Born: 8 August 1922, Australia
Died: 2017
Country most active: Australia
Also known as: NA
The following is republished with permission from the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.
Jean Tom made it her purpose to pursue justice on social issues on behalf of women and children both nationally and internationally.
Jean Marion Tom AO graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Science. In 1946, Jean married a farmer and lived on farms most of her life. She had five children and many grandchildren. Her father fought in World War I, and returned totally and permanently incapacitated. He joined the Romsey Branch of the RSL. Jean’s husband served in World War II, was a Tobruk Rat and died in 1982 leaving Jean a war widow.
Jean was an outstanding country woman who holds high ideals and believed they should be exemplified in the way we live, work and care for each other. Her particular mission was to utilise every opportunity to nurture and encourage women to broaden their horizons, particularly rural women who have limited opportunities to take on new perspective, so that they are aware of the diverse information and options available when making decisions.
Examples of Jean’s commitments to selfless service to her local community include her membership of the Romsey Auxiliary for the Windarring School for the Mentally Handicapped (1970-80); the Romsey Historical Committee; the Romsey Auxiliary for the Lancefield and District Bush Nursing Hospitals (1960-75). She was a sponsor of a project funded through the Community Programmes Committee (a Rural Outreach Programme from the Sunbury Community Health Centre). This resulted in a book establishing a profile of the social needs in the Woodend, Newham and Romsey Shires.
In her role as a member of the Country Women’s Association of Victoria Inc., Jean exemplified outstanding voluntary service and fellowship. She was dedicated to the pursuit of justice on social issues on behalf of all women and children, particularly those in rural and remote areas of Victoria, as well as nationally and internationally. Jean held various positions at State level from 1972-91 including being National President from 1988-91.
She was a Life Member of the Association Country Women of the World (1975-99). Jean was the leader of voting delegations representing the CWA of Victoria at a number of world conferences. Jean’s outstanding leadership skills and broad knowledge on all issues affecting rural and remote women have been acknowledged and utilised for the benefit of the community by her service independently of the Association.
She was a volunteer on many committees including a member of Victorian Women’s Advisory Council to the Premier (1983-88), and a member of the National Women’s Consultative Council (1989-92). Jean helped set up the Victorian Women’s Trust as a Board Member (1984-94). She was a member of Australian Women in Agriculture (1994-99) and a member of the Rural Women’s Network Reference Group (1986-99).
Her State and Federal committee memberships were by invitation of the State and Federal Governments of all political persuasions.They range from agriculture to local government to domestic violence in rural and remote areas. Jean was appointed Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (1993), ANZAC of the Year – 1999; Life Member Presbyterian Ladies College Old Collegians Association and Life Member of Janet Clarke Hall Society.
This biography has been shared from The Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, published by the Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Jean Tom graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Science (MSc) degree. She was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), 26 January 1993, for service to the welfare of women in rural and remote Australia through the Country Women’s Association.
Chronology
1944 – 1946
Career position – Worked in the School of Physiology, University of Melbourne
1977 – 1979
Career position – Member of the Status of Women Committee in Victoria
1979 – 1981
Career position – Member of the Freedom From Hunger Committee
1979 – 1981
Career position – Member of the Fairlea Women’s Prison Council in Victoria
1979 – 1981
Career position – State President of the Country Women’s Association Victoria
1982 – 1987
Career position – Honorary State Treasurer, Country Women’s Association Victoria
1982 – 2001
Career position – Member of Honour of the Country Women’s Association Victoria
1983 – 1988
Career position – Member of the Victorian Women’s Consultative Council
1984 – 1985
Career position – Member of the Planning Committee of the 150th Anniversary of White Settlement in Victoria
1985 – 1993
Career position – Director and Trustee of the Victorian Women’s Trust
1988 – 1991
Career position – National President of the Country Women’s Association Australia
1990 – 1993
Career position – Member of the National Women’s Consultative Council
1993
Award – Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
1993 – 1994
Career position – Member of the organising committee of the International Conference on Women in Agriculture
1993 – 1997
Career position – Member of the Active for Life Cancer and Heart Offensive Consultative Council
1999
Award – ANZAC of the Year Award, Returned Services League (RSL)
1999 – 2000
Career position – Member of Diversity Victoria Equal Opportunity Commission