Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in the Australian Senate tonight to speak about Dr Marita Bardenhagen, a family friend and great Tasmanian who sadly passed away in Launceston this week. Although this is only a brief obituary, I think it is important that her life, research and inspiration are recognised here tonight. Marita tragically died of cancer at the age of 51 on Monday this week and is survived by her four children, Rachael, Jessie, Brigid and David, and her husband, Dr Alex Thompson.

Marita was a widely respected 'social historian' in Tasmania, who leaves a rich legacy of local research and community work. A graduate of the University of Tasmania, she was also president of the Launceston Historical Society and actively contributed research and energy to many important areas of Tasmanian life, such as Tasmanian architecture, bush nursing, immigration, rural youth in Tasmania, early European contact with Tasmanian Aborigines, and rural women's affairs. She both worked for and was actively involved with Tasmanian organisations such as the Heritage Council of Tasmania, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, the National Trust of Australia and the Cultural Heritage Practitioners of Tasmania.

Her doctoral thesis in 2003 was entitled Professional Isolation and Independence of Bush Nurses in Tasmania 1910-1957. She later adapted this work to become curator of the exhibition Ordinary women, extraordinary lives. I would like to read to you words Marita used to explain this successful exhibition:

Women are poorly represented in Australian histories, and those represented are often extraordinary women—the wives of important men, or women of fame and notoriety. Ordinary women are almost always absent from the Australian story. Bush nurses are an example, they achieved so much for their community and for women in general.

Her project and research addressed the optimal status and position of women by working to remove stereotypes and assumptions about women. It reinforced the critical role of women in the development of the Australian bush and for the maintenance of health. It demonstrated vividly that their achievements were great despite significant hardship. Further, it also demonstrated how powerful these ordinary women were as they created significant social change through quiet personal achievement.

Bush nurses were at the forefront of emancipation of women despite their working in isolation. Marita described her travelling exhibition as being significant because 'women's history, particularly rural history, is often invisible'. I certainly hope Marita's important research, and the relevance of its message to our community today, remains visible—as I hope does her legacy.

I would like to finish by highlighting some words submitted by Marita, on behalf of the Launceston Historical Society, to the Launceston mayor and the Tasmanian Ratepayers Association over calls to shut down and silence the town clock atop the Launceston city post office. They are called 'A Plea to Keep the Chimes Ringing'. She wrote:

Dear Mayor Van Zetton and All Aldermen of LCC,—

Launceston City Council—

The sound of the clock has been the source of many recent phone calls to the Launceston Historical Society since it has attracted media attention and now LCC business.

The LHS—

Launceston Historical Society—

would like to register our support for the sound and indeed the historical essence of Launceston to remain intact and continue.

Members, associates, and indeed travellers at the recent … national conference, all commented what a delight it is to hear such a unique sound continue in such a historic regional centre.

The Launceston Post Office is one of the jewels in the crown of Launceston's heritage and indeed it was a sad day when the main Post Office closed after such a long and historical use. For the clock to be silenced or the chimes to be excluded during the night would be to the detriment of a long tradition and indeed landmark sound of Launceston.

Personally, I believe that the Launceston town clock is one of the key features of my home town, ringing all hours of the morning. It is the contributions of individuals such as Marita towards the social capital of a place like Launceston that actually make where we live in our communities unique. We all contribute in our own way and Marita's contributions were quite significant and often went unrewarded, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank Marita for all the work that she did. Marita, I will remember you when the bells chime.