Call it Canberra's still small town-ness or just a lovely coincidence, but ACT Labor Senator Katy Gallagher's new office in Woden will mean she is always close, in spirit, to her late mum Betsy.
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The office in Corinna Chambers backs onto the colourful mural along Melrose Drive featuring the faces of people who contributed to the wellbeing of the Woden community.
The mural, by Geoff Filmer of Graffik Paint, extends for many metres, but, sure enough, Betsy Gallagher's face features on the wall right behind her daughter's office.
"It's nice, being in Woden reminds me of her, anyway. This has a lot of strong personal family memories for me, this area," Senator Gallagher said.
A grassroots community worker, Betsy Gallagher died in 2005 aged just 61.
"We miss her every day but now I'm going to have her on my back, literally, watching me," Senator Gallagher said, with a laugh.
She is due to move into her new office in a few weeks after vacating the previous one in Civic.
The former chief minister said the fact Canberra Labor MP Alicia Payne also had her electorate office in Civic was one of the reasons for the move.
"It didn't make much sense for us to have two electorate offices in Civic and when I thought about it,[Bean MP] David [Smith] is based down on Tuggeranong, [Fenner MP] Andrew [Leigh] is in Gungahlin, so there was a bit of a choice between Belconnen and Woden," she said.
"I've got more links to Woden. This was sort of like coming home."
The image of her mum was taken from a photograph taken of her at Senator Gallagher sister Clare's wedding when her mum was in her mid-40s.
"Poor mum, she'd be mortified to know she was on Melrose Drive, she really would," Senator Gallagher said, with a laugh.
"She was very humble and very private."
Growing up in Weston Creek and a Melrose High alumnus, Senator Gallagher was glad to be opening her electorate office in a place she knew so well and her mum loved as well.
"She inspired me and taught me that you had to be part of your local community to make a difference, it wasn't a choice," Senator Gallagher said.
"Mum was a dynamo. She basically started family day care. Built Woden Community Service.
"We used to come home and have kids appear at our dinner table because she saw another mum struggling without support, she just took them. You couldn't do that now. But she would just give them a break.
"She drove the bus for women's refuge barbecues, we were all piled in, there were no car seats.
"It was those kind of days but it really showed me there's purpose and meaning in being a part of what's going on around you."
Megan Doherty
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
