this time of great sadness.

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:04): I second the motion moved by the Premier. On 21 November this year, sadly, South Australia lost one of its great female pioneers, Heather Joyce Southcott AM. On behalf of the state Liberal Party I extend our deepest sympathy to the family of the late Mrs Southcott, especially her daughters, Jane and Anne Marie.

Mrs Southcott was born in Adelaide in 1928 and for the next 86 years she lived a life embedded in community service and women's affairs. Mrs Southcott devoted much of her time to political activism and became an inspirational leader in her quest to bring about justice and equality. She was a founding member of the Australian Democrats and in 1982 Mrs Southcott became the first woman to lead a political party in Australia. In the same year, on 8 May, she was elected into the South Australian parliament as the member for Mitcham. She won the seat in a by-election following the resignation of fellow Australian Democrat Robin Millhouse.

Heather Southcott wasted no time in campaigning for changes to parliamentary procedures and processes and wanted a greater level of scrutiny. She expressed concerns that politicians were wasting too much time worrying about minor matters rather than putting all their energies into dealing with the important issues facing South Australia. Shortly after being elected, she was quoted in the local paper as saying, 'I am not naive enough to believe I can achieve anything on my own but I believe someone has to try, and it is up to others to decide whether they are prepared to work for changes, too.'

Despite losing her seat six months later in the state general election, Mrs Southcott continued to have a strong voice in the political arena and within the broader community. She served as the national president of the Australian Democrats for nine terms and was a valuable mentor for young, aspiring politicians, including former Australian Democrats senator and parliamentary party leader, Natasha Stott Despoja.

Mrs Southcott did not hesitate in sharing her knowledge and expertise with those who held similar values, principles and beliefs. She also did not hesitate in volunteering her time and energy to organisations close to her heart. She was an honorary life member of the National Council of Women in South Australia. She founded the women's pharmacists group while she was studying at the Adelaide University. Mrs Southcott led the South Australian division of the United Nations Association of Australia for 27 years. She was one of the founding members of the Adelaide United Nations Women's Day breakfast committee. Mrs Southcott was a dedicated and hardworking member of the National Council of Women War Memorial Fund, filling the positions of vice president, secretary and committee member.

Heather Southcott leaves behind a legacy enshrined in leadership, integrity and outstanding community service. She has been described by those closest to her as a woman of superior intellect and unflinching principles. She will be remembered for having strength and courage and for being a voice for women, a voice for justice and a voice for human rights.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (14:07): It is with great sadness I speak to this condolence motion because I feel that Heather Southcott has always been, if not in the foreground, in the background of any of the political activism that I have been involved in over many decades.

I first met her and got to know her when I was at the Working Women's Centre. The Working Women's Centre in those days was in Gilbert Place in a building that had Alcoholics Anonymous, Arthur Murray Dance Studio, Al-Anon and a number of other organisations, and the Women's Electoral Lobby met there as well. Quite often, Heather would be across from the Women's Electoral Lobby with the infamous Betty Fisher, who had her Raven Publishing business there as well. Interestingly, up the hall was a 'working woman' in the old-fashioned sense of the term, who we found out about a bit later.

One of the reasons I raise this issue was that Heather, along with Betty, was very keen for the Working Women's Centre to work with women in the sex industry to try to make sure that those women—women and men, but women in particular—had the same rights and responsibilities as other workers. I am sad to say that campaign continues, but Heather was certainly one of the people who understood the need for those changes.

She was also a campaigner for equal pay. Sadly, we have not achieved that yet but, certainly, she was one of the early people campaigning in the equal pay area. Also, in relation to some of the amendments that we managed to get up with regard to equal opportunity legislation, Heather, through the different organisations that she represented, along with a lot of other women's organisations, campaigned particularly with the trade union women for those changes to actually happen.

Heather was a close friend of my late mother. Heather replaced me on the board of an organisation called the Consumer Advocacy Program of South Australia, which was an advocacy program in the early eighties for people with disabilities and their carers, families and advocates. I had to resign from the Consumer Advocacy Program because it seemed to me that, when we were advertising for a new director, my mother was the perfect choice, so not only did I have to step down from the board, in my view, but I also stepped down from the selection panel.

Heather Southcott replaced me on both the board and the selection panel and I think made a very good choice of a director. They had known each other from Women's Electoral Lobby days, but this began a lifelong friendship on issues to do with advocating for people with different abilities and disabilities. Heather served with distinction for many years on what was then called Disability Action South Australia and, sadly, was part of the demise of Disability Action when it was defunded by the federal government.

She and my mother also served on the Older Women Advisory Committee which was set up in the early eighties. Women on that committee, some of whom are still around and still advocating, were trying to make sure that we had a focus on issues for older women in the community, not just on those for younger women. I think they did a fabulous job over those years, particularly adding a multicultural aspect to that advocacy, which certainly was on the agenda in the early eighties. They wanted to make sure that any of the multicultural campaigns included women, particularly older women.

We have heard from both the Premier and the leader with regard to her distinguished record with the Australian Democrats, and I was really interested to hear of her work with the Centenary of Women's Suffrage in South Australia in 1994. I remember her working very closely with the Hons Diana Laidlaw. Anne Levy, Carolyn Pickles and Sandra Kanck to make sure that we actually did have a celebration and also a commemoration.

One of the reasons these tapestries still hang in the House of Assembly is because of the work they did with a lot of other women to make sure that there was this commemoration. I know that we in this house now see them as a permanent feature, but there were arguments in days gone by that maybe they should go somewhere else. I do not want to start that argument again, but I think we all agree that they are a permanent fixture in this chamber. When there were different arguments about that, I know that Heather did a lot of advocacy in this place behind the scenes to try to make sure that was the case.

She was also involved with former senator Rosemary Crowley, as has been mentioned, particularly in making sure that we do have the UNIFEM Breakfast, and that has been a tradition that has been carried on for quite some time. Being an early riser, Heather was very pleased that the breakfast started at, in my view, the indecent time that it does, but she was very keen, as I know Rosemary Crowley was, that we have the maximum number of people at those breakfasts. These days a lot of school classes actually come to the breakfast, as do the usual people who would go to that breakfast. So, the group has widened, and I really commend Heather and Rosemary in particular for that innovation.

The National Council of Women was mentioned. Heather has always been a stalwart in that peak organisation. It is seen as the peak women's organisation in South Australia, and I think it is really important that, amongst the fantastic women who are on there and who have served on there, we have the contribution Heather made.

Heather was also involved in the United Nations Association of Australia (SA Division). I must say that in the very early days of getting involved with women's issues and women's affairs I thought that the UN association was little distant from Adelaide and not really accessible, but a lot of innovation came from that organisation, connecting up South Australia on an international level.

The leader mentioned former senator Natasha Stott Despoja. This is really, as part of the UN youth organisation, where she started to get involved in politics. Sadly in some respects, I have been around long enough to remember her being supported not only by Sandra Kanck but also by Heather Southcott, Janine Haines and a number of the other distinguished women who were associated with the Democrats.

In Heather's field of pharmacy, I think starting the Women Pharmacists Group was quite an amazing innovation in those days. A lot of the professional women's associations that we now take for granted were not so common then, and I remember Heather saying that it took a long time to get women to think about being in the Women Pharmacists Group, but they have worked to become a very important organisation.

One of the first times I met Heather Southcott was at a Women's Electoral Lobby meeting, and it was very interesting. My mother took me to the meeting—I think I was nearly 16 at the time—in Bloor Court, and some of the women will remember Bloor Court as a place where women's organisations would meet. There was also a Women's Liberation meeting happening at the same time, so it was interesting to see who went to the Women's Liberation meeting and who went to the Women's Electoral Lobby meeting.

From my experience with the Women's Electoral Lobby in particular, they went on to get support from I think just about every woman who has been in state parliament. I know that in more recent times the member for Bragg and I were involved with the 40th celebration of the Women's Electoral Lobby, and it was very interesting to see the mixture of women from different political backgrounds who came to our celebration at Government House which was hosted by Governor Kevin Scarce.

As I said, it is going to be very sad not seeing Heather at so many different events, rallies and functions. Her influence went on to one of the organisations that I must say I have always been really impressed with: the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, which still operates today. I know the member for Florey and I have always been supporters of theirs and the fact that they keep on keeping on, but we have found it hard to keep up with all the events they hold. Again, Heather was always involved with that organisation.

I have not really done Heather justice, with all campaigns and everything she was involved with, and I am very sad that she is not with us anymore. I would like to pass on my condolences to her daughters, Jane and Anne Marie, and her family, and to all her friends in the women's movement, particularly those who are over 80 with whom she would have worked for decades and who I know will miss her terribly.

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I rise to commend and support the motion of the Premier in acknowledging, with condolence, the passing of Heather Southcott. Mrs Southcott's contribution to the parliament was relatively brief; however, her pioneering spirit and contribution to community service, and the advancement of women in particular, has been outstanding and over many decades.

If the Hon. Joyce Steele—who watches over us in this house in the Versace blue up there—were here with us today, she could probably tell us many stories of her and Heather's activities during the 1960s. Mrs Steele, of course, came into this parliament as the first female representative in this house in 1959, joining with Mrs Jessie Cooper who was in the Legislative Council. Heather had been a pioneer in supporting the advancement of women in their employment and certainly in community and public life.

She represents for me everything that our parents and particularly our mothers' generation stood for. They were generally pioneering in their own way but certainly in a patient and pragmatic way. She was the victim, as many of our mothers were, of the obligation to retire from employment upon marrying, most particularly in relation to Public Service employment. Heather was a member of the commonwealth Public Service and, in 1952, under those rules, was required to resign from her employment. There were other types of employment, such as air hostessing, as it was then known, for airlines, where women suffered the same fate. For the generations that followed, we really have no comprehension of the sacrifice that generation of women made in giving up their employment in those circumstances.

Just recently, we heard the Clerk in another place telling her story of being obliged under a contract to commit to not marrying for five years upon taking up a position here in the parliament. When she, I think, announced her engagement within 12 months of that, there had to be some quick renegotiation of those arrangements. This is something that our generation of women and our children and granddaughters really have not experienced, and we are thankful for Heather Southcott. I hope her pioneering spirit has ensured that she is a leading light to her daughters, and my condolences are with them.

I too would like to commend her particularly for two activities: one is working in 1994 to recognise the Centenary of Women's Suffrage. These tapestries, as the member preceding me has already indicated, were the unstinting work of a number of women on the committee, including Jenny Cashmore. The former member for Stuart was hell-bent on making sure that they did not stay here in the chamber, but I am pleased to say that they remain here and he is gone.

For as long as there is breath in me, and I am sure in many of the other members here, they will stay. They recognise the significance of the passing of the suffrage legislation in 1894 and, of course, the unique aspects that South Australia has pioneered in this parliament. Heather was one of the active committee members—I think it was chaired at that stage by the Hon. Jennifer Cashmore—who commissioned these tapestries. They were held across the road in the then bank building, and every woman in South Australia was able to go along and put some stitches in to commemorate this important occasion.

Apart from disputes as to whether we are second or third around the world regarding women's right to vote, we were clearly the first chamber in the world where women had the right to stand for parliament. It did take us 65 years to get here, but we were here.

Whilst my father described Heather as a 'difficult woman'—that was his view of most women in politics, I might say—nevertheless, she marched on undeterred by people like my father. I want to say that her work in that regard is testament to her perseverance in ensuring that we have a legacy that is on display for the world showing the very proud achievements that have been made in this chamber in respect of women's suffrage and representation in the parliament.

The second activity is the United Nations breakfast. It started with about 20. I think the member for Ashford and I were amongst the younger two or three who were there at the time with the old guard. Now, some 2,000 go to those breakfasts. It is a remarkable achievement. Young women in our schools are invited annually to attend. Even the premiers and leaders of the opposition are there, which I think is a fine tradition. They would not dare miss it now, would they?

It is important. Every year, Heather Southcott would be at that event. Her signature headband will not be forgotten. She was a very pragmatic lady who was not really big on fashion. She decided that this was the hairstyle for her and she kept it I think for 50 years, or for the time that I knew her. May she rest in peace. I thank her for her contribution to South Australia's women.

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (14:24): Like many people here today, I want to add to this motion. Many people leave a mark for the better on the landscape of their community, none more so than the late Heather Southcott. I, of course, always knew about Heather but only met her shortly after my election in 1997 because, as a worker bee from the suburbs, I could not lay claim to the longstanding connections that other members have had with her.

Heather was born on 15 November 1928, a Scorpio, like many politically active people such as Penny Wong, me, Muriel Matters, Susan Close (member for Port Adelaide)—

An honourable member interjecting:

Ms BEDFORD: I'm sure—well, you're not a woman, but you're accepted in the Scorpio clan. Sadly, though, Heather did pass away on 21 November at the age of 86. Heather was a true activist, active in the South Australian Division of the United Nations Association of Australia. She led that association for 27 years in its passionate work for justice. She was always present at their dinners, and I remember buying many raffle tickets from her over the years.

She was a founding member of the UN Women Australia Adelaide Breakfast Committee (formerly the UNIFEM Breakfast) and is described by them as 'an extremely dedicated and hardworking committee member for over 20 years'. Like the member for Ashford, I find breakfasts intrude on garden time and other pursuits, but I fondly remember her in the basement of the Masonic Building when we only had sandwiches, and we have come a long way from then. We could hardly move, though, in those days in the room, which was still packed; now we pack a much larger room.

Heather was an esteemed and respected life member of the Morialta Trust, which acknowledged her long-term contribution to the trust's work in assisting disadvantaged children and young people. But perhaps her work on behalf of the National Council of Women SA and the National Council of Women War Memorial Fund, where Heather was an honorary life member and had served as vice president, executive committee member, adviser and delegate, exhibits her commitment and dedication to causes close to her heart, because they could make a difference to the lives of women and, in turn, society in general.

Heather has been described by others as 'a very remarkable woman of courage, a person of great integrity and superior intellect'. As has already been mentioned, in 1982, Heather was elected in a by-election to the House of Assembly for the district of Mitcham, which is now Waite, becoming the first woman leader of a political party, as she was the leader of the Australian Democrats. Sadly though, she only held the seat for a very short time but became a mentor to young members of her party and 'gave decades of unselfish and unstinting service'. Heather served nine terms as national president, a testament to her powers of communication and endurance in keeping the bastards who keep the bastards honest a force in Australian politics.

Heather had been badly affected by polio as a child and suffered from its effects later in her life. Heather was a woman who supported other women, so it was a thrill but no great surprise when she joined the fledgling Muriel Matters Society and offered great support to myself and Steph Key as we began to promote Muriel's example as a way to generate interest in not only the significant history of this South Australian female activist but the importance of the democratic process, in which it is vital to have good people of all persuasions involved in making the laws aimed at changes to improve society.

The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was, again, a shared passion, and I hope a cause many of us here will embrace as we discover more about the futility of war in this ANZAC Centenary year. Heather was not only generous in her encouragement but she contributed financially to the Muriel Matters Society and to our social justice projects like the support for women in prison, via our support, in turn, for the Seeds of Affinity group, the importance of education for all, abolition of sweatshops, prevention of domestic violence and all forms of violence, and the promotion of the concept of world peace among many others.

On behalf of the electors of Florey and the members of the Muriel Matters Society, I extend my condolences and sympathy to Jane and Anne Marie and their family on the loss of their mother and to Heather's wide circle of friends and admirers. We have lost a wonderful spirit and need to step up our efforts in her memory.

The SPEAKER (14:28): I remember the Mitcham by-election of 1982 vividly. The member since 1955, Robin Rhodes Millhouse, had just been appointed by the Tonkin government to the Supreme Court, creating a by-election which the Liberal Party was expected to win, and its candidate was Robert Worth, the husband of Trish Worth. He had contested the seat previously, but 1982 was not to be his year. Although there was almost a 20 per cent swing against the Australian Democrats with the retirement of Robin Millhouse, nevertheless, Heather Southcott held on by 90 votes—7,090 votes to 7,000. Robin Millhouse had been the attorney-general. He had become the leader of the Liberal Movement in 1974. I well remember the 1975 Liberal Movement slogan—'Millhouse for Premier'—and he—

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: I have no idea why the member for Wright laughs—provided a lot of copy for The Advertiser. I well remember being a cadet at The Advertiser in about March or April 1982 and The Advertiser management taking Robin Millhouse out to lunch to thank him for his services to the media over so many years, and to congratulate him on his appointment. In fact, the leader may be interested to know that Robin Millhouse contrived to be named in most question times, and upon succeeding—

Mr Marshall: Did he have something better to do?

The SPEAKER: Indeed, he did. Upon succeeding in being named he would pack is attaché case, walk to the bar, and say, 'Well, I'm off to my electorate office for the rest of the day.' In that by-election John Hill was the Labor candidate, and he was good enough to score just fractionally less of the primary vote than Heather Southcott, which then allowed Heather Southcott to take nearly 100 per cent of his preferences and win the seat—

Mr Marshall: What a surprise.

The SPEAKER: Well, no; preference flows are not that true these days. I remember Heather Southcott as a member of this house when I was working down here. She was only here for a short time. Robert Worth having failed a second time, Stephen Baker became the Liberal candidate for Mitcham and won the seat with a 10 per cent swing to the Liberal Party at the general election, a general election which the Liberal Party lost. Heather Southcott, as has been recorded here, went on to be a very, very active citizen in so many areas. Vale, Heather Southcott.

Motion carried by members standing in their places in silence.

Sitting suspended from 14:33 to 14:43.

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