Page 3529 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 25 August 2009
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We all know about Barbara’s strong involvement in the Labor Party, the Labor club and the union movement, as has been discussed by many speakers before me. But until the funeral last week I did not realise that Barbara joined the then Department of the Navy in 1952 and in 1976 became the first woman to become a clerk class 6 in the Department of Defence. Barbara was transferred to Canberra with Defence in 1979 and became a workplace delegate with the ACOA, the forerunner of the CPSU. During her working life, Barbara continued to play a very active role in her union, and from 1987 to 1990 she was seconded by Defence to the full-time Promotions Appeal Committee as the ACOA Promotions Appeal Committee nominee. In recognition of her dedicated union work, Barbara was made a life member of the then PSU in 1990.
This morning I particularly want to recognise Barbara’s involvement in Volunteering ACT. Like Ms Gallagher, I cannot quite remember when it was that I first met Barbara; I think Barbara has always been there in our lives. But many years ago, when Volunteering ACT was in its very formative years, Barbara offered her services, stood for the board of governance at that time and subsequently served for a very long period as the vice-president of that organisation. Her industrial background was very valuable when dealing with such matters as the organisation’s EBA with the paid staff, but she contributed so much and in so many ways from her very wide experience. For her work with Volunteering ACT, she was awarded life membership.
I clearly remember the time when the organisation was struggling with crippling rent payments and the need to find more affordable accommodation. Fortunately, this coincided with a time when the Labor club was seeking to expand its community involvement and had an empty building that it wished to lease. By this time, Barbara had stepped down from the Volunteering ACT board. She made representations to the Labor club board, which then decided to offer Volunteering ACT the premises to rent. It occupies the same premises to this day, and there is a plaque on the wall in those premises that recognises Barbara’s work and her commitment to that organisation and to volunteering generally.
As I said, Barbara became a life member of Volunteering ACT in recognition not only of her work on the board but also in recognition of her community work generally. This morning we have heard from many speakers about her wide involvement in the community. We could all stand here for a long time and list them, and we would still miss some. We would still miss organisations that perhaps we do not even know that Barbara was involved with.
As other speakers have said before me, many people in the community have been touched by Barbara and not even known it. Community organisations that I know about that Barbara was involved with include Volunteering ACT, ArtSound FM, ACT AFL, the Weston Creek Lions football club et cetera. The list goes on and on; we have not got enough time to list them all today.
Barbara always engendered great respect from all those she had contact with and from organisations she was involved with. She had a generous and giving spirit that all those who came in contact with her experienced—as well as experiencing her feisty side. You always knew where you stood with Barbara, and she would always stand by you.
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