Each year the Women's Electoral Lobby celebrates the life and work of Edna Ryan (pictured left) through the presentation of the "Ednas". These awards are designed to support the interests that Edna championed, and to proclaim the fun and humour that she enjoyed.

When Edna died in 1997 at the age of 92, Edna Ryan left a rich legacy. She balanced her advocacy with friendship (mothering more than her own three children), a sense of fun (creating potholders with political slogans) and a love of theatre. She passionately wanted to make the world better for all, and especially for working women.

The Edna Awards (inaugurated in 1998) have two aims: to provide the opportunity to nominate those who we feel should be acknowledged, as well an occasion to come together to celebrate what we do. The Awards honour Edna's life and work, allowing us to acknowledge the contributions others are making in the areas she cared about - areas which will miss the attention she gave.

The Ednas are a way of publicising some of our achievements, and to encourage all of us (as Edna did) to keep contributing, to keep on making a feminist difference.

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR AWARDS

If you are planning on nominating someone you admire, the Selection criteria is:

The EDNAs are not awards for long service, or only for those who are well-known.  Nor are they simply a recognition of women who are successful in their own field.

In considering the nominations, an independent panel will seek specific evidence of the nominee's achievements or actions which have -

(1) fostered or offered opportunities for women to clarify and/or fulfil their goals, or

(2) raised or discussed in the public arena issues and perspectives of particular interest to women, which are ofen otherwise marginalised or denigrated.

Nominees must be comfortable with being called feminist, and must live and work in NSW or the ACT.  These are the places where Edna lived and worked, and the georgraphic limits help to avoid potential difficulties in managing the review process.  As well, we hope it will allow many women to join us on the night.

EDNA RYAN AWARD RECIPIENTS 

Below is a list of award recipients from each year. Follow the links to read extracts of the nomination, or click here for a composite list of award recipients. The full nominations are deposited with the NSW State Library and made available to the public.

If you would like to obtain a DVD of any of the EDNAs presentations (captured by Jan Wood of Woodland Productions), please contact the WEL office on 9212.4374

2010 EDNA RYAN AWARDS (photos will be forthcoming)

The 2010 Edna Ryan Awards were announced to a lively crowd on Friday 14th May 2010 at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts.

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM: Susan Smith, Sue Salthouse, Ludo Mc Ferran, Maggy Farago

MEDIA/COMMUNICATION: Nina Funnell

MENTORING: Frances Plummer, Mary Dimech (posthumously)

ART: Shokufeh Kavani

WORKPLACE: Debbie Carstens, Jennifer Dalitz

BATTLING: Kat Armstrong

EDUCATION: Dawn Atkinson, Jane Pollard

SPECIAL COMMUNITY AWARD: Joint award to Rosa Campbell and Gabe Kavanagh

2009 EDNA RYAN AWARDS

The 2009 Edna Ryan awards were held on Friday 8 May 2009 to a packed and enthusiastic auditorium at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts.

MEDIA/COMMUNICATIONS:  Ruth Pollard (photo), Jane Caro (photo)

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM:  Patricia Griffin (photo)

BATTLING:  Charmaigne Weldon (photo)

WORKFORCE:  Julie Bates (photo)

EDUCATION:  Edith Weisberg (photo)

THE GRAND STIRRER:  Rhonda Wilson (photo)

2008 EDNA RYAN AWARDS

The 2008 Edna Ryan awards were held on Friday 9 May 2008.

MENTORING:  Dori Wisniewski (photo ), Suna Er (photo ), Sandra D'Souza (photo )

EDUCATION:  Jude Irwin (photo ), Lesley Laing (photo )

WORKFORCE:  Jo Kowalczyk (photo )

MEDIA/COMMUNICATION:  Julie James Bailey

GOVERNMENT:  Liz Barlow (photo )

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM:  Matina Mottee (photo ), Elaine Odgers Norling (photo ), Christine Sinclair , Beth Eldridge (photo ), Tess Brill (photo)

THE GRAND STIRRER:  Karen Lee Willis (photo )

2007 EDNA RYAN AWARDS


The 2007 Edna Ryan awards were held on Friday 11 May 2007. See also WEL-Informed May 2007, Issue 372

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM: Marie Muir , Rosemary Kariuki , Libby Silva , Kellie Tranter and Denele Crozier

MENTORING: Julie Velthuys accepted posthumously by her daughter Jodie

EDUCATION: Ellie Ellis and Rosalind Helyard

BATTLING: Muyesser Durer

MEDIA/COMMUNICATION: Emily Maguire and Spiderlily Redgold

Our thanks to the following who donated prizes for us to raffle: Riverside Theatres, Darlinghurst Theatre, Griffin Theatre, Emsemble Theatre, Brandel & Schlesinger (publishers), Vicki Potempa and Joan Bielski. Their help is greatly appreciated.

2006 EDNA RYAN AWARDS

The 2006 Edna Ryan awards were held on Friday 12 May 2006.

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM - Joy Goodsell, Priscilla Lumsden, Jane Corpuz-Brock, Betty Green, Helen Westwood

WORKFORCE - Jude Stoddart, Rosemary Richards

GOVERNMENT - Anne Field, Marie Coleman, Lyn Allison, Judith Troeth, Claire Moore

MEDIA/COMMUNICATION - Adele Horin, Carmel Nola, Catherine Fox

ARTS - Liz Ashburn

EDUCATION - Dorothy Hoddinott, Daphne Baxter

MENTORING - Victoria Abigail, Dixie Link-Gordon

THE GRAND STIRRER - Tegan Wagner

 

2005 EDNA RYAN AWARDS

The 2005 Edna Ryan awards were held on Friday 13 May 2005.

SPECIAL AWARD - Julie Freebury, Margaret Kirkby, and Stefania Siedlecky

COMMUNITY ACTIVISM - Dorothy Cora, Alva Geikie, Josephine Conway, Nola Cooper, and Trude Kallir

MEDIA - Helen Campbell

BATTLING - Anne-Mason Furnage

GOVERNMENT - Bronwyn Moye

WORKFORCE - Merilyn Childs

MENTORING - Jacqui Smith and Margaret Alston

The GRAND STIRRER - Gerri Greenfield