Meeting of the “Friends of Willow Court Committee” this Thursday at the Community Centre, The Avenue, New Norfolk at 7pm.
Tree Cut
That wonderful large Gum tree infront of the community centre has been cut down. It was a huge tree and came across The Avenue and had to be cut so traffic could pass by.
Jan Dallas Photo Collection
A small sample of Jan’s work is now on display under the Gallery tab. Thanks Jan for your contribution and permission to upload and share your work.
Cheers
Mark Krause
Documents tab now added
We have now added a “Documents” Tab containing a range of documents about Willow Court. We hope to add more when we get documents and have the permission to upload and store them.
Cheers
Mark Krause
Willow Court Conservation Committee make up
http://www.newsnn.net/2012/07/archaeologist-for-willow-court.html
The present makeup of the Willow Court Conservation Committee is chairman David Llewellyn, Mayor Martyn Evans, state government representative Michelle Moseley, architect Paul Lan, archaeologist Jane Harrington, this leaves a vacancy for one more expert on the committee and Mr Llewellyn said he was looking for a person with entrepeneurial skills. Nominations from the Friends of Frescati and Friends of Willow Court have been recieved but there has been no decision made yet.
Kitchen duties
SAC needs you!
15 secs in front of the camera – SAC needs you! – 14-16 August
This looks very cool and we reckon should check it out – to either get in front of the camera or watch these guys create their impressive film work with community.
Back to Back Theatre’s The Democratic Set has toured cities and festivals around the world, giving people just like you, the opportunity to explore the idea of democracy; the belief that all people are in principle equal, and should enjoy equal social, political and economic rights and opportunities.
PUBLIC NEEDED FOR FILMING – BE A PART OF THE PROJECT
You can get involved and spend 15 seconds in front of the camera expressing your ideas of democracy.
You don’t need to prepare a performance, just consider ‘democracy’ and bring any props you might like to use. You will have 20 minutes working with Back to Back Theatre company to explore your ideas before stepping into their purpose built set to perform for 15 seconds to camera.
FILMING IN HOBART (SECRET LOCATION)
Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 August 2012
To register your interest to be a part of this free film project, please email your name, address and contact number to Jaspa at info@salarts.org.au
Tasmania Disability Lobby
Quote: Tasmania Disability Lobby July 22 at 6:19pm · .. we never use the term “people with A disability”. We use the term, people living with disability. Disability in this sense supports what academics call, ‘the social model of disability’. This is a ‘rights-based’ agenda. Therefore, to make it simple – disability is not something individuals have. What individuals have are body function limitations (or extraordinariness!). “Disability” is a process. The process of legislation, law-making, policy formulation, which forgets to include those of us with illness or body function limitations. ‘Disability’ is the racism in policy – whereby one group who design the world we live in, forget to include those with illness or body differences.
Cassy O’CONNOR MP Inaugural speech
Cassy O’CONNOR MP Inaugural speech
Policies implemented by previous Tasmanian governments ensured the miserable incarceration of mentally ill, physically and intellectually disabled children in Willow Court, also known as the Royal Derwent, until the New Norfolk institution’s closure in 2000. What happened to these people? They were de‑institutionalised back into a poorly prepared… community. We should know, but we do not, really. As with former wards of the State harmed in care, it is our responsibility to find out. There are Tasmanians alive today who are still traumatised by their experience as young people in that unhealthy environment, hidden away, subjected to deprivations, abuse, neglect, even shock treatment. We must acknowledge that this trauma extends to the parents of these broken children who are now broken adults. They were told by the State that the best place for their handicapped kids was Willow Court. They were told that the care these children received at Willow Court would be better than what could be provided at home. How wrong that advice was. I fear that the victims of this profound duty‑of‑care failure would be voiceless but for the dedicated work of Margaret Reynolds and National Disability Services Tasmania. In a recent submission to government, Margaret Reynolds called for a parliamentary apology to the victims of Willow Court and for the establishment of a joint select committee inquiry to determine their current status and unmet needs. The joint select committee investigation would also be asked to use the recognition of this terrible period of institutionalisation to develop policies which protect the human rights of all Tasmanians living with disabilities. As a parliament, and on behalf of the people of Tasmania, we can work together to right a terrible wrong. We can apologise to the children and teenagers who were systematically abused and neglected, their human rights grossly breached, at Willow Court. We can and should also apologise in the Parliament to the families of those Tasmanians who have suffered a painful, lingering guilt as a result of an appalling dispassionate government policy. They have a right to acknowledgment, to be heard and to be compensated. I believe these are necessary steps towards a more just, socially inclusive Tasmania. I look forward to working with members to achieve these outcomes. I also very much look forward to serving the people of Denison with great care and respect. Cassy O’CONNOR MP Electorate: DENISON Inaugural speech: 22 July 2008
Audio Tour of Willow Court (part 1)
This is an Audio Tour approx 60 min long, part two available on request.
Willow Court Tasmania part 1
soundcloud.com