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Kathy Bright

Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women logo
Kathy Bright

Awarded for service to the Community

Born: 1941

Entered on roll: 2005


Kathy Bright was born in Derby, United Kingdom, and was educated at the Joseph Wright Art School. She married in 1963 and had three daughters.

Kathy trained as a nurse at the Nottingham General Hospital before migrating to Australia with her husband in 1964. Her husband was a Minister in the Uniting Church and she assisted him in church administration and activities in his postings in Victoria and later at Derby, Deloraine and Somerset in Tasmania.

After arriving in Derby in 1968, Kathy was instrumental in establishing a mobile kindergarten. She also provided Red Cross nursing services and taught first aid. While living in Deloraine, she was the caretaker of the local pool, a kindergarten aide and taught Sunday school. In 1974, the family moved to Somerset and Kathy became a youth group leader as well as continuing as a kindergarten aide.

Kathy became involved with Lifeline Australia in 1974, working for many years as a trainer of telephone and face-to-face counsellors. After her appointment as Director of Lifeline Northwest (1978-83), Kathy was responsible for the development and presentation of training courses and manuals, funding submissions and fundraising efforts.

From 1984 until 2003, Kathy was the Service Coordinator at the Warrawee Women’s Shelter in Ulverstone. In 1990, while a project officer on a Youth at Risk pilot, Kathy made a significant contribution to the establishment of the North West Sexual Assault Service. She has also been the longest serving member of the Women’s Emergency Service Program (1988-2001), a member of the Management Committee of the Burnie Youth Accommodation Service (1991-93) and served on two Ministerial advisory committees for domestic violence and sexual assault.

Kathy worked tirelessly in the community services sector to develop and support services for women and youth. A tragic event took place at Warawee in 2001, and as the worker on duty, Kathy’s actions were exemplary. She gave personal support to the other clients and assisted police and paramedics. In 2003, Warawee paid tribute to Kathy’s 19 years of dedicated service to women and children who are homeless or in crisis, citing her ‘outstanding, highly respected and valued’ contribution.

Kathy is currently working part time as a support officer at Burnie’s Oakleigh House, an emergency accommodation facility providing shelter for homeless people.

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