IN 1984, Desmond Zwar (1931 – 2022), an accomplished author and veteran reporter wrote and released the book The Dame: the Life and Times of Dame Jean Macnamara, Medical Pioneer.

Like Dame Jean Macnamara, he was also born in Beechworth and was to develop a significant career.

In early 2024, a copy of this book was loaned to Honor Auchinleck, Patron of the Elyne Mitchell Photo Story Awards conducted from Corryong.

Honor is the daughter of Elynne and Tom Mitchell and granddaughter of Harry Chauvel of the Australian Light Horse.

It was then passed on to George Petrou, artist and publisher, who subsequently included Dame Jean Macnamara in his new publication: The Art Of Humanity.

David Hurley writes in the foreword to the book:

“Through these stories part of the fabric of Australia has been woven. The threads of our national fabric are represented in the ‘Art Of Humanity’. These threads tell us who we are, what we stand for, how we go about life and what our values are.”

This resonates with the underlying theme that the Friends of the Burke Museum have established as the basis for the annual Ian Jones Memorial Program over the past three years.

In 2022, they commenced the program with The Australian Identity and in 2023 Ancestry and Heritage.

This year it is a flow onto Communities and Humanitarianism: Dame Jean Macnamara (1899-1968).

George Petrou is supporting presentations by Kate Sutherland (Friends of The Burke Museum) and Jamie Kronborg (Beechworth History and Heritage Society) at the Dame Jean Macnamara forum in the Beechworth Town Hall from 2:00pm - 4:30pm on October 12.

He will feature the topic of humanitarianism and unveil his portrait of Dame Jean Macnamara that features in his new publication.

The forum will be followed by time to chat over refreshments.

Fundraiser tickets of $25pp are available from the Beechworth Visitor Information Centre PH: 1300 366 321.