Page 3525 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
I would like to congratulate all those involved with organising the MBA annual dinner and acknowledge the event sponsors—Cbus, Village Building Co, the Master Builders Fidelity Fund, Adjudicate Today and Lennock VW Commercial Vehicles.
For more information about the work of the Master Builders ACT, I recommend members visit their website at www.mba.org.au.
Ms Anna Wellings Booth
MS GALLAGHER (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Minister for Health, Minister for Higher Education and Minister for Regional Development) (6.50): I rise briefly to record in the Assembly the passing of Anna Wellings Booth on 3 October whilst gardening at her Canberra home. Anna was, as many members of this place know, a foundation member of Breast Cancer Network Australia and played a leading role in the organisation of Breast Cancer Network Australia’s first field of women on the lawns of Old Parliament House in October 1998.
She dedicated much of her adult life to raising awareness of breast cancer and, as members would know, took on dozens of voluntary breast cancer support roles. She was a leading advocate on behalf of women diagnosed with breast cancer, despite her own diagnosis being almost 30 years ago. She made, without doubt, a real difference to the lives of many women and their families through her work, including with the breast cancer support groups, Dragons Abreast and Breast Cancer Network Australia.
Anna founded Dragons Abreast ACT in 1999 after putting a small advert in the Canberra Times, in the public notices, to which a number of women replied. The first regatta was held, I think, in 2003. In fact, the last regatta was held in Anna’s honour, and at her memorial service the Dragons Abreast women went out on the lake in her honour.
We heard at the memorial service stories from family and friends, from neighbours, from people who had only recently got to know Anna. The stories at the service were funny and fondly remembered Anna’s ability to chat, to cook, the amount of notes and ideas that she had jotted down and left all over the kitchen table. I think anyone who went and who knew Anna knew that she never said no to anything. She was the one involved in all the campaigns who got things done whilst others had the ideas. For example, with the field of women on the lawns, she was the one who had all the field of women stored in the garage and made sure that they went out and were placed where they needed to be. It now is quite a famous way of making one’s campaign well known.
Anna was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division in 2012 for her service to women’s health through a range of breast cancer organisations. She helped develop Dragons Abreast ACT and the sport nationally and has been a mentor and inspiration to hundreds of people throughout her time in the sport. Again, at the memorial service the Dragon Boats Association spoke very highly of the role that she had played in the sport nationally.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video