Geelong Firsts: First Female Mayor of Geelong

Barbara Abley was Geelong's first and to date only Mayor of Geelong. She held this position for two years. Barbara has been the ward councillor for the Brownbill ward which was named after Fanny Brownbill, another Geelong First - the first female Labor member of Parliament (1938 - 1948).

She has several awards for community service to date:

• a Paul Harris Fellow
• investiture as a Dame of Grace Order of St John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller; 
• Lions International Medal of Merit
• Geelong 2003 Zonta Woman of the Year.

Learn more about Barbara Abley here

Reclaim the Night collective

The Geelong Reclaim the Night Collective has 21 years of working to stop violence against women. They have annual event in the centre of Geelong on the last Friday of October. The collective initiated the Geelong Women's Herstory to celebrate and honor women in Geelong's story.

Link to their website: Reclaim the Night collective Geelong