2024 INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES

Award-winning conductor Jessica Gethin performs internationally with orchestras, moving effortlessly between core symphonic works to mainstage ballet, opera, and film score. Jessica is Principal Conductor of the West Australian Ballet and Head of Orchestral Studies and Conducting at WAAPA. A fierce advocate for women in music, Jessica is Ambassador for Perth Symphony’s Women on the Podium initiative.

She is highly respected as an artist and leader both on and off the podium and has made significant impact to elevating emerging women artists who follow in her path.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Kankawa Nagarra is a Gooniyandi, Walmajarri Bunaba woman, a Respected Elder, teacher and international blues and gospel singer-songwriter who performs in Walmajarri, Kimberley Kriol, English, and the known languages of her area.

Her music carries an underlying message: that of protecting the environment and connecting families to their traditional land.    “The land is crying for its people and the people are crying for the land”.

Kankawa is devoted to the preservation and sharing of Indigenous language and culture, through her love of music and poetry.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

 With a background in nursing, caring, disability, and volunteering, Esme Bowen has significantly contributed to the business of for-purpose sectors for over 35 years. She is recognised for her outstanding impact as a WA director, sitting on multiple boards, and awarded the 2023 Director Award for the Excellence in the WA Not-for Profit Sector, by the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Esme works tirelessly in the public and private sectors to advocate not only for gender representation, but increased diversity including ‘lived experiences’ at all governance tables.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

 An experienced executive, with decades of leadership in corporate affairs and issues-based advocacy, Libby Lyons brings strong regulatory and governance experience and a deep understanding of diversity and Inclusion to her roles. 

As director of the Workplace Gender Equality Agency, she promoted the business case for gender equality in Australian workplaces. Her current roles include Chair – Science  in Australia Gender Equity, WA Chair – Chief Executive Women and Chair, Steering Committee – Building Safe and Respectful Workplaces, a learning program developed in collaboration with Rio Tinto, BHP, and Fortescue.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Dr Chong is a changemaker who is dedicated to advancing women’s empowerment.

The first Asian to be elected as President of the United Nations Association, Sandy works with local communities, civil society organizations, and governments to promote peace, social justice, and inclusion. She advocates for the rights of migrants, indigenous women, and children against domestic violence as Ambassador of Valuing Children Initiatives and RUAH, she actively fundraises for Cherie Blaire Foundation, Special Olympics Australia, UN Women and Zonta House Refuge.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Driven by her passion for advancing the status of women, Rachael Hain co-founded of Dress for Success Western Australia, a global movement of change to empower women. 

This grassroots charity with 85+ volunteers, and 6 part-time staff, provides professional clothing, career development workshops, and one-to-one job-readiness support to women through its Subiaco-based ‘boutique’, and through its regional and remote outreach program. 

Welcoming cis, trans, and non-binary people comfortable in a women’s space, by  ensuring a safe, and non-judgmental space where women can build their confidence, to re-enter the workplace.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Former Australian Army Non-Commissioned Officer, Dianne Ryder OAM is a Respected Noongar Elder who has dedicated her life to serving her community and promoting reconciliation. 

She joined the Australian Army in 1974, when there were few Aboriginal soldiers, and rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant by 1995. Now retired, Di volunteers for various health, education, and cultural programs, making a positive impact on many lives. 

She has been recognised by the Australian Army, the City of Swan, and the NAIDOC committees for her unparalleled service

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Sandy is a Nyul Nyul woman born and raised in Broome, and her country is the Dampier Peninsula. 

As a child she contracted congenital Rubella leaving her with a vision impairment which necessitated her  travelling to Perth for treatment, away from her family and country.   In the 70’s, an ABC Radio program kept Sandy in touch with home, becoming the impetus for her career. 

Despite limited eyesight, Sandy achieved her Advanced Diploma in Broadcast Journalism and in 2022, she celebrated 30+ years in radio, supporting community, and culture. 

Photograph credit:  Goorlarri Media Enterprisesaren 

Associate Professor Lorraine Hammond AM has served the WA community for all her life. As a teacher her moral compass was piqued early when she met adolescents who could not read. This motivated her to dedicate her career to evidence-based reading instruction. 

Awarded a Churchill Fellowship, she travelled overseas which resulted in the sharing of international literacy research knowledge.  Lorraine then provided expert advice to the Federal Government which led to changes to Australian university courses.  Because of her work, the trajectory of many children’s lives have changed.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Rebecca Prince-Ruiz is the founder of a leading global social change movement, Plastic Free July.  From a small grassroots initiative beginning in Perth in 2011, she co-authored the book “Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters” in 2020, which tells how ordinary people made extraordinary changes to create solutions for plastic pollution.

Through the award-winning Plastic Free July challenge, Rebecca has driven public education awareness campaigns, which have influenced hundreds of million participants to take action.

Photographer Trev Hill Photography

Hungarian-born molecular biologist Emeritus Prof. Elizabeth Rakoczy is an internationally recognised scientist. 

She founded the Department of Molecular Ophthalmology at the Lions Eye Institute and  was the first in Australia to apply molecular techniques to investigate eye diseases. Her group developed the gene therapy treatment for wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration, replacing monthly injection treatments. She received the prestigious CSL Florey Medal in 2017 for her achievements. 

Professor Rakoczy is from the generation of women who had to be trailblazers in their scientific field to make it into senior positions.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Highly respected Nurse Practitioner Sue Morey’s career has many firsts including being the first nurse practitioner in respiratory medicine in Australia.

She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences and a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Specialisation (Nurse Practitioner) and has been actively involved in research in her field of respiratory medicine.

In 2004 Sue was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her services to respiratory medicine nursing, and in 2022 Sue was appointed the role of Patron of the Institute of Respiratory Medicine in WA.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Celia Waugh has been involved in the surf lifesaving movement in WA at the highest level for more than 30 years. She was awarded a Life Membership in her local Albany Club, and Surf Lifesaving WA for her years of service and passion for education and training in surf lifesaving. 

Having held numerous positions with the Albany club including president, she has achieved multiple surf lifesaving certificates/awards, and was awarded SLWA Trainer and Assessor of the year. Her current role at the Albany SLSC is mentoring the club’s youth through SLSWA pathways.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Colleen is a pioneer, and a trailblazer for both the sports of Aerobics and Calisthenics. 

As a foundation coach of Calisthenics, she was instrumental in taking WA to the top of the sport in the 1960’s, winning this State the prestigious Ballarat Estedford competition on several occasions.   She later became a WA adjudicator. 

After 10-years with WA Calisthenics, Colleen moved into aerobics becoming one of the original members of the Steering Committee of the Aerobics Institute of WA, developing instructor training programs with the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Carol has had the courage to go where other women had not previously ventured in the male dominated maritime industry.  

She was the first female International Ship Master from WA, working as a Foreign-Going Unlimited Ship Master, Pilot, and Marine Manager. In 2014 she was appointed as a Director of the Board of the Australian Maritime College. 

Captain Dooley has shown that regardless of your orientation, if you set your mind on a goal and work at it steadily, you can make it much further than your wildest dreams

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Emeritus Professor Carolyn Oldham has made sustained contributions to preventing water contamination in Western Australia. Working at the interface between industry and university, Carolyn has specialised in cross-disciplinary research in environmental engineering, collaborating across science, engineering, social sciences, and humanities.

She has also won national awards for her commitment to engineering education and supported students to work on real world problems with government agencies and the not-for-profit sector. For the last 15 years, she has led UWA’s gender equity initiatives.

Photographer Karen Wheatland

Dr. Watson was a voice for the vulnerable.  She was a pioneer of significant reforms to Workers’ Compensation, Occupational Health, and Safety Legislation in the West Australian Parliament prior to her election. She served in the Legislative Assembly for more than a decade.   She held the Ministerial portfolios of Women’s Interests, Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs and Aboriginal Affairs and Seniors Interests. Dr Watson helped establish women’s health, and community projects including Breastscreen (WA), and the Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD). (1940 – 2023) 

Photograph credit: © Western Australian Parliament

Katharine Prichard was one of the most significant Australian novelists of the inter-war period and beyond.

Described in 1928 in an influential British journal as ‘Australia’s greatest living novelist’, Her 13 novels showed the way Australians worked and lived together in the back-blocks of our country.  Katharine was Western Australia’s first major writer, taking WA to world literature.  Over the course of her career, her novels, short stories, and plays won significant awards, and a nomination for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1951.   (1883 – 1969)

Photograph credit: D. Glass, 1949, National Archives of Australia

Mollie Skinner was a woman of independent thought and courage who lived her life dedicated to the service of others.  She was also a WA author best known for the novels “The Boy in the Bush” co-authored with D.H. Lawrence, and “Black Swans”. Her stories were drawn from her time in London training and working as a nurse and later midwife in the hospitals and slums, then, establishing hospitals in WA country towns where she worked as matron, nurse, cleaner and even cook. (1876 – 1955) 

Photograph credit: State Library of Queensland

Dr. Rosemary van den Berg is a Nyoongar/Palyku (East Pilbara) woman. She was one of the most remarkable and accomplished Aboriginal Elders in WA. Devoted to her family as the Matriarch of a large, tight knit family of five generations, Rosemary was the first Nyoongar woman to graduate with a PhD from Curtin University.  

Her PhD thesis broke new ground being the first long-term study to research and record Nyoongar peoples’ views about racism and multiculturalism. Rosemary’s work was published by the prestigious international scholarly Royal Brill Academic Publishers.  (1939 – 2022) 

Photograph courtesy: van den Berg Family Collection