Our People
8 June, 2026
Joyce Dowsett OAM recognised posthumously in King’s Honours
As the sun set on Stawell resident Joyce Dowsett’s life in September, 2025; little did she know that she would be recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM). Joyce contributed tirelessly to the local Stawell community in so many ways – always doing it with a smile and with commitment and a very real strength of conviction.
Having celebrated her 100th birthday on 17 June last year, she began an active volunteering life when her youngest two children were at secondary school at Stawell Tech. This was almost fifty years ago.
The fact that she didn’t ever have a driver’s licence, a computer or a mobile phone didn’t stop her from stepping up and contributing to the myriad of organisations she was a part of.
Her love of and support of the Laurel Club was unwavering through well into her 90’s as she worked tirelessly supporting the organisation; arranging bus trips, catering for events was arranged, raffles sorted, selling Legacy badges and simply doing anything that was needed. The Laurel Club is for legacy widows and she joined this after her husband Perc’s passing in 1978. She served as the Secretary / Treasurer for 39 ½ years from 1978 to 2018 when it closed.
She was a founding member of the Stawell South Neighbourhood Watch and served on the committee for twenty plus years. The group merged with the other Stawell groups and she continued with this. Assisting with Newsletters and walking many miles delivering them and she said “I made many friends through Neighbourhood Watch.”
Stawell Trotting Club was another long term voluntary activity where she worked in the Committee Room for twenty plus years making sandwiches and serving the cuppa’s. She knew everyone and loved it – and they loved her! With Covid bringing that role to a close, it precipitated her retirement which she had intended to do. Of course, she was already in her 90’s at that time.
She loved her time at the Stawell Historical Society as her passion for local history was evident to all. She was granted life membership of the society in September, 2019.
She joined the Stawell U3A when it was forming and remained until her late 90’s when her failing eyesight meant she could no longer contribute. She gained so much from her membership in terms of contributing but continuing to learn.
There were many other organisations – too many to mention here – suffice to say all made her happy when she helped out.
Joyce, Joycie, Joy, Mum, Nan or Mrs D – she was known to her family and the community as a woman of principles, as a woman of contribution and a woman of the people.
I am her seventh child and along with my sisters and brothers, her many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren, we are all incredibly proud of this honour – she is most worthy of the recognition and would be so humbled by it, but no doubt if she were alive today – quietly chuffed.
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