Edna Ryan Awards Last updated February 19, 2025 Awards for women in NSW or ACT
Edna Ryan Awards Awarded for Making a feminist difference to women in NSW and ACT , Australia. Venue Sydney Trades Hall First award 1998 Final award 2023
The Edna Ryan Awards , also referred to as simply "The EDNAs", were Australian awards established to recognise women who have "made a feminist difference" in New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory . They are named for activist Edna Ryan , after her death in 1998. The last awards were given in 2023, with awards being discontinued in 2024.
History The inaugural Edna Ryan Awards were held in 1998, the year following the death of their namesake Edna Ryan . Ryan was a life-long feminist, labour movement activist, and mentor and role model for a whole generation of women. [ 1] The awards were created to honour her life and work by a group of her friends, particularly Eva Cox and other members of the Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL). [ 2]
Ryan had been closely involved with WEL, particularly the Women in the Workforce group which she convened. [ 3] WEL hosted and administered the EDNAs from 1998 to 2010, but from 2012 they were administered by The Edna Ryan Awards Committee and hosted by the Australian Services Union (ASU). In 2020 the Older Women's Network (OWN) NSW took over hosting the awards. [ 4] [ 2]
Since their inception the awards have recognised many high-profile Australian women for their feminist activity, including Eva Cox , Meredith Burgmann , Susan Ryan , Anne Summers , Wendy McCarthy , Jane Caro , and Sally McManus . Many of the recipients have been tireless advocates for women's rights who worked as community activists over a long period with very little other reward or recognition. [ 5] [ 6]
In 2024, following the deaths of both of Edna's daughters, the decision was taken to discontinue these awards. [ 7]
Eligibility and description Nominees for the awards must be comfortable identifying as a feminist and must live or work in NSW or the ACT as Ryan did during her lifetime. A panel reviews all nominations and the awards are presented on an annual basis at an evening social event. [ 8]
The award categories can vary but in later years there were awards in many fields, including workforce, government, arts, community activism, media/communications, leadership, mentoring, sport, and education. [ 9]
The awards are not intended as simply recognition of women who are successful in their own field, but require evidence that their achievements or actions have made a feminist difference by improving the lives and status of women within the community. The "Grand Stirrer Award" is for inciting others to challenge the status quo.[ citation needed ]
Grand Stirrer Award Recipients 2023 Name Category Sam Mostyn Grand Stirrer Deborah Cheetham Fraillon Arts Bree van Reyk Arts Kristine Hewett Community Activism Audrey Mims Community Activism Climate Writers: Marlene Baquiran & Eezu Tan Community Activism Sarah Rosenberg Community Activism Chrystina Stanford Leadership Ginger Gorman Media Communication Daphne Lowe Kelly Mentoring Shirley Randell Mentoring Pilar Lopez Mentoring Vanessa Donald-Smith Mentoring Anne Junor Workforce Meg Smith Workforce Neelima Kadiyala Workforce
2022 Name Category Chanel Contos Grand Stirrer Louise Hislop Political Activism Amanda Rose Leadership Annie Crowe Community Activism Brenda Gaddi Leadership Janice Paulson Mentorship Jenny Leong Leadership Julia Zemiro Media Communication Licia Heath Political Activism Lorraine Usher Mentoring Maha Abdo Community Activism Malaika Mfula Leadership Rizina Yadav Leadership Melina Georgousakis Mentoring Natalie Lang Workforce Renae Ryan Workforce Romy Listo Leadership Rosie Herberte Arts Sue Edmonds Arts
2021 Name Category Brittany Higgins Grand Stirrer Ann Reynolds Community Activism Adina Jacobs Mentoring Bobbi Mahlab Mentoring Catherine Gander Leadership Charmaine Huisman Community Activism Claire Couson Arts Clair Jackson Arts Danielle Villafana Community Activism Denise Thompson Media/Communication Diane Hague Workforce Dulce Munoz Community Activism Elaine Evans Leadership Elizabeth Hill Workforce Emily Mayo Media/Communication Georgie Dent Workforce Hayley Foster Leadership Jess Hill Media/Communication Jo-Anne Cahill Arts Kim Loo Community Activism Kittu Randhawa Leadership Robynne Murphey Workforce Rosell Flatley Arts Sunita Gloster Media/Communication The Loveys Arts Yvette Kinkade Community Activism
2018 Name Category Mary O'Sullivan Community Activism Leonie McGuire Community Activism fEMPOWER Grand Stirrer Lee Lewis Arts Pearlie McNeill Arts Margot Oliver Media/Communication Deborah Brennan Education Helen L'Orange Leadership Marilyn Hatton Leadership
2017 Name Category Erin Wen Ai Chew Community Activism Jude Finch Community Activism Lewina Jackson Community Activism Simone White Community Activism Mary Konstantopoulos Sport Mehreen Faruqi Grand Stirrer The Baulkham Hills African Ladies Troupe Arts Nina Angelo Arts Gabriele Jones Arts Erika Addis Media/Communication End Rape on Campus Australia (EROC) Education Hannah Wandel Education Rachel Cooper Workforce Marion Brown Leadership
2016 Name Category Billi McCarthy-Price and Hannah Massingham [ 11]
Sport Amanda Hill Grand Stirrer The Women's Library Arts Catherine Ordway Sport Lina Cabaero Workforce Janine Whiteman Mentoring Carol Booth and Liz Rickman Leadership Sharon McKinnon Leadership Darriea Turley Government Jozefa Sobski Education Jan Breckenridge Education Monica Davidson Media/Communication Julie Perkins Community Activism Jane Davidson Community Activism Heidi Zajac [ 11] Community Activism
2015 Name Category Ashleigh Thomson Mentoring Margaret Hickie Mentoring Louise Evans Sport Chris Ronalds Leadership Margaret Henry Leadership Sally McManus Grand Stirrer Betty Ferguson Mentoring Amanda Shalala Sport Tara Moss Grand Stirrer Finola Moorhead Arts Darelle Duncan Community Activism Jeannie Sotheran Community Activism Saba Vasefi [ 12] Community Activism Anjani Regmi Community Activism Frances Crimmins Leadership
2014 Name Category Roxanne McMurray Leadership Maeve Marsden Arts Vee Malnar Arts Lillian Howell Project Community Activism Marilyn Forsythe Workforce Bronwyn Culling Mentoring Lin Cooper Mentoring Bush Lemons Leadership Marian Baird Workforce Hawzhin Azeez Media/Communication Kate Rowe Sport McKenzie Raymond Community Activism Zoya Patel Media/Communication Dorothy McRae-McMahon Grand Stirrer
2013 Name Category Suzie van Opdorp Community Activism Shirley Kent Community Activism Anne Buttsworth Media/Communication Maree O'Halloran Leadership Kim Rubenstein [ 13] Leadership Destroy The Joint Grand Stirrer Ursula Frederick Arts Lee Grant Arts Rebecca Ordish Mentoring Fiona Miller Mentoring Wendy Herbert Education Dragica Sinikoski Education Danielle Warby Sport Heather Reid Sport
2012 Name Category Nadia Saleh Workforce Sonia Laverty Workforce Bronwyn Penrith Mentoring Natasa Nikolic Mentoring Sylvia Kinder Mentoring Teresa Savage Grand Stirrer Jenna Price Media/Communication Maree McDermott Community Activism Bronwyn Bancroft Arts Georgina Abrahams Arts Cigdem Aydemir Arts Jan McDonald Community Activism
2010 Name Category Ludo McFerran Community Activism Jennifer Dalitz Workforce Kat Armstrong Battling Debbie Carstens Workforce Shokufeh Kavani Arts Sue Salthouse Community Activism Nina Funnell Media/Communication Frances Plummer Mentoring Mary Dimech Mentoring Jane Pollard Education Dawn Atkinston Education Gabe Kavanagh Community Activism Rose Campbell Community Activism Susan Smith Community Activism Maggy Fargo Community Activism
2009 Name Category Edith Weisberg Education Charmaigne Weldon Battling Ruth Pollard Media/Communication Jane Caro Media/Communication Rhonda Wilson Grand Stirrer Julie Bates Workforce Patricia Griffin Community Activism
2008 Name Category Jo Kowalczyk Workforce Liz Barlow Government Lesley Laing Education Jude Irwin Education Matina Mottee Community Activism Karen Lee Willis Grand Stirrer Elaine Odgers Norling Community Activism Judy James Bailey Media/Communication Beth Eldridge Community Activism Christine Sinclair Community Activism Tess Brill Community Activism
2007 Name Category Julie Velthuys Mentoring Ellie Ellis Education Rosemary Kariuki Community Activism Muyesser Durer Battling Kellie Tranter Community Activism Spiderlily Redgold Media/Communication Denele Crozier Community Activism Libby Silva Community Activism Marie Muir Community Activism Emily Maguire Media/Communication Rosalind Helyard Education
2006 Name Category Liz Ashburn Arts Betty Green Community Activism Jane Corpuz-Brock Community Activism Dorothy Hoddinott Education Joy Goodsell Community Activism Adele Horin Media/Communication Carmel Nola Media/Communication Catherine Fox Media/Communication Claire Moore (Senator) Government Victoria Abigail Mentoring Jude Stoddart Workforce Rosemary Richards Workforce Daphne Baxter Workforce Helen Westwood Community Activism Marie Coleman Government Anne Field Government Tegan Wagner Grand Stirrer Priscilla Lumsden Community Activism Dixie Link-Gordon Mentoring Judith Troeth (Senator) Government Lyn Allison (Senator) Government
2005 Name Category Merilyn Childs Workforce Josephine Conway Community Activism Alva Geikie Community Activism Nola Cooper Community Activism Bronwyn Moye Government Gerri Greenfield Grand Stirrer Margaret Kirkby Access to Abortion Julia Freebury Access to Abortion Jacqui Smith Mentoring Margaret Alston Mentoring Helen Campbell Media/Communication Anne-Mason Furnage Battling Stefania Siedlecky Access to Abortion Trude Kallir Community Activism Dorothy Cora Community Activism
2004 Name Category Muriel Hortin Community Activism Susan Ryan Government Margo Moore Community Activism Anne Summers Grand Stirrer Lucy Porter Battling Phillippa Hall Workforce Joan Lemaire Mentoring Dominique Hogan-Doran Workforce Julie Griffiths Mentoring
2003 Name Category Jean Slarke Workforce Denise Ferris Arts Di Graham Grand Stirrer Roseleen Healy Arts Cate Turner Community Activism Rebecca Reilly Workforce Aileen Beaver Workforce Suzan Virago Workforce Betty Johnson Community Activism Elizabeth O'Brien Community Activism Vicki Potempa Community Activism Clare Burton Grand Stirrer Susan Kendall Government Fran Hayes Workforce
2002 Name Category Rachael Oakes-Ash Humour Judy Horacek Humour Julia Baird Media/Communication Kathleen Swinbourne Government Elizabeth Dawson Education Wendy McCarthy Grand Stirrer Dorothy Symonds Grand Stirrer Janne Ellen Community Activism Joyce Stevens Mentoring Betty Little Battling Leichhardt Women's Community Health Centre Community Activism Jan Roberts Community Activism Jill Bruneau Arts
2001 Name Category Kristine Cruden Government Robyn Plaister Grand Stirrer Erica Lewis Government Toni Modafferi Media/Communication Merle Highet Community Activism Pam Johnston Community Activism Maggie Smyth Mentoring Shirley Jones Arts Chrissie Shaw Arts Martha Ansara Media/Communication Kathryn McConnochie Arts NSW Teachers' Federation (on behalf of 13 women casual teachers) Workforce Pat Richardson Battling Emma Tom Humour
1999 Name Category Joan Bielski Grand Stirrer Gail Hewison Arts Noreen Hewett Battling Jane Gardiner Media/Communication Helen McDermott Workforce Cathy Block Mentoring Kate Lavender Community Activism
1998 Name Category Jenny Taylor Battling Meredith Burgmann Humour Juliet Richter Lobbyist Sheryle Bagwell Media/Communication Eva Cox Grand Stirrer Marlene Arditto Political Potholder Julie Compton Battling Misha Schubert Young Woman Ann Symonds Government Sharon Tobin Workforce Peggy Hewett Arts Lina Cabaero Workforce
This page is based on this
Wikipedia article Text is available under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
