On Thursday May 29, 2008, Fiona Richardson, the Member for Northcote bought Pauline's passing to the attention of the Victorian Parliament.
Ms RICHARDSON (Northcote) — There are some people who live their lives in such a way that they have a profound effect on those around them. Pauline Scott was one such person.
On 14 May this remarkable woman from Alphington passed away after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer. Pauline Scott’s life proves that everyday people are truly extraordinary. In her working life she stood up to hospital boards and a government. In Alphington she worked hard for her community. In her personal life her boundless love shone through until the end.
Pauline was born in 1960 into an Irish Catholic family. At Essendon High School she met her lifelong friend and partner, Greg Loats, with whom she had two wonderful children, Bridget and Danny. Greg and a long-time friend, Catherine Beadwell, are in the public gallery today.
Pauline was a nurse and union representative at the Royal Melbourne Hospital during the nurses’ strike of 1986 and led pickets for 50 days outside the hospital. The subsequent victory of the nurses forever changed the way nurses are regarded, as being in their rightful place as respected health professionals. The following year Pauline was elected president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Nursing Federation and went on to be an organiser for the union and later was an industrial officer with the Finance Sector Union.
Even during her years of illness, Pauline was always volunteering for school activities including taking on a one-year stint as the president of the Alphington Primary School parents association.
In her final years Pauline maintained a blog in which she described the horrors of chemotherapy, yet she remained all the while hopeful for remission. Her joy and pride in her family shone through the ordeal. Entries from her family and friends show that she in turn was loved widely and profoundly. If the voices that we leave behind are the testament to our lives, then Pauline leaves a rich legacy indeed.
MEMBERS STATEMENTS
Thursday, 29 May 2008 ASSEMBLY 2011
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