The Ipswich Women’s Development Network Inc was established in 2005, the centenary of women’s suffrage in Queensland. We came together with the purpose of supporting Ipswich women and promoting their achievements. Our primary fundraising goal is the perpetuation of the Heather Bonner Memorial Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship for a local woman to study at the University of Queensland Ipswich Campu
s and our 6th scholar was just recently announced. The scholarship was possible through the generous support of the Ipswich community at our inaugural dinner held in 2005 at which Associate Professor Heather Beattie was guest speaker and later that year we were fortunate enough to have Betty Churcher officially open the Centenary of Suffrage Art Exhibition at the Ipswich Art Gallery. We have since had some wonderful and inspiring guest speakers including Justice Margaret White, Julian Burnside and Kate Durham, author and Art Gallery director Nadine Abensur, Dimity Dornan, Camilla Cowley, Archibald Prize winning artist Davida Allen and this year’s speaker and renowned feminist, Dale Spender. We believe very strongly that women share a magnificent spirit and that if we don’t do it ourselves, no-one else will write the history of women’s contribution to the building of this community. In working together, we believe we have captured a spirit and dynamism that women share but which is rarely acknowledged in the broader community. We have already managed to spread a strong, modern, feminist message widely in our community and we believe that to some extent, the idea of women from different ages and backgrounds coming together to stake their place is an idea thats time has come. Ipswich is a community which is currently growing strongly but which, unlike others, has never lost its socio-economic diversity and its strong sense of community. We consider it part of our mission to influence the city’s process of change so that arts and education for women play a key role in the city’s revival. Annual Membership is $20 - please contact the Secretariat if you would like to join us at [email protected]
