The Singing Hill revisited - Parliamentary launch of the WCC Charter for Change

29 November 2022

On 29 November 2022, in the last sitting week of the Australian Parliament, we presented the WCC Charter for Change to women MPs and senators at the Pool of Reflection in the Members’ Hall of Parliament House.

After an acknowledgement of country and welcome by Janet Salisbury, the event started with a recital by Glenda Cloughley of the prophetic ‘Singing Hill’ poem written by Dorothy Cameron in 1991 when a group of Canberra women regularly met at the Pool of Reflection in support of then WA senator Jo Vallentine who was one of only a few women in the parliament at that time.

Glenda was accompanied with chanting and humming by members of A Chorus of Women.

See further details of this presentation and the inspiring words of the poem

This was followed by presentation of the Charter to the women MPs and senator from across parties and independents. We were delighted to be joined by Alicia Payne (Member for Canberra), Senator Janet Rice (Vic), Helen Haines (Member for Indi), Zali Steggall (Member for Warringah), Allegra Spender (Member for Wentworth), Bridget Archer (Member for Bass), Louise Miller-Frost (Member for Boothby) and Senator Dorinda Cox (WA).

Read a news article about this event:‍ How women collaborated to bring a ‘Charter for Change’ to Parliament House by Janet Salisbury, Women’s Agenda, 6 December 2022