Australia Day honour for hard-working volunteer: ‘It all comes back to faith and love’
By Wendy Shaw
The warmth, energy and kindness of a dedicated volunteer from Perth has been recognised with an Australia Day honour.
Catholic parishioner, mother of four and grandmother of seven Denise Talbot, 78, received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community and to women.
Mrs Talbot, who said the award had come as a surprise, is a vocal advocate for seasonal workers and has played a key role in the Days for Girls organisation for more than ten years.
She highlighted the importance of being welcoming and inclusive with seasonal workers, in the home, parish and community.
She has organised clothing supplies, sourced musical instruments, hosted family meals, encouraged participation in Mass and given porridge-making lessons, all with a generous sprinkling of hugs.
Mrs Talbot was a driving force behind an initial welcome party for seasonal workers at Longford in 2019, staged with the help of a Missionary Sisters of Service grant. It won the Northern Midlands Australia Day event of the year award.
“We need to work together in our regions and our parishes, sharing ideas and networking to better support and include seasonal workers,” Mrs Talbot said.
“My idea of inclusion is having seasonal workers in your home for meal or a chat or afternoon tea; and including them in the parish and in the liturgy.”
Days for Girls is a not-for-profit that aims to boost access to menstrual products and health information for women and girls around the world. Mrs Talbot is proud of the fact that 7500 kits have been distributed in more than 30 countries over the past ten years, while also building strong bonds of friendship and support among local volunteers.
Growing up in a loving, large Catholic family, community involvement and volunteering became second nature to Mrs Talbot from an early age. She said that even when life gets busy, there are ways to reach out to help and support others.
“It is important that people know there are others out there to love and care for them, and it does make you feel good that you have done these things,” Mrs Talbot said.
“It all comes back to the faith and love you were brought up with. That is what Jesus’ love is all about.
“You get so much out of volunteering and it is so rewarding. There would be less mental health issues and loneliness if more people reached out to volunteer.”
The former early childhood teacher has worked at schools around the state including at Latrobe, Zeehan, Rosebery, Hobart, St Helens, Longford and Launceston.
Mrs Talbot received an Archdiocese of Hobart Guilford Young Medal in 2022 in recognition of her significant and ongoing generous contributions to the Church and the wider community in Tasmania.
She is a life member of the Catholic Women’s League, helped to organise the 150th anniversary celebrations for St Augustine’s Catholic Church at Longford, served on four parish pastoral councils and was active in Catholic school parents and friends’ organisations. She also volunteers with catering and fundraising at Longford Bowls Club, where husband Arthur is a member.
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Caption 1:
Denise Talbot, of Perth, surrounded by her children Sandy, Emma, Clare and Matthew, and husband Arthur. Photos: supplied.
Caption 2:
Kings Meadows parishioner Denise Talbot, of Perth, who received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community and to women in the Australia Day honours.