THE Southern Women’s Action Network (SWAN) have celebrated their 30th anniversary with the launch of a new book – Where SWANs Soar – together with a portrait photo exhibition featuring SWAN members over time.
SWAN is the longest running volunteer led women’s organisation in Victoria – some say, in Australia. It has been dedicated to striving for social justice on the Mornington Peninsula and greater Frankston since 1996.
The launch was attended by many SWAN members, including three of the Founders, Fran Rule, Maureen McPhate and Judith Couacaud-Graley, as well as shire councillor Kate Roper and Jodie Belyea, Federal MP for Dunkley.
Roper and Belyea heartily congratulated SWAN on achieving this significant milestone and complimented SWAN members for their dedication to tackling disadvantage, discrimination and inequality in the local area over such a long time.
The exhibition displayed 35 Individual SWAN portraits and group photos including SWAN’s Women for Housing Justice, Women against Gender-based violence and of those who coordinated SWAN’s awareness raising activities in the lead up to the Voice referendum.
Copies of this new publication are available to buy for $25.00 by contacting swanwomen@outlook.com.
There will be a public display of the portrait exhibition, together with the release of SWAN’s documentary video, also entitled ‘Where SWAN’s Soar’ during International Women’s month in March 2027.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 28 October 2026
