Congratulations to long time parishioner Lesley Tierney who has been honoured as the 2021 Local Woman of the Year for the Port Macquarie electorate.

The NSW Local Women of the Year are chosen by Members of Parliament.  These local women are recognised for their outstanding contribution to their local community as businesswomen, role models, volunteers, leaders and mentors.

Lesley’s contribution to our parish has spanned more than five decades. She was a member of the Parish Pastoral Council for many years up till 2017. Her six children were all educated in our parish schools, and when Fr Leo Donnelly established Centacare as the first Catholic parish-based welfare arm in the nation (all Centacare services up to that stage had been diocesan-based) he invited Lesley to be its inaugural chairperson.

In presenting the award the Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams said Lesley Tierney “continues to be involved in so many facets of her community with a tenacious passion for making Port Macquarie a better place for everyone.”

Lesley, with a small group of like-minded women, established the first refuge for domestic violence in the area and was president of the Port Macquarie Womens’ Refuge for decades. Her interest in community mental health saw the establishment of the GROW support groups, and she was one of a small group of parishioners who worked so hard to establish Christo House Youth Refuge.

Lesley’s current involvement includes long-time chairperson of the Port Macquarie Neighbourhood Centre (now Hastings Neighbourhood Services) and chair of the management committee for ACES, a local support service for adults with intellectual and other disabilities.