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A golden moment as highest award bestowed

30 April 2009 - THE shining gold of Faith Bandler's new honour, the highest the nation can award its people, looked splendid against the purple of her dress.

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, had expressed admiration for Ms Bandler's grace and graciousness and her commitment to "the finest values and principles of humanity", adding: "Faith, today I salute you."

Ms Bandler had offered her head, with a little bob, and Ms Bryce had placed the medal of a Companion in the Order of Australia around her neck.

The two women held hands. "What an example you are to all of us," Ms Bryce said.
Ms Bandler's smile often brightens lives but, at this moment, Ms Bryce brushed a tear from the corner of her guest's right eye.

The conferring of the honour at Admiralty House in Sydney yesterday was an awards ceremony different from most: governors-general do not usually make speeches at such functions and most honours from the Australia Day list will be conferred in Canberra next month. The first woman governor-general was also honouring the daughter of a man taken from his South Sea island home to work as a slave in the Queensland canefields.

Yes, Ms Bandler agreed later, women and indigenous Australians had come a long way.

Ms Bryce paid tribute to Ms Bandler's commitment to human rights and social justice, and to her work for the women's movement, South Sea Islanders and indigenous Australians.

Ms Bandler played a prominent part in the 10-year campaign for Aboriginal rights, which led to the 1967 referendum that changed the constitution, included Aborigines in the census and is often referred to as the first stage of the reconciliation movement.

"You have inspired generations of Australians," Ms Bryce said. "Your life stands as a source of courage, inspiration and support of all Australians."

But important things remained to be achieved, Ms Bandler said, such as winning the battle for equal rights for women and the abolition of differences created between different groups, so Australians could truly be one people.

Members of her family attended. It was only a small family, she said. "But high quality," said her daughter, Dr Lilon Bandler.

Source: SMH

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