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Edna (Joan) Grant

Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women logo
Joan Grant

Awarded for community service, education and training

Born: 9 July 1932 - Hobart, Tasmania

Died: 24 September 2005 - Launceston, Tasmania

Entered on roll: 2017


 

“A selfless volunteer who treasured great memories”

Teacher and volunteer, Edna ‘Joan’ Grant had a saying “Don’t regret what you haven’t seen – simply treasure and marvel at the memories you have”.

Born Edna Joan Bannister, Joan built a life of great memories through family, community, volunteering, treaching, travel and adventures.

Joan, who was raised at Osterley, moved to Launceston in 1951, trained as a teacher and married Wallace Grant in 1954. They had six children.

In 1977, Joan completed a Graduate Diploma of Special Education, later securing a full-time position at Queechy High School Launceston where she was later appointed Senior Master, Special Education.

As well as teaching, Joan served as a volunteer giving many decades of service. Joan’s volunteer activities included Leader of the Red Cross Youth and member of St John Ambulance for over 15 years. Joan was a long service member of the 8th Launceston Girl Guide Parent Association from 1968 and the 4th Launceston Scout Group from 1966. In recognition of her outstanding service to scouting Joan was awarded the Silver Wattle in 2001.

Joan participated in many volunteer roles at several Anglican Churches including St James, Franklin Village and St Mark on the Hill. When the Anglican Diocese of Tasmania threatened to close St James Church in 1997, Joan instigated a campaign against the deconsecrating of the church with an 1844 foundation stone. The decision to close the church was overturned in 1999.

Following her ‘retirement’ in 1995, Joan joined Volunteers for Isolated Students Education (VISE) and taught children on outback stations in Queensland and the Northern Territory during her more than ten forays into her much loved outback. These were great adventures for a woman in her 70s, with experiences such as mustering cattle in helicopters and riding for 13-hours in a cattle truck to Cape York.

Joan was a Senior Australian of the Year (Tasmania) finalist in 2002 and was posthumously awarded Launceston City Council’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Community, Health and Education in 2006.

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