Tributes, Congratulations and Thanks
TRIBUTE TO BARBARA DUDDING
The Melville History Society experiences the great loss of Barbara Dudding which occurred in April 2024. Barbara Dudding has been MHS's President and Acting President for a total of seventeen years. She has been a member since its inception and has served it unstintingly throughout. Her quiet unassuming presence has brought reassurance to our ebbs and flows over our forty years. Always one of the first to be involved in any of our ventures, and more than often one of the last to leave. MHS always relied on her knowledge and memory. She was also an active member of St Christopher's Anglican Church, her local Book club, the Mission to Seamen, her Spinning Group at the Atwell Gallery and of course her great joy was her family and her garden.
TRIBUTE TO JUDY CARTER
Our immediate past president Barbara Dudding kindly provided the following reflection of our long-time member Judy who passed in July 2023. When thinking of Judy the words cool, calm and collected come to mind. "She was reliable, caring, and mindful of the needs of others. A loyal friend who will be sadly missed but remembered with love and affection." Judy joined the Melville History Society in 1991 and became a committee member in 1992. Judy served two terms as treasurer, from 1994 to 2000, and again from 2013 to 2023.
TRIBUTE TO JOAN DONALDSON
In April 2023 we lost life member and past president Joan Donaldson. Joan joined in June 1988, served on the committee and in the role of vice president until she became president from September 2000 to August 2004. Joan had moved to Albany and was visually impaired but still maintained her interest in the Society and enjoyed keeping up to date.
TRIBUTE TO WENDY BIRMAN
Members of the Melville Historical Society were very sad to hear of the passing of Wendy Birman on 23 November 2021. Wendy was elected as the first president of the MHS in September 1983 and served in that role and as vice-president until 1987. Wendy graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1947 and was librarian of the University of Western Australia's Adult Education Board, from 1949-54 and retired from active library work in 1973 to pursue historical research. She worked as a part-time contributor to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, and contributed to numerous academic projects and texts in various areas of WA history. Wendy was appointed to the Library Board of Western Australia in 1982 and continued in that role until 1993. She was named a Fellow of the Library Board in 1994. Wendy was a life member of the MHS and continued to support our Society until her death.
TRIBUTE TO ROBIN REID
Robin Reid was laid to rest in October 2021. Robin was an invaluable foundation member of the society. He was treasurer from 1983 to 1991, secretary from 2001 to 2004, and newsletter editor from 2002 to 2013. Robin set up the Miller Bakehouse Museum and was the museum curator for many years. He labelled most of the exhibits, as well as taking school groups around providing them with quiz sheets and dough making demonstrations. Until he retired to Rockingham, Robin accompanied our carol singing at the Christmas parties. The Melville History Society has been fortunate to learn from his past experiences as Director of the WA Museum and later the Fremantle Museum. Rest in Peace Robin.
TRIBUTE TO ALICE SMITH
Alice Smith, a stalwart member of the Melville History Society, passed away on 29 December 2020 in her 97th year. Alice joined MHS in 1987, served on the committee from 1991 to 1994, and was elected President in August 1996, a position she held until 1999. Alice was also Vice-President from 1999 to 2002. Alice had a long memory of history of the Melville district, and would have heard many stories in her role as an interviewer for the oral history project. She continued her long association with the MHS and rarely missed a meeting or outing. She will be missed.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to MHS's life member, Mardi Quinn OAM, who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the General Division in the Australia Day 2020 Honours list. Congratulations too on her recently published book 'Snapshots'.
FAREWELL
MHS expresses our sincere thanks to Yolanda Cool for all her hard work with the museum and the Society over many years. We have benefited greatly from Yolanda's knowledge, experience and skills, and a renewed vision.
TRIBUTE VI BLEAKLEY
In December 2019, the MHS committee sadly lost Vi Bleakley, a long time Palmyra resident and society member, who died at the age of 100.