• Entry type: Person
  • Entry ID: AWE0026

Denoon, Pamela

(1942 – 1988)
  • Occupation Biochemist, Public servant

Summary

Pamela Denoon was National Coordinator of the Women’s Electoral Lobby from 1982-84. She actively lobbied for women’s rights in Canberra during the 1980s, and established by bequest the National Foundation for Australian Women and the Pamela Denoon Trust.

Details

Pamela completed a Bachelor of Science at Queensland University; a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) at the University of Papua New Guinea (1977); and was awarded her Master of Arts in Sociology by the London School of Economics.

She worked as a Biochemist in Cambridge, UK, and between 1966-72 was employed by Makarere University, Uganda. In 1981 she took up employment with the Abortion Counselling Service in Canberra, following which (from 1982-84) she was National Coordinator of the Women’s Electoral Lobby. She worked for the Australian National University’s Urban Research Unit in 1984, and was employed by the Office of Local Government.

Pamela played a major role in various women’s campaigns and conferences including: the UN Women’s Convention (CEDAW); the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act; the Economic Summit 1983; the Affirmative Action Act; National Women’s Tax Summit 1985 and National Agenda for Women Conference 1986.

Pamela, who married Donald Denoon and was the mother of three children born between 1966-72, died at the age of 46 after battling leukaemia. She established two feminist organisations by bequest: the National Foundation for Australian Women and the Pamela Denoon Trust.

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Archival resources

  • National Library of Australia, Manuscript Collection
    • Records of the Women's Electoral Lobby, 1952-2010 [manuscript]
    • Collection of realia and papers relating to women's issues and organisations, 1975-2008 [manuscript]
    • Records of the Pamela Denoon Trust, 1989-2005 [manuscript]
    • Records relating to the Pamela Denoon Lecture series, 1989-2013
    • Records of the National Foundation for Australian Women, 1988-2009 [manuscript]
    • Papers of Marilyn Lake, 1964-1999 [manuscript]
    • Papers of Edna Ryan, 1948-1993 [manuscript]
  • National Library of Australia
    • [Biographical cuttings on Pamela Denoon, public servant, feminist, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]

Published resources

Related entries


  • Related Organisations
    • National Foundation for Australian Women (1989 - )
    • Pamela's List (1998 - )
  • Employed by
    • Women's Electoral Lobby Australia (1972 - )
  • Founded
    • Pamela Denoon Trust (1989 - 2005)