Student Intranet - News

Wednesday, 08 March 2023

Inspirational Western Australian women have been recognised on International  Women's Day.

Last night at a special Ceremony in Government House Ballroom, sixteen inspiring women were inducted to the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, and a further four women in the ‘Roll of Honour’.

Established in 2011 in recognition of the Centenary of International Women’s Day, the purpose of the Hall of Fame is to acknowledge the enormous contributions and achievements women have made to Western Australia’s community, society, history, and culture.

This year’s inductees have been selected from one of eight categories: Arts, Business, Community, Culture, Education, Health, Sport, and Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering. Among the inductees is Professor Cobie Rudd, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Regional Futures) and Vice President ECU.

Arts

Annette Grant, Arts Advocate

Annette is an advocate for the Arts in the Great Southern, encouraging development for nearly 60 years. Originally from Melbourne, Annette arrived in Albany with her family in 1967.  She immediately became involved in the Arts in myriad of forms and in 1985, she was appointed as the City’s first Community Arts Officer for arts programs, and development in Albany and its surrounds.  Annette managed many projects which have left an indelible mark on the Arts community in the Great Southern

Dr. Charmaine Papertalk Green

Born in Eradu, Charmaine is a proud Wajarri, Badimaya and Wilunyu woman of the Yamaji Nation. A visual artist, author, poet, photographer, storyteller, social science researcher, and academic, she shares her cultural knowledge in many different spheres.  Charmaine has written five books, won several awards including the prestigious Australian Literary Society Gold Medal, and her poetry is studied as part of primary and school curriculum.    Involved with the Yamaji Art Centre in Geraldton  for over 22 years, she is currently their Chairperson.

Business 

Asha Bhat, CEO Southern Aboriginal Corporation (SAC)

Bangalore born Asha migrated in 2004 and moved to Albany in the Great Southern with her family in 2008. Starting as a finance officer for the Southern Aboriginal Corporation she advanced to CEO in 2013. The organisation supports the Great Southern Noongar community, and South West and Lower Wheatbelt regions, in the areas of housing, family and domestic violence, suicide prevention, and health. As a woman who grew up witnessing much social disadvantage in India, Asha is passionate about contributing to a fairer world.

Katina Law, Director, Executive, and Entrepreneur

Raised in Derby from Worora and Walmajarri families, Katina is a director, executive, and entrepreneur with over 30 years’ international experience in financial and general management roles.  She is the first Indigenous woman to be a CEO of an ASX listed company and the first Indigenous woman to Chair an ASX listed company.  She has also co-founded several businesses including award winning IPS Management Consultants and Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils. Katina is committed to helping Indigenous businesspeople’ to grow their influence in Australia’s economy.

Community 

Victoria Laurie, Journalist and Founding Co-Chair Women in Media

Victoria has worked in TV, radio, and print media for thirty years, and has won many awards in that time. Her passion for feature writing has seen her cover most aspects of life in Western Australia for national publications, from Royal Commissions to sweeping social injustice, and sustained reporting of the State’s cultural milestones. A pioneering advocate for her industry, she founded Women in Media in Perth which now has 6000 members nationally and provides diverse programs to help women thrive in media roles.

Jess Beckerling, Environmental Campaigner

Jess is one of WA’s leading environmental campaigners. Passionate and deeply committed to forests and wildlife protection, climate action, social justice and collaborative leadership, she has contributed to the development of key WA State Government policies to preserve native forests and been recognised through significant public awards including Conservation Council of WA 2015 Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award; the Bob Brown Foundation 2021 Environmentalist of the Year Award, and the United Nation’s Association of WA’s 2022 Environment Award to WAFA.

Culture 

Senator Dorinda Cox, Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia

Dorinda is a proud Yamatji-Noongar woman, who became a Police cadet at the age of 17, eventually working as a Police Liaison in Perth and Kalgoorlie, specializing in family violence and sexual assault.  She left the force after 10-years and went on to become the first Indigenous woman to represent Western Australia in the Senate, when she was elected as the Australian Greens Senator for this State at the 2022 Federal Election. Her maiden speech shone a light on First Nations issues, including cultural heritage.

Dorothy Bagshaw, Respected Elder and Leader

Nana Dot is a proud Noongar woman, and a well-respected Elder and leader with ties across the West Australian community.    She is part of the stolen generation and is showing the way through education and programs for self-determination. Dorothy currently sits on many boards and advisory groups for positive change. This determined woman’s outstanding achievement as an Aboriginal person is her ongoing and constant contribution to the wellbeing of the Aboriginal community, and its culture.

Education 

Mandy Downing, Dean of Indigenous Futures

Mandy is a Yindjibarndi woman who has worked in education and training in WA for over 20 years. She is the first Aboriginal person to be appointed as a Dean in the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University and is now the Dean of Indigenous Futures there.  She is also the female Co-Chair for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies National Research Ethics Committee, and Senior Indigenous Facilitator for the National Environmental Science Program’s Sustainable Communities and Waste Research Hub.

Professor Cobie Rudd, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Regional Futures) and Vice President ECU

As an accomplished academic, Cobie currently serves as Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Regional Futures), Vice-President and Head of ECU South West. She is an Australian Government National Teaching Fellow; being the first in health simulation.   One of Professor Rudd’s greatest achievements for the community and economy has been conceptualising and brokering over $80 million in State and Commonwealth funding for infrastructure to boost training capacity in health and education for Perth and the outer metro, and $30 million to specifically build regional capacity.

Health 

Nola Naylor, Director Aboriginal Health Strategy, SMHS

A proud Banjima woman from the Central Pilbara, Nola is the Director of Aboriginal Health Strategy at South Metropolitan Health Services, and in that role has developed the Aboriginal Health Champions Network Program. This identifies Champions from the staff who undergo a half day Cultural Learning opportunity to explore additional understanding and experiences. The program has increased the awareness of Aboriginal ways of working, shared knowledge, and moves towards improved health and wellbeing for Aboriginal peoples’.

Dr. Anh Nguyen, Plastic Surgeon

A rarity in the world of medicine, where around 85% of Australian plastic surgeons are male, Vietnamese born Dr Anh Nguyen has achieved the pinnacle of professional standing as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She has more than 20 years’ experience in emergency trauma surgery, reconstructive, and aesthetic plastic surgery, and is an on-call plastic surgeon and consultant to numerous Perth hospitals including Fiona Stanley, and St John of God Mt Lawley.

Sport 

Christina Matthews, CEO WA Cricket

A member of the Australian Women’s Cricket team from 1984 to 1995, Chris became the country’s most capped female Test player.  She went onto become the CEO of WA Cricket, one of only two women in the world to hold the position of a first-class cricket association and was named as a finalist in the West Australian of the Year in 2019 for her outstanding achievements in the cricket community.  She is an inspirational leader who supports and promotes diversity and inclusion for players of all abilities and genders.

Laura Tolliday, Sport and Recreation Advocate

Laura is a woman of many ‘firsts’ in life and sport. Joining the YWCA in 1949 to play netball, she became a State Champion.  She also joined cricket and played in the ‘first’ WA Women’s Cricket team to compete in the All Australian Women’s Cricket Carnival.  She remained involved in netball, helping to start youth clubs and the ‘first’ netball association in Merredin.  Laura went on to be the ‘first’ woman to get a Recreational Officer Diploma and be employed by a Government body.

STEM 

Assoc. Professor Parwinder Kaur, Scientist Indian born Parwinder is an award-winning scientist, mentor for gender equity, and founder of DNA Zoo Australia, the lead Australian node for the DNA Zoo global consortium, and founder and chair of WA Genome Atlas initiative. In this environment she has led the rapid release of world’s first high-quality public genomes of over 50 Australian species such as the iconic Black Swan, Numbat and Quokka. Dr. Kaur leads cross-disciplinary biotechnology research investigating Earth’s biodiversity and natural environments to ensure sustainable futures.

Dr. Hema Wadhwa, Remote Operations and Digital Services Manager

Hema, originally from India, boasts a versatile career trajectory that encompasses academic research, engineering, innovation, and leadership. With a passion for advancing Energy industry, she strives to create practical solutions that improve efficiency and safety. Hema has worked diligently to establish herself in a male-dominated industry and has earned the respect of her colleagues. As a champion of the “You can’t be her, if you can’t see her” movement, she is an enthusiastic mentor, encouraging others to pursue their passions and reach their full potential.

Additionally four women were added to the Roll of Honour, they were Margaret A Battye (1909 – 1949) Elizabeth Bredemeyer (1944 – 2022), Mary Jane Levitzke (1883 – 1969) and Catherine Ellen Martin (1918 – 2009).

Edith Cowan's place in the Hall of Fame

Edith Cowan was among the first group of women added to the Hall of Fame when it was established in 2011.Cowan became the first woman to be elected to an Australian parliament when she won the Legislative Assembly seat of West Perth in 1921.

She was the founding secretary in 1894 and later president of the women’s Karrakatta Club, which campaigned for female suffrage. She helped set up the WA National Council of Women in 1911. She was a foundation member of the Children’s Protection Society in 1906 and the first woman to be appointed to the Children's Court bench in 1915.

She became a Justice of the Peace in 1920 and in the same year was awarded an OBE for her contribution to the WA division of the Red Cross Society, of which she was a founding member in 1914. The clock tower at the entrance to Kings Park was erected to her memory in 1934 and in 1995, her portrait was put on the Australian $50 note.

See  all the amazing women listed in the WA Hall of Fame.