Advice from former City Councillor at Morrison Gardens Residential Care
Timely advice from Margaret Holland, former City of Swan councillor who now resides at Baptistcare's Morrison Gardens Residential Care facility.
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29 April 2022
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| Aged Care Homes
Timely advice from Margaret Holland, former City of Swan councillor who now resides at Baptistcare's Morrison Gardens Residential Care facility.
Never stand by and watch someone else’s rights be abused is the motto that has shaped 88-year-old Margaret Holland’s life for as long as the former City of Swan councillor can remember.
From 1960s union representative to co-founder of the Koolkuna Women’s Refuge in the 1980s, this inspirational senior from Baptistcare Morrison Gardens Residential Care in Midland has always strived to make a difference.
The local game-changer’s advice to her three children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren still reflects a life lived with integrity, compassion and an unfailing commitment to women’s rights and social justice.
“Stand up for those who don’t have a voice. Never stand by and watch someone else’s rights being abused,” she says.
As a survivor of domestic abuse, the Koolkuna Women’s Refuge project is especially close to Margaret’s heart.
So is her past work with the former Clothing and Allied Trades Union of Australia.
Finding herself a divorced single mum with three young children after leaving her husband in the 1960s, the young Margaret took a job with a clothing factory in Midland, sewing collars onto shirts.
Aware that female workers were being mistreated, Margaret joined the union and succeeded in making numerous landmark changes to the company’s policies.
The improvements included allowing women to save up their vacation time to spend time with their families during the summer holidays and allowing them to call home during their breaks to check on their children.
“Women were not valued as equals in the workplace and often bowed down to the men,” Margaret says.
“The biggest hurdles today remain equal rights and equal pay. The fight continues.”
Born and raised in Collie, Margaret has lived in the Midland area for over 50 years. In 2005, a playground at Lloyd Penn Park in Koongamia was named in her honour.
A fan of crime novels and a keen knitter, Margaret still pursues her political interests, keeping abreast of local and world news.
She especially enjoys the weekly news discussion sessions facilitated by the team at Baptistcare Morrison Gardens.
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