The Western Australian Women's Hall of Fame has inducted 16 new members, recognising their trailblazing contributions to the state's social, economic, and cultural development. The inductees include advocates for gender equality, human rights, and systemic change, as well as leaders in education, health, and community building.
Among the honourees is Carol Pettersen OAM, 85, who helped break barriers for women in non-traditional roles, enabling them to become firefighters, truck drivers, and access TAFE courses previously restricted to men. Born at Gnowangerup Mission and raised near Jerramungup, Pettersen also worked on the Equal Opportunities Act with the WA Government and advocated for women in prison and widows' superannuation rights.
Megan McCracken was recognised for her work as a business leader and gender equity advocate, promoting gender balance in male-dominated industries. She described the induction as 'surreal' and expressed pride in working quietly for systemic change in gender equality.
Professor Roz Walker, who has spent 40 years working with Aboriginal communities in education and research, was humbled by the recognition. Her work at the Ngangk Yira Institute for Change has led to improvements in health services for women birthing on Noongar Boodja, addressing issues such as wet cough, skin disease, and mental health.
Rabia Siddique, a humanitarian advocate, lawyer, and author, was also inducted. She was the first Muslim school captain of a Uniting Church school, the youngest Federal prosecutor in Australia, and the first woman of colour and Muslim officer in the British Army legal corps. Siddique survived a hostage crisis in Iraq and challenged institutional discrimination in a landmark legal case.
Other inductees include Sue Starcken, an artist and academic; Donna Buckley, president of the Mathematics Association of WA; and Shirley Thorn AM JP (1935-2025), an agricultural community advocate. The Hall of Fame continues to honour women who have made a profound and lasting impact on Western Australia.
