Alywn Joan Friedersdorff

Awarded for community service, education and training and government

Born: 9 November 1941 – Tapanui, New Zealand

Entered on roll: 2017

“Infectious enthusiasm”

Alwyn Friedersdorff has a ‘can do’ attitude and embraces every opportunity to use and grow her skills to contribute the wellbeing of the Tasmanian community.

Alwyn has been a lifelong learner who originally trained as a primary school teacher. She has a Graduate Certificate in Housing Management and Policy from Swinburne University and a Graduate Certificate in Business from the University of Tasmania.

Creating independent living homes for people with a disability, encouraging women to stand for Council, promoting social inclusion, older people, regional communities, the arts and lifelong learning are just some areas of Alwyn’s significant contributions to the Tasmanian community.

As a Social Trainer with the St Vincent de Paul Society in Wynyard, Alwyn worked with the community to set up and deliver support services to allow people with disability to live independently in a home designed around their needs. The successful implementation of one of the first unique housing options in Tasmania resulted in Alwyn successfully obtaining funding to build and manage a total of fourteen independent living units.

Alwyn was elected to the Waratah-Wynyard Council in 2002 and served as Deputy Mayor from 2011–2014. As an elected member, Alwyn supported local initiatives such as the Men’s Shed, the University of the Third Age and a community art space ArtsCape, and reinvigorated established groups like the Senior Citizens' Club.

Alwyn represents Tasmania on the National Board of the Australian Local Government Women’s Association and was instrumental in the Tasmanian WomenCan campaign, which saw a record number of women elected in the 2014 municipal elections.

Alwyn is currently the President of the National Rural Women’s Coalition, which aims to engage, empower and address issues faced by more than 250,000 women and their communities in rural, regional and remote Australia.

Alwyn is a member and past President of the Council of the Ageing (COTA) Tasmania.

In 2001, Alwyn was awarded the Wynyard Australia Day Citizen of the Year Award and the Centenary Medal.