Fifty years after the first conference of the Isolated Children's Parents' Association's first conference, parents and supporters of geographically isolated students have reaffirmed their desire to see equality in education opportunities.
Around 200 people gathered at Blackall, the location of the first ICPA conference in Australia, when 21 delegates and 29 observers met in the small CWA Hall in the town to debate concerns in 1972.
As founding member and branch life member Jan Gall said, many in the branch and across the state have given so much to lay the strong foundations the rural education lobby group rests on today.
"This branch did much of the heavy lifting in the 1970s," she said, recognising the work of Daphne Rich, Meg Mackenzie, John Parkinson, Annette Banks, Eunice Lloyd, Alison Ovenden, and Jan Mitchelhill, among others.
"ICPA still has many challenges to overcome," she noted, as evidenced by the almost 80 motions debated.
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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.
