ln Memory of Lyn Pollock
It was my first meeting at the Older Women’s Network (Esora) event
in the early – mid nineties. Whilst the details of this event might be
sketchy – meeting Lyn Pollock was anything but.
‘So you are Lorraine McGee-Sippel,’ a friendly voice says,
I look at the name tag. Lyn Pollock. Lyn then proceeds to tell me she has
been reading my poetry in the KooriMail and loves it. I am blown away!
No one knew who I was – I didn’t know myself until meeting my Aboriginal
mother for the first time in 1981.
It was only later I realised that Lyn was the Editor who wrote the quality
Newsletters for ESOHA which everyone spoke about and looked
forward to receiving, they were full with information, so well researched
and very professional. We continued receiving Lyn’s newsletters long after
her terminal diagnosis.
Lyn had no idea of the impact her words had on me that day or how good
it felt having my poetry validated and commented on – it meant the world to
me and it still does.
I have never forgotten the day I met Lyn Pollock.
Lorraine McGee-Sippel
Lynn Pollack d. 2003
In 1997, Lynn Pollack was a co-founder of ESORA (Eastern Suburbs Organisation for Reconciling Australia). In those early years there were over forty Local Reconciliation Groups (LRGs) spread across Sydney and NSW.
Lynn initiated and maintained a monthly ‘What’s On’ list of Reconciliation activities for all NSW LRGs. Each month LRGs sent Lynn information by fax re our upcoming events – which Lynn collated onto a document of many
pages and which she then faxedto each LRG contact person… thus keeping us all supported and linked together.
One anecdote which Lynn shared with me was re the Tribal Warrior’s historic circumnavigation of Australia (2001- 2003). At that time Lynn was too ill to join us in farewelling the Tribal Warrior at Darling Harbour. However, her Eastern Suburbs’ Unit had a wonderful view of Sydney Harbour. Lynn bought a beautiful Aboriginal female doll dressed in Koori colours which she sat on her window-sill so that they could both wave to the Tribal Warrior as it departed Sydney Harbour in 2001 … and both wave again to welcome it back in 2003.
In 2003, after Lynn’s death, the Older Women’s Network (OWN)/Aboriginal Support Circle published a book ‘Steppin’ Out and Speakin’ Up’which interviewed and collated the life-stories of 17 Aboriginal Female Elders which was launched by Linda Burney MLA at NSW Parliament House. The $10,000 proceeds from the book were donated in Lynn’s name to Tranby Aboriginal College, Glebe.
One adds “We all enjoyed knowing and working with Lyn. She was an integral part of the team that created the Vision Statement of WRN”.
Main source – Kerrie McKenzie