Celebrating International Women’s Day in our region

Maren Chandler

Maren Chandler is a name many Swan Hill residents would no doubt be familiar with.

The 80-year-old is well known throughout the community for her role as Pastoral Care Pastor at the Grain Shed Church of Christ.

She has been named Victorian of the Year, received an Order or Australia, spent time on the Swan Hill Rural City Council and has met Queen Elizabeth II twice.

Mrs Chandler said her earliest memory of helping the community was teaching Sunday School when she was 12.

“I have always been interested in helping people,” Mrs Chandler said.

“It has given me an enormous amount of pleasure.

“I have also gained life skills by being in contact with so many community groups and people; I feel blessed to be so supported by the community.”

Born in Kerang in 1936, she attended Teacher’s College in Bendigo.

Upon graduating, she took up a teaching position in Yarra Glen, in Melbourne’s outer east, where she spent several years at the school.

It was during this time that she met her husband Alf who was a farmer.

The couple moved back to her hometown of Kerang where they managed the Motel Kerang for five years.

Mr Chandler then joined AMP insurance and Mrs Chandler returned to teaching in 1970 as a relief teacher.

She has been involved in numerous community groups throughout her life, including the Girl Guides, the Inner Wheel and the Swan Hill Hospital Board.

Between 1983 and 1988 Mrs Chandler was the State Commissioner of the Girl Guide Association of Victoria.

In 1988 she was awarded with an Order of Australia for her service to the Girl Guide Association.

Mrs Chandler became a trailblazer in 1995 when she became the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Victorian of the Year Award.

“I’ve met all these people and been given many awards, but working with the locals to make a difference is what I care about most,” she said.

“If everyone could live by the motto, ‘one person for good can make a world of difference’, the world would be a much better place.”

Mrs Chandler now spends most of her time in her pastoral care role at the Grain Shed Church of Christ, where she has worked for 15 years.

Her daughter Deb, granddaughter Bonnie and younger brother Bill all live in Melbourne, while her other granddaughter Jessica lives in Perth.

She said she thought International Women’s Day was great thing to celebrate. 

“Everyday should be celebrated as a day for women,” she said.

“We need to recognise and respect people from all walks of life, cultures and faiths.

“We also need to have better respect for our fellow human beings and put love into action.”

Courtney Atkins

At just 23, Courtney Atkins has set her sights high.

With her determined outlook, she’s already accomplished a lifelong goal which she set out to achieve when she was appointed manager of the Moulamein Bowling Club.

Taking on the role in her New South Wales hometown, Ms Atkins strives to ensure the community remains a vibrant place to live and socialise and has worked hard to bring the bowls club and football club back from the brink of extinction.

Speaking to The Guardian, Ms Atkins hopes to continue to lead from the front and possibly soar to the heights of professional football one day.

“I think all my work has revolved around Moulamein because it is my hometown, so you try to keep both of them alive,” she said.

“I just want to help the clubs… I am very proud of being young and already managing my home town’s bowling club.

“It is something I think is an achievement, I didn’t think I would be a manager this early on.”

Ms Atkins said the role was both challenging and rewarding.

“I am really enjoying it,” she said.

“I came in with industry experience but this now includes hospitality and not much of an employee pool to pull from… I hope girls look up to me and understand they can achieve great things.”

While Ms Atkins had aspired to become a manager in her late 20s, her hard work paid off a lot earlier than she had anticipated.

After working in multiple roles for the Moulamein Swans, including sponsorship coordinator, fundraiser, umpire, coach, player and social committee manager, her work with AFL Central Murray as an administration assistant has pushed her towards the sporting industry.

“I can now set higher goals for myself and going back to sport would be good, maybe with the AFL,” she said.

“It would be cool to manage a big club like that or even a golfing club.”

Julie Jochs

Julie Jochs has been serving the community through her involvement with the State Emergency Service (SES) for the past 17 years.

It’s a role she has relished.

The office manager followed her heart when she decided to ‘give it a go’, volunteering her time with the organisation.

“I wanted a bit of a change in my life and if you think you can’t do it, then you need to give it a go,” she said.

Ms Jochs lives by the mantra that you should always be willing to give new things a go, while embracing new opportunities.

“When I joined I said I would try everything once and pretty much there hasn’t been a great deal I haven’t liked,” she said.

Ms Jochs said she wanted women of all ages to know they could achieve anything that they put their mind to. 

“I enjoy giving back to the community,” she said.

“It is good to know you can help people get out of situations which aren’t pleasant.

“Girls can do it and beat the challenges.

“Have a go, don’t be put off by your female agenda.”