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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