Page 42 - Luce 2023

Obituaries

Dr Sallyann Richardson (Blair 1954) Anne Kantor AO (Murdoch 1954)
10 February 1937 – 24 June 2022 20 September 1935 – 14 September 2022

Sallyann to secure teaching positions at Kingston Anne Kantor
was born in Polytechnic, which became Kingston lived an
Rawalpindi, University in 1992. In 1970 she returned extraordinary
India. Her to Australia for a year when Ken took life and
English father, up an academic appointment at the was much
a banker Gordon Institute of TAFE in Geelong, more than a
working in and Sallyann taught at East Geelong philanthropist
Calcutta with Technical College. On her return to – she was a
the Imperial England she taught full time at Kingston, mother to six
Bank of India ,was Frank Leslie Blair; concluding as Head of the Education children, a qualified psychoanalytic
her mother was Alison Noakes Blair. Development Unit while working on her psychotherapist and a social worker, and
The Calcutta climate being considered Doctorate at London’s Brunel University. someone who served her community
unsuitable for children’s health, she For the last four years of her professional throughout her life.
and her younger brother were sent to career she was Education Officer
various boarding schools in the Indian (Tertiary) for The World Wide Fund for Her time at JCH, commencing in 1954
hill country at a very early age. When Nature in which she commissioned and for three years, was the first of two stints
her father retired the family moved to arranged funding of projects at various as a student at Melbourne University.
Australia and Sallyann went to school at universities, including Kingston. After marrying and raising six children,
The Hermitage in Geelong. Anne returned to study to complete her
In retirement she lectured for the Bachelor of Arts (1977) and her Bachelor
She made many friends at JCH while Workers’ Education Association. Her of Social Work (1980). Her daughter
studying for a Bachelor of Arts degree concern for the environment led her Eve remembers her mother rising every
and her Diploma of Education. She to found ‘Capel Goes Green’ (Capel is day in the dark at 6am and taking a
was a stunning Aphrodite in Tim Tyler’s a village in Surrey) and she initiated a strong cup of Nescafe and books back
production of Euripides’ The Hippolytus. University of the Third Age course on to her bed to study before her family
Green Conversations that continues to rose. After working as a social worker,
Like many of her contemporaries, this day. in 1989 Anne completed her training
Sallyann went to England on graduation as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist
and began her secondary school Sallyann’s lifelong friendships were through the Victorian Association of
teaching career at a number of London extraordinary: she kept in regular Psychotherapists. She worked in the field
schools where her lively personality was touch through her life with her JCH for the following 20 years.
much valued. She was a colleague at contemporaries Fiona Purcell (Bury
one school with Wendy McPhee, the 1954), Harriet Lester (Cook 1954), ‘Mum also gave a lot of her time to
founder of the celebrated Shakespearean Mary Tyler (Mackney 1955)*, and Anne volunteering,’ said Eve. ‘As soon as we
touring company, Theatre Set-Up. The Kantor (Murdoch 1954)*, all friends were all at school age, amongst other
flat in Holland Park that she shared with made over sixty years ago. Even during commitments she threw herself into
Melbourne University graduates, Penny the last few weeks of her life, whenever her main passion, working with the
Ralph and Mary Mackney, became a you had a conversation with her, you felt families of prisoners at Pentridge. She
vibrant centre of Australian cultural life enriched and inspired by her wisdom had a deep concern about social justice
in London in the early 1960s. At this and continuing concern for others. and inequities in wealth. She felt the
time she moved into the tertiary sector, prisoners’ partners and children needed
teaching at Southgate Technical College, * now sadly deceased support and she gave a lot of her time to
London. them.’
Antony (Tim) Tyler, husband of the late
She married Ken Richardson, Cambridge Mary Tyler (Mackney 1955), and friend Like her mother, Dame Elisabeth
graduate and tertiary lecturer, in 1965. of Sallyann and Ken Richardson. Murdoch, her philanthropic efforts,
They had four children: Mark, twin boys primarily run through the DARA
Matt and Nick, and a daughter, Eve. She Foundation, were substantial and
and Ken have seven grand-children. included support of environmental,
In the year before she died it gave her indigenous, social justice, arts and
much pleasure that her children were educational organisations. Anne was
able to have a beer made according to awarded an Officer of the Order of
the recipe of Noakes Beer, which her Australia (AO) in 2016. She always
mother’s family firm had produced until felt this was acknowledgement of her
1930 when the family brewery and its volunteering, on which she placed even
public houses were sold. more value than on her philanthropic
donations.
Sallyann always had wide interests so
when she returned to teaching after her She was a long term supporter of
children were in education she was able the public policy think-tank, the Australia

42 LUCE Number 21 2022