Each year the NSW Women of the Year Awards is held on or around International Women’s Day.
The awards acknowledge women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to their respective areas.
The awards feature various categories, including:
- NSW Young Woman of the Year
- NSW Community Hero
- Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence
- NSW Regional Woman of the Year
- NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year.
The awards also feature a Local Woman of the Year. Members of Parliament can nominate a woman from within their electorates who has made outstanding contributions to their local communities.
This allows for the recognition of those women who are making a difference at a grass roots level in their local state electorate.
The Lane Cove State electorate includes the following suburbs: Chatswood West, East Ryde, Gladesville, Greenwich, Henley, Hunters Hill, Huntleys Cove, Huntleys Point, Lane Cove, Lane Cove North, Lane Cove West, Linley Point, Longueville, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Northwood, Putney, Riverview, Ryde, St Leonards, Tennyson Point, Woolwich.
Our local state member is the Hon. Anthony Roberts MP.
Anthony Roberts nominated Hunter’s Hill resident Pamela Alvarez as Woman of the Year for the Lane Cove State Electorate this year.
Pamela Alvarez’s nomination underscores the importance of community involvement and the power of individuals to create positive change.
Her recognition highlights the valuable work being done by women in the Lane Cove State electorate.
Pamela has had an extraordinary life with her fair share of joy and tragedy.
Pamela’s Story
Shortly after her marriage in Brisbane, Pamela and her new husband, Gavin, settled into Hunters Hill. Gavin was originally from Hunters Hill, and their two children, Christina and John, were born there.
The family decided to move to Gloucester – a dairy and beef community. They purchased a property and raised beef cattle.
As usual for Pamela, she dove headfirst into the community.
She became the secretary of the local Country Women’s Association branch, encouraged a ballet teacher to teach in the town, instigated craft days for children and assisted with the Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Upon the tragic and premature death of her husband, Gavin, in 1976, Pamela returned to Hunters Hill with her two young children.
With a steely determination she had so often shown, Pamela reorganised her children’s lives, completed a Nursing refresher course, and returned to full-time work.
To further provide for her family, she began and completed a law degree at Macquarie University while working full-time.
After completing her law degree, Pamela was admitted as a solicitor in 1989. Pamela quickly rose through the ranks.
She then spent a decade as a prosecution lawyer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Former High Court judge Justice Michael Kirby, said of Pamela, “I have found Ms Alvarez to be a lawyer with a conscience, a concern about her community and the wider world.”
Pamela retired from the DPP in 1999.
However, this did not signal a slowdown in her activity. After her daughter returned to work, she took time to care for her grandson.
Pamela saw it as an opportunity to get more involved in her great passion—Hunters Hill.
She commenced a granny’s group under the auspice of the Anglican Parish of Hunters Hill.
Grandparents would take their grandkids on trips to the Opera House, visits to parks, zoos, pools and entertainment events such as The Wiggles.
Close to 14 years ago, the granny’s group started a playgroup at St Mark’s Church, and now hundreds of local families have fond memories of playing and sharing moments under the compassionate coordination of Pamela and a great team of wonderful volunteers.
On their 60th Birthday, Macquarie University featured Pamela on their website and published the following:
Pamela Alvarez, Bachelor of Legal Studies, 1988
“I wanted to give back to Macquarie for the opportunity I was given as a young widow and full-time working mother with two school-age children. Studying law would have been beyond my dreams if the external course had not been available.
“When the time was right for me to make a bequest in my will, I advised the University to arrange it for me at one of their lunches. I also made donations from time to time to assist less advantaged students in studying at Macquarie University.
“Following my retirement as a lawyer with the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I volunteered to assist with the Law graduation ceremonies. This provided the opportunity to demonstrate my pride in being an alumna of this wonderful establishment and to observe its development, including our amazing library and, most recently, our stunning new Justice Michael Kirby Law School.
Additionally, my local Hunters Hill Medical Practice has won recognition as the Best General Practice in Australia on a number of occasions. It won recognition announcing its affiliation with Macquarie University, where medicine, nursing, and other health and medical degrees are now available. As a donor, I feel a sense of pride that my past donations and future bequest, in some small way, help me feel a part of its success,” said Pamela Alvarez.”
Mr Roberts said that for all Pamela’s accomplishments, she’s most proud of the inspiration she gave her youngest granddaughter, Olivia, to seek more ways to improve her community.
He further said: “Pamela is a dedicated servant of our community and has never sought any recognition for her work, making her a perfect recipient of this recognition.”
Congratulations to Pamela Alvarez for her Local Woman of the Year Award.
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