Seeing people in difficult circumstances and wanting to do something about it sent Daphne Rich on a lifetime of service for rural people, which has been recognised with an Order of Australia Medal in the 2020 Queen's Birthday honours.
Mrs Rich, from Blackall, is known throughout rural Australia for her steadfast dedication to families struggling to educate children under the constraints of distance and limited resources.
She was one of those who put their hand up to found the Isolated Children's Parents' Association at a time of great need in the early 1970s and undertook various executive roles with Blackall, Queensland and federal ICPA over a period from 1971 to 1988.
Most of this was at a time when communication was undertaken by writing letters and waiting for a twice-weekly mail service, and over a shared party line telephone.
She researched a number of issues to present cases for improved assistance, including to the national inquiry into the pre-schooling of children in Australia, and to Senate standing committees on Education, Science and the Arts.
Not a lot of information had been collected that gave a clear picture of the situation isolated families were struggling with before that, so it was essential work for the new organisation to establish.
As a result, national assistance for isolated children boarding allowances were implemented, along with initiatives that offset huge travel costs.
Mrs Rich also compiled a submission on the topic of the remote area travel allowance, and put forward an argument to the Longreach Pastoral College board to allow female students to attend the college in 1977, many years before they agreed to admit them.
Mrs Rich was Queensland ICPA's inaugural life member and also holds life membership of the Blackall branch, and current state president Tammie Irons said she had committed an extraordinary amount of time as a volunteer to give rural families what they enjoy today.
"It's an absolute honour from the point of view of all ICPA members so see this tremendous work recognised," she said.
Mrs Rich has also been recognised for her years of work in Blackall's family and aged care sectors, as the inaugural secretary of the Barcoo Home and Community Care committee, for the Blackall Retirement Village committee, and for the Barcoo Living aged care body, and has twice been Blackall's Citizen of the Year, in 1994 and 2018.
"I kept finding so much that people needed," Mrs Rich, now 84, said.
"I'm very grateful to be remembered this way; we just did what we did because there were a lot of people in very bad circumstances.
"We just tried to be sensible with politicians, to have all the information we needed for our arguments, and worked with a lot of groups that could help us."
Some 933 Australians have received 2020 Queen's Birthday honours.
Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
