Lynne was born in Camperdown on 10 January 1949. She had a few years living with her two siblings and parents in Chippendale and Newtown.
Unfortunately her parents separated and at the age of four Lynne was placed into the care of a church minister in Wollongong on the steps of Bidjura Childrens Court, however there is no official record.
She lived with several families through her young years before commencing her nursing training at Wollongong Hospital in 1967 where she made lifelong friends.
She married in 1969 and became a mother soon after. These were happy days. They continued their married life in Papua New Guinea for several years and returned to Sydney in 1986.
Lynne started as an Information Officer at the NSWNMA in May 1986 before becoming the Recruitment and Membership Officer. It was a dream job for her, assisting members and branch executives with recruitment in their workplaces.
She then became the Marketing Officer liaising with external organisations and raising awareness about nurses. During her time the membership of the NSWNA increased, against a general decline in union membership.
In 1996 the Commonwealth Government approved a National Nurses Memorial on Anzac Parade in Canberra that had to be self-funded. Lynne drove the plan, engaged external agencies and $2 million was raised. It can be seen today commemorating nurses from all wars.
In 1999, Lynne developed and coordinated a plan of action across the NSW Public Health System to assist Timor Leste with urgent medical supplies. Her significant leadership – and passion – enabled $500,000 to be raised along with medical and pharmaceutical goods which were shipped to the Timor Leste Health Ministry.
In 2000 Lynne was instrumental in the “What’s A Nurse Worth” wages campaign developing a plan and activating the membership along with her colleagues.
It was a huge success with pay increases for our public sector membership at around 9 per cent. The State Government under Bob Carr told the NSWNMA that we would completely blow the budget! As if Lynne cared! Nurses deserved these pay increases!
In 2005 and for three years after Lynne spent three months a year on the road during the Your Rights at Work campaign. Again Lynne created a plan for our members to become active in marginal electoral seats across NSW to protect their conditions of employment. It too was hugely successful.
Some of Lynne’s other creative achievements include:
The Short film festival
May Day rallies she loved
International Nurses Day that always had a theme
The Bernie Banton Foundation for asbestos victims
Unions for Transfusions
The Waterfront Dispute alongside the MUA.
Alice Cashin campaign was close to Lynne’s heart after she had seen an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2016 about a WW1 nurse who had received Royal Red Cross medal and she was in a derelict grave at Woronora cemetery.
Lynne found Alice’s family and lobbied for Commonwealth and State grants in partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital where Alice had trained. She raised $25,000 and a bronze statue of a nurse in uniform now stands next to Alice’s grave.
Lynne was a trailblazer. She was so passionate in her beliefs. She was an amazing mentor to all of those who worked with her. Her contribution to the union movement will continue to touch the lives of members for many years into the future.
However, her family were her rock: her children, Kathryn and Richard, their partners, Tony and Cindy, along with her grandchildren, Ella, Logan, Nicholas, Hayley, Sam and Marcus who were the love of her life.
There were many great lunches and the odd champagne in her retirement years. She became an expert at ceramics. Art was another great love in her life.
Lynne received an OAM for her services to her Union and Industrial Relations in April this year.
She is missed by all her friends.
Linda Griffiths, Susan Pearce