 Today 17th March is a poignant day. I keep in mind your motto: Never underestimate what you can do in life. Mamma - a beautiful, inspiring, loving mother, I miss hearing your stories, hearing your laughter and seeing your smile, the 2am cups of tea and watching 'Overboard' yet again.
A year ago ... the number of times I've gone to ring you with some exciting news or just to say hello; the visits to Canberra; but you're not there. It's another St Patrick's Day, a day which was special to you, the start of your new life in Canberra in 1976, and the day you left. Mamma, you're in my heart always I'm honoured that you entrusted me with your life story and so proud that What Glass Ceiling? was published so that you could read it, and send to your family and friends. That your friend read to you on your last day chapters from your book fills me with joy and comfort.
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This sample theme with fancy font looks interesting, I'll have a look. On opening the theme the layout was uninspiring, however, on trying to revert back to the original this new one remained. A few attempts later it stubbornly held fast. The previous was no longer accessible in theme back-up. An upgrade in the past was all it took to remove a site that I'd been told was 'full of personality', 'absolutely beautiful'. For years the compliments had flowed like water. Now not only was the name with its beautiful font and shadowing no more, but the Magellan Cloud background had disappeared.
With articles to write and send before submission deadlines, the last thing I needed was to completely re-design a website. Grieving struck. I was in denial that this could have happened as I was so careful about backing up my website. Realising I couldn't update the site with some exciting news, finding the time to replace the nondescript theme staring back at me had suddenly been made priority. Anger seethed that my website imagery no longer existed, and feeling a loss of my online identity; the talking to, shouting at, and bargaining with my inanimate laptop were all futile. The offending not-my-theme resolutely stuck to my screen. Searching for options, my shoulders slumped as a foreboding depression grew, coupled with the frustration that I had to find time to completely redesign my website. It seemed ages before the fifth stage of grieving - acceptance - was to become apparent. After nine years, I'm taking the opportunity to create a new look, rebrand, with emphasis on my books; a new look website has emerged. Suzanne Newnham’s memoir What Glass Ceiling? chronicles her mother Patricia’s extraordinary journey in establishing her career during a period of Australia’s history when women did not have many opportunities to do so. Newnham’s fluent storytelling reveals her mother’s inquisitive nature, fostered by her parents when she was a small child in the 1930s, encouraging her questioning mind and enabling her to succeed later.
As a young girl in the 1950s, Patricia is intelligent, hard-working and determined to attend university to study medicine. While this dream is unrealised due to bureaucratic reasons, Patricia studies accountancy at college, just as her beloved father (and her role model) did. Later, she begins an internship with an accountancy firm, showing great aptitude for auditing and bookkeeping. Her work assignments are fascinating – auditing the accounts of a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of Australian companies, giving Patricia (and the reader) rare insights. Newnham’s colourful bird’s-eye descriptions of Sydney’s city streets create tantalising images. We ‘see’ Patricia arrive to brief company board members wearing her smart two-piece and heels (she had done some modelling in her twenties, so she knew how to enter a room), carrying ledgers, pencils, and paper in hand, confident of her skills. One gets the sense that Patricia is undeterred by the social norms of the times, entering this male-dominated field expecting full access. When one company’s board member assumes he will be briefed by a male version of ‘Pat’, Patricia remembered: “As I walked into the board room for a client meeting with a group of executives to discuss accounts, I was greeted by many incredulous expressions: this was in addition to hearing a lot of fussing about me being a female and not a male accountant, so I calmly queried “do you think I had two heads?” It probably wasn’t a mature way to speak, but an educated woman in a position of responsibility within a company shouldn’t be considered odd!” Over the years, Patricia adds marriage and four children - fitting her work and voluntary activities around family life. She epitomises ‘work-life balance’ before the term is in common usage. Yet, as we turn the pages to the story’s end, Newnham’s evident love, pride and respect for her mother’s achievements leave a lasting impression. What Glass Ceiling? is a ‘must-read’ for daughters of today’s generation as they evaluate how to ‘do it all.' They would learn a great deal about one woman’s unintended leadership shaping a fulfilling career just ‘by doing’ at a time when it was often exclaimed: “Ladies, just don’t do that!” What Glass Ceiling? reveals the merits of walking beyond the obstacles that aim to prevent us from achieving. Rather, we should not consider life a strategic project - all mapped out in front of us. It should be taken in bite-sized portions, never more than we can chew. Karen Kentwell 2023  1949, at 21 years of age, Patricia was the first female accountant with Bitumen and Oil Refineries (Australia) Ltd. In 2021, Patricia was guest speaker for BORAL's professional women's group - WISE. Given a BORAL bear following her talk it soon became a treasured reminder of an exciting part of her life.
Patricia's memoir What Glass Ceiling? is available in print and e-book.  In time for Christmas and the New Year the e-book is 50% discounted between 16 Dec to 1 January 2023 via Smashwords: What Glass Ceiling? Patricia Julianne Evans (nee Morris) a memoir
Discounted from $US6.99 to $US 3.49 (approximately $5.10 Australian dollars) Signed print copies are available for postage within Australia through https://www.suzanne-newnham.com/store/p1/books--articles.html  My talk at the Eurobodalla Health & Psychic expo was just by chance - I contacted to see if I could have my books for sale there and when I took them into the Moruya Golf Club on Saturday morning I was offered a spot on the (already full) program to talk about my Ethics of a Psychic Reading book, and then for Sunday too. I was put last on list of talks and then first today - which luckily for me also meant that if I was triggered by sounds I wouldn't be disrupting the schedule for others. I'm quite restricted because of a medical reaction to sound and have to always weigh up 'can I cope with the situation/event', 'am I prepared for, and is it worth, a decline in health for an indeterminate period of time'?
I haven't been doing readings at fairs or expos for years as I'm not well enough to cope with sounds, and it is too risky to commit in an unfamiliar space. Fortunately this weekend, there were no singing bowls, drums, chimes, or music to trigger a medical reaction. Thank you to Nina and the Eurobodalla Health & Psychic Expo at Moruya for the opportunity to participate, and promote Ethics of a Psychic Reading. Sunday turned into an amazing discussion with Anne-Veronica from Rainbow Light Reflections facilitating (in lieu of her talk – thank you for including me) and members of the audience asking questions, explaining their experiences, wanting to know more about how to understand more in the world of spirit when everything is either new or doesn’t make sense. The joy of learning and sharing. I'll post my full talk shortly.  It's my double publishing anniversary: 10 years on 11 July for 'Ethics of a Psychic Reading'; one year on 8 July for 'What Glass Ceiling?'
I'm so excited marketing and promoting both books. https://www.suzanne-newnham.com/books--articles.html  What Glass Ceiling? Patricia Julianne Evans (nee Morris): a memoir was launched on Sunday 25th July.
What Glass Ceiling? tells the story of Patricia Evans/Morris, one of the earliest women to work in accounting in Australia. Family and career, with professional and social expectations through each decade interweave her story. Some of Patricia's achievements include: BORAL's first female accountant 1949; workplace family-friendly contract 1968; National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame 2017; recognised by BORAL for 2021 International Women's Day Print books available via Bookstore page E-books available in various formats: Smashwords; Scribd; Barnes & Noble; Apple; Kobo; Odilo  I'm so proud of my mother Patricia Evans who has been recognised today by BORAL for International Women's Day. At only 21, in 1949 she became the company's first female accountant. Highlights from Patricia's interview for Boral's 75th anniversary can be viewed at
www.boral.com.au/articles/community-participation/one-borals-first-female-employees Stay tuned Patricia's memoir "What Glass Ceiling?" which will be published later this year. From 1949, a pioneer of women in the executive workforce, mentoring others to step out of society's expectations of women and the disadvantaged whatever their perceived handicap. Patricia Evans (Morris), my mother, didn't just break the glass ceiling for women in the workforce, for her the ceiling never really existed! "Never underestimate what you can do in life" - Patricia Evans 2021 |
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