Rosemary Nugent appeared in the Queen's Birthday Honours list this week with a small mention about being a former Trinity College teacher.

Des Ryan is one of our longest serving current staff members and even he had trouble placing Rosemary and suggested we head to the archives.

In a more modern twist we went online and searched for Rosemary. One of the many clubs she is part of in Geelong was kind enough to provide an email address and pretty quickly we had made contact.

Rosemary was kind enough to answer a few questions about her award for services to South Western Victorian Communities and Timor-Leste, her connections to Trinity, and about her career:

How did you feel about receiving the OAM?

It is a great honour to receive the award of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), though surprising! However, with all of the groups and organisations I have worked with, it has always been a team effort.

What did you teach here and how did you end up here at Trinity?

In 1983 I taught English, History and Geography at Trinity College. I had been overseas for two years and saw the position advertised when I returned. At first I travelled from Geelong, then I moved to a cottage in Irrewillipe.

What stands out to you from your year at Trinity?

Like most country towns, I found the students and Trinity community to be friendly and welcoming.

What other teaching posts did you have before and after?

My first teaching post before going overseas was at Marian College in Ararat, another friendly community.

After Trinity, I returned to my home town of Geelong where I taught at Clonard College for eleven years.

You worked with another former Trinity teacher in a completely different field. Tell us about that.

When I took long service leave I ran into Gavan O’Connor with whom I had taught at Trinity. Gavan came from a dairy farm at Warrion, near Colac, and was elected as the Federal Member for Corio in 1993. He had a vacancy in his Geelong office and so I became an Electorate Officer – that was the end of my teaching career! I still catch up with Gavan from time to time.

How did your interest in Timor develop and what involvement have you had there?

I have had a long involvement with our friends in the neighbouring nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor) as I was concerned about the great hardship they had suffered under the Indonesian occupation. After the celebration of independence in 2002, the East Timorese have been reconstructing their country. Since 2001 I have been involved with the Geelong Friends of Viqueque and then the Geelong Friendship Schools, who have been instrumental in developing and maintaining friendships and assisting in a variety of ways, particularly in the areas of health and education. I visited Timor-Leste in 2011, and then in 2019 was lucky enough to be part of a Study Tour led by Kirsty Sword-Gusmão, the First Lady of Timor-Leste.

Your OAM includes services to the community. What groups have you been involved with?

For a long time I have been very concerned about the plight of people who have been persecuted and displaced, but have not been welcomed by our country. I have been involved with advocacy groups GRAIN (Geelong Refugee Action and Information Network), RAR (Rural Australians for Refugees) and CRAG (Combined Refugee Action Group).

In 2009 I spearheaded a group of Geelong West residents who held a public meeting to form the Geelong West Neighbourhood House. For many years the activities and events were run by volunteers in a variety of locations until eventually we found a permanent home and were able to employ a co-ordinator. I am proud of this achievement as GWNH connects many people and helps to strengthen our community.

I am passionate about the environment and its sustainability. People are belatedly taking measures to curb the climate emergency that is threatening our fragile planet. We must all do our bit to lead sustainable lives and embrace a circular economy, even if it is in small ways. I have learnt a lot by being involved with Geelong Organic Gardeners, Geelong Sustainability, Geelong West Community Garden, Ashby Community Garden and Transition Streets.

Women in Local Democracy (WILD) has been active in Geelong for eleven years, and I have been pleased to be part of this movement for gender parity. WILD is guided by the three principles of the Victorian Local Government Women’s Charter – gender equity, diversity and active citizenship. WILD has worked with many organisations to promote women’s elected representation in local government, and particularly encourages interested women from diverse backgrounds to put up their hands to be candidates in the council elections in 2024.

It has also been rewarding to be part of the Humans in Geelong team who publish stories of the many inspiring people in our community who are helping and motivating others in a myriad of ways. Also, I am a member of Geelong ABC Friends as I believe a strong national broadcaster is extremely important.

A recent initiative I was involved with in Geelong West is the formation of Sing Out Geelong for those who enjoy singing. It is an affordable activity for people wanting to sing a variety of songs in a fun and informal way.

We congratulate Rosemary on her award and thank her for being so generous in responding to our inquiries.

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