Media release
From the Premier of Victoria
Friday, 8 March 2002
GUARDIAN ANGEL OF HOUSING ESTATE IS SENIOR OF THE YEAR
Visiting sick neighbours in hospital, cleaning flats, shifting furniture or returning a stray supermarket trolley are all in a day’s work for the 2002 Victorian Senior of the Year.
The Premier, Steve Bracks, today presented the Premier’s Award for the Victorian Senior of the Year to 71-year-old Joan Maxwell.
He said Mrs Maxwell had worked tirelessly to make South Melbourne’s Emerald Hill Court Public Housing Estate a better place to live.
Mr Bracks and Senior Victorians Minister, Christine Campbell, also presented certificates to six senior Victorians from across the State.
Mr Bracks said Mrs Maxwell’s efforts had helped unite the housing estate community.
“Joan is a very modest and unassuming winner but her achievements deserve to be applauded by all Victorians,” Mr Bracks said. “She has gone to great lengths to help others – on any day you can find Joan helping a new tenant find furniture, or taking a former tenant to visit on the estate.
“The Victorian Senior of the Year Award celebrates older people who have made a special contribution to their community and Joan’s work on the Emerald Hill Estate has been an inspiration to others.”
Mrs Maxwell has lived in the high-rise estate since 1962 and is a long-term member of the Emerald Hill Court Estate Residents Association.
She also staffs the Association’s office on the estate where she provides advice, support and help for all kinds of problems.
Ms Campbell said Mrs Maxwell helps tenants in any way she can - whether it’s delivering mail, assisting them to pay bills or running errands.
“If a tenant is ill in hospital, Mrs Maxwell will clean their flat, collect their mail, ensure their bills are paid and visit them in hospital,” she said.
Mrs Maxwell is also a member of the local St Luke’s Anglican Church and spends two-nights a week packing left-over bread from a local bakery for the homeless in St Kilda.
The awards, conducted jointly by the Victorian Government and the Council of the Ageing (COTA), are part of the Victorian Seniors Festival 2002, which runs from March 9 – 22.
Program booklets for the Festival can be obtained from Coles Supermarkets or by ringing Information Victoria on 1800 136 762.
A list of Senior Achievers is attached.
1) Ernest Bolger, 74 – Nelson
Caring for the Nelsons Reserves is the focus of Mr Bolger’s volunteer work. He has been a member of the Nelsons Reserves Management Committee since 1992 and has held various positions including president and secretary. Each year, Mr Bolger spends more than 500 hours caring and maintaining the reserves. His work has helped restore 132 boatsheds, build new boat landings, a disabled toilet and a visitor information centre.
2) Niel Ross, 91 – Dandenong
Saving the lives of frail people who collapse in toilets and are trapped by inward opening doors has been a personal goal for Niel Ross. He developed the “Ross Safety Door” System in 1984 to enable doors to be opened outward in emergencies. The low-cost Ross Safety Door can be easily installed with a simple kit. The former president of Mansfield Shire is also a member of the Dandenong Probus Club and the Dandenong Recreation Bowling Club.
3) Sutdhisacd Sacdpraseuth, 65 – Werribee
A commitment to making a difference in the Australian-Laotian community has been a passion for Mr Sacdpraseuth since arriving in Australia in 1980. The former tram driver is a member of the Lao Elderly Association, Lao Australian Society and Lao Welfare Association. His volunteer work in the Lao community has included providing transport to older people, fundraising and visiting frail, older people in their homes.
4) Mary Ellen Saunders, 91 – Glen Iris
A gift for craftwork has allowed Ms Saunders to help her community. The 91-year-old can turn ice-cream containers into toy furniture and material scraps into children’s toys. The great-grandmother has used her talent to raise funds for many organisations including the Country Women’s Association, War Widows, Oakleigh Centre for the Intellectually Handicapped Citizens and Burwood Drop-In Centre.
5) Pamela Wise, 70 - Sale
Helping people in need has been the guiding principle of Pamela Wise’s volunteer work over the past 25 years. The mother-of-four is a founding member of the Community Aid Volunteers Association, which was formed in 1977 and is now called the Community Volunteer Program of the Central Gippsland Health Service. The program recruits volunteers to support a large number of community programs. Ms Wise has volunteered for a huge variety of programs including organising community visits to the elderly and working as the coordinator of Friendship House, which provided accommodation for relatives of prisoners in Fulham Correction Centre.
6) Mick Woiwood, 72 – Bend of Islands
Mick Woiwood has been committed to forging a strong and positive relationship with the local Aboriginal population. He is a founding member of the Nillumbik Reconciliation Group, which leads the local reconciliation movement. The committee also celebrates indigenous events and holds regular forums and meetings. Mr Woiwood has also published an historical novel on the Aboriginal People of the Yarra Valley.
Media contact: Jane Wilson on 0407 831456