Legislative Council, Tuesday 6 August 2024

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - President, it must be the day for speaking about amazing and strong women. I go across the border: the person I am going to speak about directly contacted me. I did not think the leader would be too upset I trespassed across the border.

But, in the short time I have today, I wish to acknowledge and recognise and celebrate the remarkable achievements and unwavering dedication of Elizabeth Beatrice Perkins OAM, also known as Libby, who has been awarded a well deserved and somewhat overdue life membership by the Return Services League [RSL] in Tasmania.

Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association who attended last year's annual dinner will remember Libby, who graciously, with a small or perhaps large degree of pleading and persuasion from me, was our guest speaker. She entertained us and informed us of her many years of dedicated and often secret service to this country.

Liby is the first woman in 108 years to receive a life membership at the Ulverstone RSL sub-branch. Libby's journey of service began in 1969, when - after thrusting a consent form in front of her father right before he and her mother embarked on their first overseas holiday - she joined the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps.

I have heard Libby speak of this moment, when she said to her father, 'Oh, can you sign this? I want to have a try. I've probably got Buckley's.' Soon after that, she was recruited, and she served with the 9 ANZUK Signal Regiment as a corporal in Singapore during the Vietnam conflict. Her commitment to duty and her comrades was evident from the beginning, and her dedication continued long after her subsequent service to the WRAAC (Women's Royal Australian Army Corps) concluded in 1972.

Libby's life is unlike any other. When she was recruited to work in Singapore at the age of 18, she was given top-secret clearance and was tasked with decrypting and encrypting messages -a young woman on her own in a foreign country in a conflict zone. Her life at this time was a complete secret to her family and friends back home. She was only granted permission to speak about it 30 years after her service. The experiences and connections she made during this time influenced and encouraged her to join the Ulverstone sub-branch of the RSL in 2004, where she became an indispensable member of the community. Over the years, she has held numerous positions, including vice president from 2007-10, president from 2010-12, and vice president once again from 2020-22.

With her leadership and tireless work ethic, Libby has been a guiding light for the sub-branch and helped to ensure that the needs of veterans and their families are always met. She is currently undergoing state branch training to transition to welfare support officer within the sub-branch, which is a further example of her commitment to the wellbeing of her fellow veterans.

Despite living about 30 kilometres south of Ulverstone at Gunns Plains, Libby ensures her time is well spent visiting veterans, volunteering at the Visitors Information Centre, and attending committee meetings within the municipality. She also keeps a very vigilant eye on the welfare of veterans living in the outlying areas. Her involvement in the community does not end there. When a resident Justice of the Peace in Gunns Plains retired, Libby stepped up and assumed that role.

Libby regularly officiates at Anzac Day and Remembrance Day commemorations, and organises fundraising activities such as Poppy Day Appeals, Anzac Day, Legacy Day badge sales, and also helps out with Bunnings barbecue activities. Libby and her husband, Tom, are also active members of the RAAF Association Northwest Branch. Their involvement in numerous RSL sub-branches and ex-service organisations along the north and north-west coast of Tasmania has made them well-known and respected figures within the veteran community.

In 2019, Libby's dedication and passion for preserving the memory of those who served, took her to the battlefields of World War I in Belgium and France as the RSL representative on the Frank MacDonald Memorial Prize tour. She maintained a close connection with the six students who accompanied her on that tour. I imagine she was like a grandmother to them as she has been to many of the babies I have delivered.

Libby's influence extends beyond the veteran community. She currently accepts speaking invitations to local and state organisations and commemorations, where her words inspire, educate, and entertain. More recently, she accepted an invitation to speak at a Lions International Women's Day event, where her message was well received.

Libby is known to be a little irreverent at times, but we love her; she is fantastic. If you have not heard Libby speak, you really must do so.

It is worth mentioning that, despite all these extraordinary contributions, it has taken 20 years to receive this life membership. She knows of men who are recognised after a mere 12 to 15 years. 'Better late than never,' she quipped in an email she sent to me to let me know of this great honour.

In an interview for The Advocate newspaper in 2002, after being deservedly awarded an Order of Australia, Libby said:

Soldiers today are not the stereotype. Nowadays, some of the soldiers are five-foot one. They are mothers. I can cook scones with the best of them. But I am not the wife of a returned soldier; I am a returned soldier.

Those who know Libby or who have heard her speak know exactly what I am talking about. She might be five-foot one, but she has a huge heart. She is a truly remarkable woman who has given so much to our country, our state, and to the north-west community.

Although it took far too long for this recognition to be given, I commend the RSL for recognising and rewarding the decades of service and commitment that Libby has given over her exciting and, for quite a while, secret life.