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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-02-08 Daily Xml
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WOMEN HOLD UP HALF THE SKY AWARD

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about the new Women Hold Up Half The Sky award.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: The minister has told us many times of her desire to see more women recognised for their contributions to our communities—contributions that often go overlooked. The establishment of the new Women Hold Up Half The Sky award was an initiative developed to honour South Australian women as part of the Australia Day awards process. Will the minister tell us about the inaugural recipient of the new Women Hold Up Half The Sky award?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his most important question and his ongoing interest in this important policy area. Each year our nation celebrates the achievement and contribution of eminent Australians through the Australia Day awards by profiling leading citizens who act as role models for all of us. They inspire us through their achievements and challenge us to make our own contribution to creating a better Australia.

Women Hold Up Half The Sky is an inaugural Australia Day Council of South Australia award acknowledging the contribution of outstanding women in the community. The Australia Day Council of South Australia awards include the Premier's award for community service and the Minister for Education's award for excellence in multiculturalism and language.

The new award, recognising and acknowledging inspirational South Australian women, forms part of a strategy to increase the nomination of women to national and state awards and honours. The award has taken its name from a very well known piece of art by internationally recognised South Australian artist Ann Newmarch. Ann Newmarch, who lives in Adelaide, is herself a recipient of the Order of Australia for services to art. I understand that she has had over 30 solo exhibitions and is represented in many major national and international collections. I had the pleasure of meeting with the artist at the launch of the award on 21 September at the Art Gallery of South Australia, where her work is held. It is a fabulous piece of work. I had seen prints of it in the past, but that was the first time I had seen the original print, and it is quite spectacular.

The name of this award should serve as a great source of inspiration to South Australian women, not only as the name of this artwork. The name is very fitting for a new award. Ann Newmarch is herself an active and very creative South Australian woman, who has won national and international recognition for her work. She is an amazing, inspirational woman in her own right.

Nominations for the award opened on 21 September 2010 and closed on 10 December. The Australia Day Council of South Australia award acknowledging the contribution of outstanding women was awarded at Government House on Australia Day Eve, 25 January 2011. I was very privileged to present the first Women Hold Up Half the Sky award at that event, and it was awarded to Pat Waria-Read. Aunty Pat is a very proud Ngadjuri woman, whose contribution to the community is recognised at a local, state and also national level.

Pat started her political education at a very early age. As a teenager in the 1960s, she often travelled to Canberra with her mother, Winifred Branson. Winifred was also an inspirational political activist, and she worked with people such as Faith Bandler, Dr Nugget Coombs and Pastor Doug Nicholls, all quite famous activists. Pat is a great advocate for Aboriginal people, especially Aboriginal women. Her goal has been to ensure that the voices of Aboriginal women are heard, respected and listened to. She currently works at Kurruru Youth Performing Arts in Port Adelaide, and she is actively involved with the Aboriginal Prisoners and Offenders Support Service.

Aunty Pat is also actively involved as a delegate to the State Aboriginal Women's Gathering and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Gathering, of which she was also deputy chair. At the 2010 State Aboriginal Women's Gathering, she was elected as part of the delegation group to act on behalf of the 2010-11 gathering. Aunty Pat is a respected elder, teacher, mentor and inspirational role model to the many people with whom she comes into contact in her working life and also throughout the community generally. She is a tireless worker for Australia's first people, and I was very proud to have been able to present her with the inaugural Women Hold Up Half the Sky award.

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