SOUTHERN Women’s Action Network (SWAN) celebrated their 30th anniversary on 24 May with a lunch at Safety Beach Sailing Club.
SWAN is a volunteer-led organisation advocating for social justice, equality, and promoting involvement in the community.
The event saw members, community leaders, and advocates come together to reflect on the past 30 years of social justice work across the Mornington Peninsula and surrounding areas. There were speeches and messages of support including from the Governor-General.
SWAN facilitator Diane McDonald said the milestone was significant for both long-term and newer members.
“It was a very significant moment because this organisation that I only joined five or six years ago has been going for an incredible number of years,” said McDonald.
“For a group of women to set up a volunteer-based community organisation that is focused on social justice and equality… it was such a powerful thing to happen back in the late ‘ 90s.”
McDonald said discovering SWAN resonated with her own lifelong commitment to advocacy and social change.
“I really spent my life advocating for social justice and positive change so then to be able to be part of a group of women who were so passionately committed and determined to make a difference… I just thought, this is fantastic,” said McDonald.
The anniversary drew recognition from community sectors and government, something McDonald said was particularly meaningful for the organisation.
“The fact that we had letters from the Governor-General of Australia, the Governor of Victoria, the Federal Minister for Women,” said McDonald.
“Volunteer contributions are so often overlooked, and sometimes it’s really hard to keep going but knowing that significant people in the community recognised the value of that, it just meant a great deal.”
The lunch was emceed by writer and broadcaster, Tracee Hutchison, and featured Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen as guest speaker.
“Having Ro Allen there as our guest speaker was just the icing on the cake in many ways,” said McDonald.
“Ro has struggled all their life for justice, for the gay and lesbian community, and they have been part of pushing through legislation to try to support and respect the rights and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.”
Allen spoke about their advocacy journey and the importance of “building belonging” rather than simply social cohesion.
“That really resonated with us,” said McDonald.
“So often we’ve all tried to be brought back to the same page and be a cohesive society together, which sounds great, and it is, but building belonging so that everybody feels included is so, so important.”
McDonald said the energy in the room was uplifting and inspiring.
“I had letters or emails after the event from people saying how wonderful it was, just being in a room with other women over a period of a few hours and the solidarity that they felt,” said McDonald.
“It’s very hard out there sometimes to keep on keeping on and this just gave people a lot more belief in what they’re doing, but also enthusiasm for going forward together.”
The celebration also featured a poem by Fran Rule titled Something More than Tea and Scones, which honoured the strength and persistence of women working together to make change.
“Yes, SWAN can work,” the poem concluded.
“Thirty years so far.”
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 3 June 2026
