Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay tribute to a pioneer of family and domestic violence services in our state and a truly great South Australian, Helen Oxenham, who passed away in July. Helen was of a generation of women who built on the progress of early feminists by working tirelessly to improve women's lives. Helen grew up in a violent household in Ireland and later in Adelaide, and, for her, this meant supporting those who had experienced violence in the home. Her early experiences shaped her work and drove her dedication to a life advocating for and supporting victims and survivors.

In the early 1970s, in the back room of her shop in Christies Beach, Helen created an informal safe space for women with nowhere else to go. In 1977 she joined with a group of dedicated local women to establish South Australia's first official shelter for women experiencing violence. Helen Oxenham later founded Spirit of Woman, an organisation which aims to change the way we talk about family and domestic violence by creating public memorials to facilitate greater awareness to honour those lost. Her daughter, Heather, continues this important work.

For her lifetime of advocacy, Helen was rightly honoured in 2020 with a Medal of the Order of Australia. May her memory steel our collective resolve to eliminate domestic and family violence. Helen Oxenham was a South Australian of whom we can be truly proud, and I express my sympathy to her family and friends.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 2 pm, we'll move to question time.