Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021!
Arts Rutherglen hosted another brunch to celebrate International Women’s Day on Sunday 28th February 2021, at Tulleries Restaurant Rutherglen.
Our guest speaker for 2021 Genevieve O’Reilly- Arts Rutherglen’s founding president and currently Principal of Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership spoke to the theme ‘Choose to Challenge”.
About Genevieve O’Reilly
‘We all have the right to constantly re-invent ourselves’ so says Virginia Woolf and Genevieve O’Reilly’s life has been testament having navigated her way through four careers and many adventures. She is currently the Principal of Borinya Wangaratta Community Partnership, where her philosophy that education has the ability to transform is lived out with the young people who don’t fit the mainstream. The theme for IWD 2021 ‘Choose to Challenge’ would appear to epitomise her experiences. Genevieve currently lives in Rutherglen with her husband Mick. Between them they have two children. She was the founding President of Arts Rutherglen and continues to work in the community in a number of voluntary organisations.
2020 Guest Speakers
Dr Rachel Shanks, MBBS FANZCA MMed
I am a consultant anaesthetist and perioperative medicine specialist at University Hospital Geelong.
I was born in Corowa and attended Rutherglen Primary & High school before heading to medical school at the University of Melbourne. After graduation I worked at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for 3 years before heading to the UK where I began my anaesthetic training at Torbay Hospital in Devon. On returning to Australia I juggled training, exams and 2 babies with rotations to the Alfred Hospital, The Royal Women’s and Royal Children’s, Bendigo and Geelong.
Having enjoyed time working in Geelong and found it a supportive workplace to finish my training part-time with young children I was lucky to be offered a consultant job in 2011. After completing a Master’s degree in perioperative medicine in 2018, I am now the clinical lead for University Hospital Geelong’s Anaesthetic Assessment Service. I have a special interest in the care and optimisation of patients having major cancer surgery and cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
l live on the Bellarine Peninsula with my anaesthetist husband, 2 children (Max 14 and Vianne 10) 2 groodles and a rather haughty cat. When not driving my kids to various sporting commitments, I enjoy participating in team sports (hockey, tennis and karate) and trying to expand my mostly native garden.
Katherine Murtagh
I grew up in Rutherglen on a couple of different vineyards and wineries.
When I was 16, I moved to boarding school in Melbourne and I graduated from Presbyterian Ladies College in 2012.
I then studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a Major in Media & Communications and a Minor in Law & Justice.
I went on to study a Master of Criminology. I studied part-time and worked part-time at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in the Volunteer Engagement Team.
Upon graduating, I started a new role in September 2019 as a Research Assistant for the Integrity and Oversight Committee – a joint investigatory committee at the Parliament of Victoria. In my current role, I undertake research tasks and prepare briefings, handle complaints and assist with the performance monitoring of the four different Victorian integrity organisations we oversee.
Nowadays, I spend my spare time reading, catching up with friends and family, hanging out and trying new restaurants with my partner, Paddy, and watering my numerous indoor plants.