Compere for the morning was South Burnett Women committee member Jules Entwistle, from Kumbia, with president Caroline Cavanagh

March 9, 2017

South Burnett Women celebrated their first birthday – and International Women’s Day – by enjoying breakfast, and announcing the winner of a $5000 scholarship.

And the winner is … Mikaela Lenihan, who completed Year 12 at Kingaroy State High School last year and is now studying Pharmacy at the University of Queensland.

“Last November we got to meet the applicants for the inaugural scholarship,” South Burnett Women president Caroline Cavanagh told the large crowd gathered at Cassis restaurant on Wednesday morning.

“Mikaela was the right young lady for the bursary.”

South Burnett Women’s first IWD breakfast, held in 2016, launched the concept of the “Dr Ellen Mary Kent Hughes Memorial Scholarship” to support a local woman embarking on tertiary education.

It honours Dr Kent Hughes who became Queensland’s first female councillor when she was elected to Kingaroy Shire Council in 1923.

Sponsors quickly came on board: South Burnett CTC, Swickers, SBcare, the South Burnett Law Society and Deb Frecklington.

Two new supporters – Bean Growers Australia and Kewpie – have also recently signed up.

Last year’s South Burnett Women breakfast was so popular the 2017 event sold out in just a week.

Guest speaker this year was Deputy Opposition Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington who said her world was full of amazing, strong women.

She spoke of her career – its ups and a few downs – since she started work as a suit fitter at David Jones at the age of 17.

“It made me realise I should have studied harder at school,” she joked.

Which is exactly what she did … studying economics and ancient history before taking law at university.

Along the way she wasn’t afraid to take risks: “Nothing was ever going to stop me,” she said.

“I always say to my three daughters you can do whatever you want to do.

“Be bold for change because change will always start with you.”

Deputy Opposition Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, right. with daughter Isabella
John and Chris Box, from Kingaroy … John was the brave – and only – man at the breakfast
South Burnett councillors Danita Potter, Kathy Duff and Roz Frohloff … it was pointed out at the breakfast that women outnumber men 4-3 in the Council Chambers

 

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