Celebrating Nillumbik Women 2009 - Nillumbik Shire Council

Foreword
Celebrating Nillumbik women was conceived by the Nillumbik Women’s Network as a way
of writing women in to our local history. Our many marvellous local histories provide some
general accounts of the lives of pioneer women but as far as we could see, surprisingly little
has been written about the contribution of local women to the development of the area.
The first edition of Celebrating Nillumbik women was launched at an International Women’s
Day event hosted by Nillumbik Shire Council and the Nillumbik Women’s Network in 2008.
The aim of this publication was to make a start on locating and celebrating the many local
Nillumbik women, who may appear ordinary to some, but who live or lived extraordinary lives.
This year, the Nillumbik Women’s Network again sought nominations of local women who
had made, or continue to make, a significant contribution to the social and cultural life of our
community. Again, we have been inspired by the quality and activism of our local women.
Many of the portraits tell of women’s contributions to the building of the social infrastructure
of the Shire. These stories complement the historical accounts which primarily document
men’s roles in building the physical infrastructure of the Shire. One begins to develop a
clearer picture of how women went about developing the services which we take for granted
today, from the small kindergartens operating out of church halls to the wide ranging network
of occasional care, to the development of home-based services for elderly residents and
those with a disability in the area. They also tell the bravery and resilience of women in their
response to the devastating impact of the Black Saturday bushfires.
And we are aware that many of our local women’s stories are still to be told and hope this
project will inspire others to document and share these.
We are deeply appreciative of those who have taken the time to nominate these
inspirational local women and to the Councillors and staff of Nillumbik Shire Council who
have been generous in their support of the project.
Mandy Press
Convenor Nillumbik Women’s Network