Page 7 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 9 February 2010
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The stories, as Mr Seselja related, about Australia Day are legion, are legendary. At one stage, I can remember being at an Australia Day luncheon in Commonwealth Park. She had more generals under her command than John Monash, and she did not hesitate at sending them to do errands. When I was a cadet at RMC, seeing brigadiers and generals being ordered around by this slight lady and having no hesitation in obeying her command was something that I always found quite amusing. It was not just retired generals, it was the Chief of the Defence Force, it was serving generals, people in uniform, lots of braid. If Marjorie said, “Could you do this?” they went and did it, and they did it willingly.
If you ever attended, Mr Speaker, one of the Australia Day parades where Marjorie was the parade major, she had the bearing of a major; she certainly had the commanding voice of a major. If Marjorie said it would start, it would start. By the end of her time as president of the Australia Day Council, when she took the salute, I think she looked at the guard and certainly would tell them whether or not they were up to scratch. She was a remarkable woman.
It is interesting, too, to bring together some of the lists that people have read out. I have another small list about some of the things that Marjorie did. This one says:
For the past 40 years—
again, I think it is from an Alan Ramsay article—
Marjorie Turbayne’s remarkable life in umpteen capacities, appointments and posts has included, at various times, social secretary and protocol officer at the US embassy (for three years in the late 1960s), founding manager (for 14 years) of the National Press Club from 1975, council member of the Order of Australia, life patron of the Woman of the Year luncheon, president of the Australiana Fund, committee member of the National Opera Festival, National President of the Australia-Britain Society, director and board member of the National Australia Day Council, and a committee member of the Red Cross appeal.
That, again, is a formidable list of achievements.
I have a personal story. Very shortly after I was elected member for Canberra in 1995, I attended a function and Marjorie very kindly came up and introduced herself. What she had not realised was that we had met before. My wife at that time had worked at the Press Club. I said, “Marjorie, we have actually met. My wife used to work for you.” We had this wonderful chat about the old NPC, as they called it, the National Press Club days.
When Marjorie moved on to continue working the room, her husband, Keith, came up, with that twinkle in his eye. If you knew Keith, there was always something going on behind Keith. Keith just said, “Yeah, and I bet she was tough.” And she was tough. She had to be tough. She was competing and making waves in a world that often did not appreciate competition and people making waves.
But she was a great example to all women about what you can achieve and not taking no for an answer and getting out there and doing it. Marjorie Turbayne certainly got out there and did it. My condolences to the family.
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