From left, Anwyn Martin, Jordan Crugnale, Kay Setches and Eric Kent at an ALP pre-selection meeting in the Kilcunda Hall in 2018. Photo: Geoff Ellis By Clare Le Serve
LONG-time Corinella resident Anwyn Martin will be missed by her family, her friends and her community. She was certainly admired by many and what a legacy she has left to her community.
Anwyn, who died in Cowes last month, aged 86, was a respected scientist. She also ran a few head of cattle and was a long-time member of Bass Coast Landcare.
When I first meet Anwyn, I asked her to help out as president of a committee of management. Her response –“I’m a scientist. What am I going to do with these people?”
LONG-time Corinella resident Anwyn Martin will be missed by her family, her friends and her community. She was certainly admired by many and what a legacy she has left to her community.
Anwyn, who died in Cowes last month, aged 86, was a respected scientist. She also ran a few head of cattle and was a long-time member of Bass Coast Landcare.
When I first meet Anwyn, I asked her to help out as president of a committee of management. Her response –“I’m a scientist. What am I going to do with these people?”
That being said Anwyn was well respected for her community work. She was a political activist as well and championed the rights and empowerment of women. She had a great sense of humour, which I would call dry!
She was actively involved in her local community, she was on many committees, boards and campaigns. She was a very passionate woman who championed many causes, especially the advancement of women. She was a very political-minded women and committed to the improvement of others. She herself stood as a candidate for the Labour Party in 1988.
When asked about politics, she was happy to share her views for she loved to be involved. Her frequent response to questions about all levels of government was, “Well, get on with it”.
Anwyn was a life member of many organisations and held many executive positions on these groups. She was a member of the ALP, Birdlife Bass Coast, Corinella & District Community Centre, Corinella Arts Committee, Corinella Foreshore Committee, Bass Valley Community Group, Bass Valley Historical Society, Corinella Cemetery Trust, Bass Valley Landcare, Bass Coast Health and Western Port Water Board.
She was instrumental in driving the change from the failed Bass Valley Medical Centre to the Corinella & District Community Centre back in the '90s. She was chair of the Regional TAFE Council in Gippsland for many years. She was well respected for her long academic achievement and her commitments to education, health and community.
Her love of Western Port was reflected through the organisations she worked with to protect the area.
She was recognised as Bass Coast Citizen of the year in 2003, a much deserved award for such dedication to her community work.
Anwyn was strong willed and more than once found herself amid controversy and differing opinions. When I asked her why she put herself in these positions, her response was “Without the work I do on committees I have nothing. It gets me out of bed and is my life. I am alone and this also is my way to socialise.”
She was also a lover of our local history. In 2015, I asked Anwyn her views on the changing of Bass Coast ward boundaries and the name to Westernport as it was first offered. Her response:
Many people refer to Western Port as Westernport, which is Incorrect.
Mr. George Bass who left Botany Bay in the small whaler rowing boat on a survey trip and seeking shelter from the enormous seas in Bass Strait, entered the inlet in the year 1798.
For the most obvious reasons—it was the most Westerly inlet he had visited—he named it for the Crown as 'Western Port On the South Coast of New SOUTH WALES' and presented his drawing known as Bass's Eye Sketch to the British Admiralty.
Confusion Many people refer to Western Port as: Westernport, which is incorrect.
Folk-lore offers an early explanation for the present confusion in that when the telegraph office opened in San Remo (c.1920) it cost one penny per word to transmit messages. A budget sensitive operator decided that they could reduce costs by 50% if they used Westernport instead of Western Port.
During the 1960s there was a sharp increase in the population of the area with development of heavy and also light industry along the Western coastline. Many small manufacturing industries moving into the locality and without any historical knowledge, but seeking local identity, registered their companies as 'Westernport' whatever trading.
To ensure conformity and the maintenance of the historically correct name, the Place Names Committee of Victoria issued the following ruling. 'That the historically correct name of the harbour in question is 'Western Port'. This was adopted by the Bolte Government in 1966.
The current (2011) Australian National Place Names Survey (ANPS) has also recognised the locality as Western Port.
The Mornington Peninsula Shire—the Responsible Authority for the area—is now ensuring that all of their publications use the historically correct Western Port as is Tourism Victoria who until recently offered both versions in many of their brochures.
So we can thank Anwyn for having the correct name sent to the State Government for the Western Port Ward. (I wasn’t sorry I ask her opinion.)
Rest in peace, Anwyn, for you will be greatly missed.
This is an edited version of Cr Le Serve’s tribute to Anwyn Martin presented at Wednesday’s council meeting. Cr Le Serve fought many a community campaign alongside her long-time friend.
She was actively involved in her local community, she was on many committees, boards and campaigns. She was a very passionate woman who championed many causes, especially the advancement of women. She was a very political-minded women and committed to the improvement of others. She herself stood as a candidate for the Labour Party in 1988.
When asked about politics, she was happy to share her views for she loved to be involved. Her frequent response to questions about all levels of government was, “Well, get on with it”.
Anwyn was a life member of many organisations and held many executive positions on these groups. She was a member of the ALP, Birdlife Bass Coast, Corinella & District Community Centre, Corinella Arts Committee, Corinella Foreshore Committee, Bass Valley Community Group, Bass Valley Historical Society, Corinella Cemetery Trust, Bass Valley Landcare, Bass Coast Health and Western Port Water Board.
She was instrumental in driving the change from the failed Bass Valley Medical Centre to the Corinella & District Community Centre back in the '90s. She was chair of the Regional TAFE Council in Gippsland for many years. She was well respected for her long academic achievement and her commitments to education, health and community.
Her love of Western Port was reflected through the organisations she worked with to protect the area.
She was recognised as Bass Coast Citizen of the year in 2003, a much deserved award for such dedication to her community work.
Anwyn was strong willed and more than once found herself amid controversy and differing opinions. When I asked her why she put herself in these positions, her response was “Without the work I do on committees I have nothing. It gets me out of bed and is my life. I am alone and this also is my way to socialise.”
She was also a lover of our local history. In 2015, I asked Anwyn her views on the changing of Bass Coast ward boundaries and the name to Westernport as it was first offered. Her response:
Many people refer to Western Port as Westernport, which is Incorrect.
Mr. George Bass who left Botany Bay in the small whaler rowing boat on a survey trip and seeking shelter from the enormous seas in Bass Strait, entered the inlet in the year 1798.
For the most obvious reasons—it was the most Westerly inlet he had visited—he named it for the Crown as 'Western Port On the South Coast of New SOUTH WALES' and presented his drawing known as Bass's Eye Sketch to the British Admiralty.
Confusion Many people refer to Western Port as: Westernport, which is incorrect.
Folk-lore offers an early explanation for the present confusion in that when the telegraph office opened in San Remo (c.1920) it cost one penny per word to transmit messages. A budget sensitive operator decided that they could reduce costs by 50% if they used Westernport instead of Western Port.
During the 1960s there was a sharp increase in the population of the area with development of heavy and also light industry along the Western coastline. Many small manufacturing industries moving into the locality and without any historical knowledge, but seeking local identity, registered their companies as 'Westernport' whatever trading.
To ensure conformity and the maintenance of the historically correct name, the Place Names Committee of Victoria issued the following ruling. 'That the historically correct name of the harbour in question is 'Western Port'. This was adopted by the Bolte Government in 1966.
The current (2011) Australian National Place Names Survey (ANPS) has also recognised the locality as Western Port.
The Mornington Peninsula Shire—the Responsible Authority for the area—is now ensuring that all of their publications use the historically correct Western Port as is Tourism Victoria who until recently offered both versions in many of their brochures.
So we can thank Anwyn for having the correct name sent to the State Government for the Western Port Ward. (I wasn’t sorry I ask her opinion.)
Rest in peace, Anwyn, for you will be greatly missed.
This is an edited version of Cr Le Serve’s tribute to Anwyn Martin presented at Wednesday’s council meeting. Cr Le Serve fought many a community campaign alongside her long-time friend.