Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by the Chair (the Lord Mayor) –

It is resolved that:

(A)       Council note:

(i)         on 27 July 2023, Betty Hounslow sadly passed away;

(ii)        Betty had served on the board of Union Aid Abroad since 2018, as the organisation’s expert appointee advising on development;

(iii)       she made immense contributions to the Union Aid Abroad organisation through a critical and strategic thinking approach to decision-making, policy discussions and programming challenges;

(iv)       Betty was dedicated to the organisation’s values of solidarity, partnership, accountability, movement building, equality and justice;

(v)        during the 1990s, Betty began her career in Australian community development including work in women’s refuges, community legal centres, and as the executive director of the Australian Council Of Social Service for seven years;

(vi)       Betty then moved to international development where she held the position of vice president of the Australian Council For International Development (ACFID) board from 2009 to 2012;

(vii)      before her retirement, Betty held the position of deputy director of the Fred Hollows Foundation;

(viii)    Betty was also known as a fierce advocate for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, including serving on the board of the Asylum Seekers Centre of NSW, and chairing the Board for three years;

(ix)       Betty spent her whole life being an activist for LGBTQI+ rights and is acknowledged as a pioneer for human rights in Australia, including as one of the 78’ers who helped organise the Drop the Charges campaigns after Sydney’s first Mardi Gras, was a member of the Task Group that planned the first Summer Mardi Gras and was a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force which successfully lobbied for the right of overseas partners of Australian citizens to gain permanent residency; and

(x)        she was a lifelong trade unionist and social justice advocate. She was awarded the NSW Justice Medal, and had been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM);

(B)       the Lord Mayor be requested to write to Betty Hounslow’s partner Kate and her family expressing the City’s condolences; and

(C)       all present observe a minute silence to commemorate Betty’s life and dedication to the development of our Australian and international community.

The motion, as varied by consent, was carried unanimously.

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