Mrs Georgette Chedra remembered

Mrs Georgette Chedra

Mrs Georgette Chedra (1937 – 2023) was a true and constant champion in the Leichhardt community for the rights of people with mental illnesses.

Styles Street, Leichhardt

Tree Planting and Plaque installation, Styles and Marion Sts, Leichhardt.

30 January 2025: Her Family & Community gathered to help plant a tree in the reserve near the roundabout in Styles Street and at the plaque outside Leichhardt Primary School.

Marion St, Leichardt

 

Condolence Motion passed by Inner West Council June 2023 for Mrs Georgette Chedra

Marion St, Leichhardt

C0623(1) Item 1 Condolence Motion: Mrs
Georgette Chedra Motion: (Da Cruz/Griffiths)
 

1. That Council write to the family of Mrs. Chedra to express its condolences.

2. That Council plant a tree in her honour with a location to be determined in consultation with her family and put a plaque on a bench in her honour with words to be determined in consultation with her family.
 

Motion Carried For: Crs Atkins, Byrne, DaCruz, D'Arienzo, Drury, Griffiths, Howard, Langford, Lockie, Scott, Smith, Stamolis, Stephens and Tsardoulias Against: Nil Absent: Cr Shetty

Agenda

Condolence Motion for Mrs Georgette Chedra

From Clr Marghanita da Cruz

That Council

1. Write to the family of Mrs Chedra to express its condolences.

2. Plant a tree to provide shade outside Leichhardt Public School opposite the Leichhardt Town Hall

3. Affix a Plaque to the Bench outside the Leichhardt Public School (facing the Town Hall)

Background

Mrs Chedra was born in the Lebanon into a Antioch Orthodox Community. She migrated with her husband and three children in 1968. After arriving in Australia, Mrs Chedra had two more children.The family came to live in Catherine St, Leichhardt in 1969. Then a considerably poorer and more dangerous neighbourhood than it is today.

As her Children grew and attended Leichhardt Primary and then Secondary school,Mrs Chedra rallied for school improvements, including the oval at Leichardt High. Her son recalls attending the Leichhardt Greek Orthodox Church to learn Greek and serving as an Altar boy at Catholic St Fiacre’s. Mrs Chedra’s funeral was streamed from LeichhardtAnglican Church (across the road from the Town Hall).

Mrs Chedra was an inadvertent Carer for two of her close family members with mental illness for several decades which impacted her personal health in many ways. She constantly sacrificed her own needs for the ongoing care of her family members and their children and that is what lead her to campaign for the rights and needs of those with mental health issues in her later years.

In 2006, on a bus trip to remind COAG (Council of Australian Governments), meeting in Canberra she found allies in the Friends of Callan Park movement and rallied under the Save Rozelle Psychiatric Hospital. In 2016, the Friends of Callan Park recognised Georgette with a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of her enduring commitment to, and advocacy for mental health services at Callan Park and Broughton Hall. Mrs Chedra was proud to have me Governor Professor Marie Bashir with whom she shared an understanding of Mental Health and origins in the Lebanon.

Mrs Chedra would confront Federal, State and Local Politicians or Councillors with hard questions - she was never afraid to speak up for what she thought was right and just, to help those less fortunate. Whereever she went she took a trolley of papers – documents, petitions and flyers to further her cause.

Well known at Leichhardt Council, one evening she arrived at the Council Chamber to find the debate on Callan Park closed and a break called before she had time to speak. Most of the Councillors had traipsed out to the supper room when unabashed Mrs Chedra strode up the Open Council Chamber, raised her pile of papers and brought them down with a mighty bang drew everyone’s attention.

After the amalgamation access to Ashfield was impossible for the aging Mrs Chedra. Her participation in Council Meetings, Committees and Activities were terminated. However, Mrs Chedra did not miss an oportunity to speak about Mental Health and Housing issues.

One cold winter’s evening, in 2021, she came across a gathering for the launch of “Little Italy” at Leichhardt Town Hall. Seizing the opportunity, she pushed her walker (which had now replaced her Trolley) forward and addressed the crowd on the plight of the mentally ill homeless.

Mrs Chedra,Little Italy launch, Leichhardt Town Hall, 2021

Mrs Chedra also faced the challenge of resolving errors in her Rate charges with the amalgamated

Council. The task was made more difficult when the Council insisted on contacting the 85 year old via email and texts through intermediaries.

Mrs Chedra displayed a strong awareness of the political landscape and would often phone friends to discusse local, state and federal candidates and issues – to inform her vote. Mrs Chedra would tackle representatives, at local council, state and federal government level, asking challenging questions and demanding answers in her polite way.

Whatever her private fears, Mrs Chedra demonstrated much courage in speaking up publicly and frequently to a range of decision-makers about the injustices in the treatment of those with mental illness, in her third language, after Arabic and French.

Mrs Chedra had many health problems of her own over the years some involved hospitalisation. Yet her stoicism saw her continually re-emerge to support and find help for members of her family.

Mrs Chedra seemed indefatigable and indestructible. But now she has left us and is at peace. We will greatly miss her presence and quiet determination, but she remains an inspiration.

The wording for a Plaque on a Bench outside Leichhardt Primary opposite the town hall would be along the lines of:

“Dedicated to the memory of Mrs Georgette Chedra (1937 – 2023) Born in Lebanon and migrated to Australia in 1968 - a true and constant champion in the Leichhardt community for the rights of people with mental illnesses.

She often rested here between shopping , attending community, Friends of Callan Park and Town Hall meetings.  The new tree planted alongside provides shade from the hot sun for people & the kids in Leichhardt Public School, which her children attended. 

Loved and missed by all that knew her, her family, children , grandchildren and great grandchildren.”