By Ewen McRae
A project aimed at celebrating the great achievements of Melton women is looking for help.
Women Paving the Way project, a partnership between the Women Making It Happen group and Djerriwarrh Health Services, honours notable women from the Melton region from throughout history.
The groups hope that the project will lead to many conversations about Melton women.
A Women Making It Happen spokesperson said the project had a proposal before Melton council to have engraved pavers installed at a central Melton location to highlight the achievements of these prominent women.
“We formed a working group at the start of last year and we came up with an idea to set in stone the past and present influential women of the Melton municipality,” the spokesperson said.
“We want to pave the way for future generations and start conversations about the significance that women have had previously and continue to have in the community.
“It’s all about promoting the women of Melton more.”
Criteria for inclusion in the project include being a trailblazer, a significant contribution to industry and/or the Melton municipality and participation in non-traditional roles.
Among the first 12 shortlisted candidates for the project are Joan Richmond (racing car driver), Moriah and Nora Smith (started Melton’s Red Cross), Lydia Lassila (winter Olympian), and Irene Richards (first woman elected to council).
The group is seeking community help to fill in knowledge gaps about local women’s achievements, with many of the highlights modestly noted throughout history.
“For the women that are no longer with us, we would like to get in touch with their families to find out more information about them,”
the spokesperson said. “We want to spread the word in the community, because we think it will be a really great talking point.”
The groups are inviting residents and relatives to share information about any of the women included in the project.
Email: healthpromotion@djhs.org.au.
