February General Meeting-Spotlight on Ageing in Australia by Hon Dr Kay Patterson the Order of Australia

Dr Patterson has demonstrated a strong interest in issues affecting older people throughout her professional life. Her presentation will discuss the changing demographics and social changes in Australia including income support and health, housing and living arrangements, government policies, aged care and seniors’ organizations and other issues such as ageism, intergenerational activities, and elder abuse.

Please join us.

Portfolio of Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO

Leaving school at 15 and then managing a small business, she returned to school and gained a BA (Hons) at the University of Sydney as well as a PhD in Psychology and furthered her degree with a Dip Ed at Monash University. She taught allied health students for 11 years and studied gerontology at two universities in the U.S. Using the knowledge gained during those visits, she co-develop the first post-graduate diploma in gerontology in New South Wales and introduced it into her undergraduate behavioral sciences courses.

In 1987 she stood for election to the Senate in the National Parliament of Australia and was elected as a Senator in July of that year. After serving on a number of Senate Committees and holding various shadow portfolios, in 1988 she was appointed a Parliament Secretary before being appointed to Cabinet in 2001 serving in the Health and Social Security portfolios. During her time in the Senate one of her major areas of interest involved issues affecting older Australians. She retired from Cabinet in 2006 and from the Senate in 2008.

In 2016 she was appointed as the Age Discrimination Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission and served in that role until July 2023. During her seven-year term she focused on the rights of older workers, women at risk of homelessness and elder abuse.

Dr Patterson has served on a number of not for profit boards – e.g. Girl Guides of Victoria, “Interplast” Australia New Zealand, Advisory Board to the Australian Institute of Regenerative Medicine and was a Member of Monash University Council for 20 years. Currently she is Patron of the Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice and is a member of Elder Abuse Action Australia.

She was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2016 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Monash University in 2019.