Eulogy given by Anne-Marie’s niece, Claire Barnetson
Annie was born at Bethlehem Hospital in Caulfield on 6 September 1945 and spent her early years in Brighton and, with the family, first moved to Kew, then to Malvern where she attended secondary school at Sacre Coeur. The family then had a tree change to the farm in Berwick. She also flatted with her brother Bill in East Melbourne, and eventually moved to Kew with her sister Mary, where she lived out the rest of her life.
Annie came from a long line of very strong women, many of whom were in the Nursing Profession. Growing up she believed she could do anything her brothers could do. She had great determination and resilience, traits that would stand by her in later life.
After leaving school, she studied to be an Orthoptist and joined the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital staff, rising to the position of Chief Orthoptist by the age of 25. Unfortunately, with the shakeup of the health system in the 1980’s and new technology reducing the need for Orthoptists, Annie’s position was made redundant. This is where her resilience and determination kicked in as she pivoted and retrained.
Thus began her journey to gain new qualifications. She studied at several institutes such as Melbourne University, RMIT and Swinburne, just to name a few! She gained a number of qualifications including a Bachelor of Arts, Masters of Business (Information Technology) and Graduate Diploma of Information Management, many with distinction. This allowed her to practice as a medical librarian and she joined the staff of Eastern Health and embarked on a new career.
Annie had a big love of travel and she used the many conferences she attended to see much of the world. Firm favorites were France and Ireland and she also had a keen interest in historical battlefields. There were also several travel adventures with Mary by her side.
Annie’s health caught up with her after one overseas trip and she spent a month in intensive care followed by a month in Coronary Care. We all thought that would be the end of her travels, but an inspection of her documents showed she was planning one final journey. It took Covid-19 to halt her.
Annie volunteered in community eye testing in Melbourne, sponsored by the Lions Club. She was also involved with the Fred Hollows Foundation, servicing the indigenous population, flying on light planes to places like Mildura and Central Australia. On one flight the pilot gave her the controls, and this ignited her enthusiasm to train to fly light planes.
In her leisure time she was a keen skier and was a member of the Our Lady of the Snows (OLOS) Ski Lodge at Mt. Buller. Spending most of her winter weekends on the slopes.
She was an avid reader and would like nothing more than to curl up with a good book. She was also the family historian, and her knowledge will be sorely missed. She loved gardening and transformed her beloved Kent Street cottage into an oasis for herself and Mary.
Annie learnt to drive on a Ferguson tractor on the family farm at Garfield and loved driving, just like her Aunty Daph. She obtained her licence the day after her 18th birthday, she couldn’t get a booking on the day! She continued to drive until shortly before she passed away.
She cared deeply for her family. She looked after her mother during her later years as well as supporting her sister Mary.
Her ski club had a saying when it was time to leave, “The last Reindeer is leaving”. This is Annie’s Reindeer moment.
May God rest her Soul.
Published: 20 October 2023
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Laura Facci says:
What an inspirational woman & a life well lived.