Search on for great women to celebrate

SINCE 2008, the Zonta Club of Ballarat has sought to highlight exceptional women who live in Ballarat or are originally from the city and have made a significant and positive impact on the community.

Currently members of a special committee at the club are accepting nominations for the next round of the Ballarat’s Great Women Honour Roll.

The Roll seeks to highlight women who have made an outstanding contribution to the life of the city.

Great Women committee member Val Sarah said nominees meeting the criteria have been born or educated in Ballarat, or have worked here, and their expertise spans diverse areas of community life.

“Nominees may have achieved in endeavours including health, education, science, engineering, law, finance, business, trade, the arts, sport, or the volunteer sector to name a few,” she said.

“They will be recognised at a celebratory dinner in March 2024.”

Over the last 15 years, the Zonta Club of Ballarat has put the names of 200 women of all ages and backgrounds on the honour roll, some posthumously.

Honourees include fashion icon, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Gold Museum, the late Jessica Simon BEM and her friend Nina Valentine OAM, one of Sovereign Hill’s first board members, and the first-ever female president of the Queen Elizabeth Centre.

LOUD Fence founder Maureen Hatcher, dementia advocate Anne Tudor OAM, Cricket Without Boundaries founder Natarsha Williams, and compassion advocate Dr Lynne Reeder are the most recent inductees.

Contact [email protected] for more information.