Alice Anderson to be recognised as council tackles lack of female monuments
When he died, he had just returned from a daring outback adventure to Alice Springs in a rickety 1920s car.
“Probably no woman in Melbourne was better known” Reporter newspaper reported upon his death. “She pioneered the opening of motor garages for women and achieved greater success in this regard than most men could achieve.”
“This woman was a pioneer of her time,” Lovrich said. “He was known nationally and internationally, but then his story was lost.”
Lovrich, who lives in Kew and founded a tech company, only learned of Anderson’s life in 2021 when he applied for the Launch Victoria grant named after the late inventor.
She developed an affinity for Anderson’s pioneering work in a male-dominated field and soon found other women, including the memorial project’s co-founder Tina Russo, who thought it was unfair that her story appeared to have been forgotten.
“Young women need these role models, too,” Lovrich said. “Alice’s story resonates and will continue to resonate across generations.”
Alice Anderson’s former garage on Cotham Road, Kew.
Lobby group’s 2021 survey A Monument to Oneself Of all 580 statues in Melbourne, only nine were found to be of real women as opposed to fictional or legendary characters, despite the state government and local councils pushing for better female representation.
A report presented at Boroondara’s meeting on Monday found there were eight statues in the municipality featuring a woman as the central figure, but none were dedicated to a specific woman.
The council has two monuments commemorating specific men: architect and businessman Raoul Wallenberg and former prime minister Sir Robert Menzies.
The former Liberal Party leader’s bust is located in Petrie Square, where Anderson’s statue can also be found.
Tina Russo, Stella Loong, Samatha Loverich and Susan Reddrop in Petrie Square, Kew.Credit: Justin McManus
While the Alice Anderson Memorial Project hopes to raise the full $120,000 needed for a life-size monument to the former local, they say they will try to raise at least $80,000, which could lead to a fiasco.
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