Page 39 - Luce 2020

Obituaries

real pioneer: she worked in the family Africa, as well as a number of trips requiring major surgeries followed by
business, had her own income and across Australia. lengthy periods of rehabilitation, made
bought a block of land at Aireys Inlet in doubly difficult because of polio-related
1920. Ida then built the house, ‘Cra-an- Mum was fortunate to spend her final weakness. Despite this she was never
Bir’, in 1921. years at home, looked after by a number heard to complain about her situation
of extremely loyal carers; despite her and soldiered on with indomitable spirit.
The house at Aireys was a major focus ongoing frustration with her lack of
of the family’s life. There are many early independence, they were relatively good She was keenly interested in the Arts
photos of friends and family enjoying years. and was President of the Wangaratta
the house and time down there at Arts Council for 17 years, as well
the beach. This continued all the way Mum taught me many valuable things as being a life member. She served
through Mum’s life. and was a wonderful role model. on multiple City Council advisory
She had a strong moral and ethical committees, related to community arts
Mum loved the outdoors. While at compass, was a feminist without programs and Town Hall infrastructure
school at the Hermitage (1931 – 1942) ever labelling herself as such, as well requirements. Mary was part of the
she played lots of sport, most notably as a conservationist, a greenie, an inaugural board of the Wangaratta Jazz
tennis and baseball, and was part of a environmentalist, and an incredible Festival, and for ten years responsible for
champion baseball team. She went on carer of people and her environment. staffing of the various venues, and was
various bike-riding, camping and hiking I really miss her. awarded life membership there as well.
expeditions, including in Tasmania.
Caroline Lee Mary, with Arnold, was instrumental
She studied Botany, and then later in setting up the North Eastern
taught, at Melbourne University. She Residential Care Society, providing
lived in Janet Clarke Hall, and then Dr Mary Barbara Burns OAM respite care and accommodation for
bought what became our family home in (Graham 1945, Senior Student 1948) intellectually disabled children and
Fitzgibbon St. Parkville. She became an 18 April 1926 – 9 July 2019 young adults, a first for facilities such
Honorary Research Fellow in the Botany as these in Wangaratta and Wodonga.
Department of La Trobe University and Mary Burns Accommodation they established
held a Master of Science degree from was born and included a long-term unit as well as five
Melbourne University. educated in other houses.
Hamilton and
In the mid-1950s, employed by the then subsequently She was also keenly interested in
Victorian State Forestry Commission, she at Melbourne politics, serving as campaign director
published several papers on pathogenic University, for two members of parliament and later
fungi. She was the first person to identify residing in JCH studying politics at U3A.
and describe pathogenic fungi causing and graduating
dieback in Eucalyptus. In 1987, Mum co- with honours in Mary was awarded an OAM in 2002 for
authored a book with Ian Clarke, about dentistry in 1948. At university she met service to the community of Wangaratta
the identification of flowering plants. her future husband, Arnold, also a dental and remained a very active member
Name that Flower was well received and student, and they married in 1949. They of the Order of Australia Association,
became a set text for numerous courses. regularly attending meetings, including
subsequently set up and operated a very
successful dental practice in Wangaratta during the last year of her life.
Mum had a very adventurous spirit, and where Mary’s primary role was in
through her life travelled widely. She and paediatric dentistry. At the time she was There were many other passions
Dad (Barry Lee, geneticist) married in a keen and accomplished sportswoman, in her life, not the least her family
London, and lived in Belfast for a couple particularly in hockey and tennis. which included three children (the
of years before returning to Fitzgibbon St eldest of whom was also severely
in 1963. I was born in 1965. Two years later, fate stepped in when affected with polio) and their partners,
she and the family contracted polio seven grandchildren and four great-
My very early memories of Mum are in which reshaped their lives forever. Mary grandchildren. She also loved reading
the back garden at Fitzgibbon St. She was hospitalised for twelve months and and literature, gardening and playing
grew a variety of fruit and vegetables was left with severe physical disabilities bridge, at which she remained a
in that garden and was also a great which rendered the simplest of everyday formidable opponent.
cook, regularly making jam, marmalade, activities difficult. She eventually
chutney and pickled onions. Mary remained fiercely independent in
returned home and to work as a dentist,
despite being unable to walk without the years after her husband died, coping
She had a busy, full, rich life. and living alone in her own home till the
extensive assistance and continued
doing so for the next 40 years, caring age of 93.
She and Dad were both passionate for a significant proportion of the local
about their fields of interest and community. All in all, Mary succeeded in just about
continued to do field trips and camping every endeavour she undertook, despite
expeditions to all sorts of extraordinary As a result of her condition, falls the many travails that life threw her way.
places: the Galapagos Islands, Chile and were common and in later years she
Peru, Antarctica, the Grand Canyon, sustained several major limb fractures Paul Burns (Mary’s son)

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