Gary Gray (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Resources) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak today in eulogy of Betty Beazley. Betty was born on 21 March 1921 in Fremantle, Western Australia, married in February of 1948 at Christ Church, Claremont, Western Australia, and died in September of last year, at Nedlands. Betty Judge, wife of Kim Edward Beazley, mother of Kim Christian Beazley was a great Australian woman.

Betty Judge was born in East Fremantle, a community not free from the Great Depression until well after the Second World War. She was the daughter of a World War One widow, Vera Judge. Like thousands of Western Australian women, Vera lost her husband, Tom, whose service in Egypt with the 10th Light Horse left him so ill that, following his repatriation to Perth, he died, leaving Vera and her daughter, Betty, alone. Betty was then aged 12 months. Vera and Betty were sustained by a war pension, the Legacy organisation and a strong family. Betty's cousin Morris was like a brother to her. But, as for nearly half of the airmen who flew over Europe in the Second World War, he and his flight crew were killed on a mission over France. Having been so affected by war loss, throughout her adult years Betty spent Anzac Day in reflective solitude while her husband attended to the noisy public honouring required of a member of federal parliament.

Betty was an athlete. She won a scholarship to Perth Modern School, where she later became the youngest sports mistress and, with the help of Legacy, became the first woman in Western Australia to get a Diploma in Physical Education. Betty intended to teach and she won a scholarship for a diploma at Melbourne University.

Betty's relationship with Kim started when he was teaching at Midland School and she was studying at the University of Western Australia. It was a relationship based on a shared view of the world. Kim remarked in his autobiography that Betty 'always wanted to work for the underdog, and that seemed to fit in well with the Labor Party'.

Strong Christian values characterised her world view. Her life was celebrated in September last year in the church where she married. The Beazley grandchildren all knew the towering contribution to public life of both Kims; however, humility, modesty and self-awareness meant nanna's story remained unknown until she opened up to her grandchildren quite late in life. Hannah remembered her dad mentioning that nanna was a great runner. So she and Jessica grilled her on her athletic career. Hannah remembers sitting enthralled as Betty finally told them about her athletic life. Betty began competing in 1939 in a wide variety of events, including sprints and hurdles, but she excelled in the 440-yard and 880-yard events. On 2 March 1940 the Perth Sunday Times reported, 'Betty judge breaks world record', stating, 'the most outstanding performance of the day was that of Betty Judge, who followed up her record-breaking 440 yards last week by winning the Women's 880 Yards State Championship in 2 minutes 24.7 seconds, which broke the State record by 3.8 seconds, the Australian record by a half a second and the world record by a ninth of a second'. The paper reported, 'This excellent performance must place Miss Judge amongst the world's best women distance runners.' On 15 February 1941 the Mirror reported, 'World record time: Betty Judge's fast 300', declaring, 'World's record for women's 300 yards race was bettered today at Leederville Oval when Betty Judge covered the distance in 39.8 seconds.' Again, on 8 February 1947 the Perth Daily News reported, 'Girl beats own 880 record … Miss Betty Judge brilliantly lowered by half a second her own state and Australian 880 yards record at today's athletics at Leederville Oval.' Competing during wartime entailed haphazard training and irregular competition. Add the years in Melbourne at university, and her achievements were extraordinary for a woman of her generation.

Hannah remembers her grandmother speaking with pride of coaching Shirley Strickland, who went on to set world records and win seven Olympic medals. Betty took as much joy in Shirley's achievements as she did in her own. Betty looked after her family as a single parent, said her son Kim, while having the multiple tasks of looking out for her husband's back in the electorate, the party, and, more generally, in the pursuit of his political aspirations.

Kim remembered Betty's protective instinct and generosity of love. There was always room at the Beazley table for one more. She would give comfort and hospitality to students of the Colombo Plan, young waifs, Aboriginal people, those in need of love and a good meal.

One of the earliest memories of Kim Jr was of his mother's work in Fremantle Labor Women. He was frequently called upon to pick up Elsie Curtin from her residence in Cottesloe as his mother assembled branch members for regular meetings. Later, Betty was a powerhouse of Cottesloe Labor as membership officer. She thought nothing of doorknocking in that wealthy district. She believed that behind every door in Cottesloe was a family aching to join Labor. She doorknocked the very same streets that John Curtin had walked.

Betty's energy was boundless. She would literally run errands. Kim Sr would implore, 'Stop running, Betty, for goodness sake!' Betty could run like the wind. We learned at the celebration of her life in September that she would not walk, even around her home—she ran. Kim Jr told us how as a girl Betty would run from her home in East Fremantle to Cottesloe, saving the train fair for pocket money.

The 1940s, fifties and sixties were turbulent years for Labor and the Beazleys. Labor before Whitlam was not for the fainthearted, and life as a mother in the family of a federal MP was demanding. MPs' travel rights were restricted to two monthly return trips from Canberra. In 1950 a flight to Canberra took two days on a DC-3. Although travel was limited, Betty did manage to get to Canberra to enjoy dancing at the 50th Anniversary of the Commonwealth of Australia Ball in Kings Hall, Parliament House in 1951. Chifley was absent and, as the clock neared midnight, Prime Minister Menzies strode to the rostrum, called for silence and announced that Ben Chifley, the former Prime Minister, had died of a heart attack.

By then life in federal parliament had become more bitter and personal, causing Betty and Kim Sr to question the value of parliamentary life. Betty would listen to parliamentary broadcasts, offering critical analysis of her husband's speeches, cautioning him against political bitterness.

Not long after the family was formed, Betty featured in the newspapers with the headline 'Polio victim had met Queen'. The Hobart Mercury reported on 2 March 1954: 'Mrs Betty Beazley, wife of Kim Beazley MHR, contracted polio on February 20. She is now in isolation at her home in Claremont … her condition is said to be improving. Her son, who had been stricken with polio earlier, is now at home also. Mrs Beazley had shaken hands with the Queen at the opening of the federal parliament on February 15.' We can only imagine the concern that this caused Buckingham Palace. The family received a long and thoughtful letter from Sir Donald Bradman offering advice and lessons from him and Lady Bradman, who had also nursed a polio-stricken son. Kim Sr was in Canberra for much of Kim Jr's battle with polio. After Kim's polio, Merrilyn, who was six, contracted double pneumonia. Betty had her hands full.

But Kim junior recalled his mother as never frivolous—always serious and with good humour. Guests in her home felt that they were part of her family. She was also proud of her children—of their academic prowess and their strength. David needed a protective mother, and she supported him as he passed the Postmaster-General's entrance exam. This was the life of a girl whose world view was shaped by the Great Depression and of a woman shaped by World War II. Betty did belong to a great Australian generation. This was a proud Australian woman with high standards, accepting people for themselves. 'Wear life like a loose robe,' she said, and she did.

The grandchildren reported that Nanna's presence always made life better—sunnier, healthier, happier and stronger—while Pop, Kim Sr, tried to improve their minds. Anton said Betty loved, nurtured and restored them. Strong Christian values characterised her world view. Betty enjoyed the beach, Tai Chi, afternoon tea with grandchildren and family meals. Her patience knew no bounds. She understood the joy of life, love, children, kindness and the moral responsibility to make the world a better place.

Betty died in peace and requested happiness and humour at the celebration of her life, which was held in the church where she had married, a perfect cycle of life embodying lived values. At that celebration son Kim thanked the staff at Riversea nursing home. It was not a formality; it was what Betty would have expected. Kim was brought up properly and he knew to thank those whose care had helped his mother through her most frail years. Kim talked to Betty on most days following her arrival at Riversea. She had cared for others most of her life and now she was in care.

Kim remembered Betty as a woman of humour with a sunny disposition—loving, outgoing, effervescent, gregarious, enjoying life and people, never frivolous. Kim reflected that Betty's life was not passive. It was a constant tending. Betty was a giver and a gracious receiver of love. Granddaughter Hannah gave loving tribute to Betty's kindness and life-affirming positivity. Simply and powerfully, she was a pure soul, dispensing joy and friendship in equal measure. Love held together Betty's family. Hannah said: 'Our nanna's joy of life, despite many hardships, was remarkable. She drew great happiness from the lives of her children, her grandchildren and, later, her great-grandchildren Tom, Jacob, Liam, David and Aurelia.' 'It is a sadness of mine,' said Hannah, 'that she will not be here to meet my baby, currently kicking away inside of me, but I know she will bless this bub from heaven.' 'In this world,' said Hannah, 'kindness is so under-rated, but, in nanna's world, kindness was everything. She was kind to every person, every living creature. She was kind to the very end, and her faithful life was rewarded with a peaceful death.'