Reproduced from 'Essence' magazine
Volume 42, Number 3
Exclusively for ABA subscribers

Judy Gifford Honorary member and Counsellor, Erina Group NSW
With assistance from Mary Paton AM OAM

It was exciting to read in the Australia Day Honours list that the Australian Breastfeeding Association's founder, Mary Paton OAM, was awarded the higher honour of Member (AM) in the general division.

The citation read: 'for service to the community as the founder of the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia, and to the development of policies, protocols, management, support and training methods to assist nursing mothers and their babies.'

Mary received her OAM in the Australia Day Honours in 1978. The March edition of the NMAA Newsletter proudly announced this and read in part:
'Mary Paton, NMAA's Founder and current Vice-President, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through NMAA.

Mary, who with five other mothers started the Association in 1964 in Melbourne, has held executive positions as President and Groups Controller, and was a member of the Executive Committee (now called the Board) until the Association was incorporated in 1975.

She is also an honorary member and member of NMAA's Advisory Board and throughout the years has acted in virtually all capacities for the Association - counselling, training and is always available to advise, reassure, comfort office bearers and harassed Executive Committee members, as well as mothers needing help.

Mary is, in effect, the doula of NMAA, just as NMAA seeks to act as a doula (a supporting relative or friend who 'mothers' a mother) to breastfeeding mothers who need it.

The most exciting aspect of the award is that, as Mary says, it is seen as a real recognition of the Association, and of the dedicated work of thousands of mothers for other Australian mothers and babies.'

When Mary and the five founding mothers began NMAA in 1964, there was very little information about breastfeeding and certainly nothing written by Australians for Australians, nor was there any support and assistance for new mothers. Our Association, which celebrated its 40th birthday in 2004, has helped hundreds of thousands of breastfeeding women and their families and continues to do so today. There are currently 10,000 members, 1100 breastfeeding counsellors, 250 community educators and 300 active mother support groups, throughout Australia. Quite a legacy.

ABA is Australia's leading authority on breastfeeding. Apart from providing skilled mother-to-mother support to women and their families, our Association has an office in Melbourne; publishes this magazine, Essence; the refereed professional journal called Breastfeeding Review; provides ongoing in-service training to our volunteer counsellors and community educators; runs seminars and international conferences for health professionals and publishes a wide range of literature for both mothers and health professionals. It maintains the Lactation Resource Centre that has a library of over 15,000 journal articles, reference books, videos and case histories. In 1985, the Association honoured Mary by naming a perpetual award for excellence in breastfeeding research after her.

The basis for all this was laid down in the early years by Mary and her wonderful team of dedicated women.

Mary was the inaugural President for five years and continued on the Executive for another ten years in various roles. In 1976, she became an honorary member and honorary adviser, a role that continues today. She planned and implemented the structure of NMAA, instilling a strong code of ethics. She devised the training system for counsellors and found many innovative methods, including the sale of literature and mothering aids, such as the Meh Tai sling, to raise funds to support the work of the organisation. In the early days, Mary's home was the hub of NMAA, with the phone ringing constantly and a continual stream of visitors not only seeking help about breastfeeding but also offering their services to the Association. Her home was, in fact, NMAA's first headquarters.

Mary has maintained regular contact with overseas breastfeeding support groups, attended overseas breastfeeding conferences and organised the world's first international conference in Sydney in 1981 for breastfeeding support groups. Mary travelled widely throughout Australia attending celebratory events particularly in the years we celebrated our 30th and 40th birthdays.

Mary has been actively involved in NMAA/ABA at all levels for 42 years and her attendance at Australian Breastfeeding Association events is actively sought, bringing delight and inspiration to the current generation of counsellors and members.

In 1981, Mary received an Advance Australia Award. In 1993, Family Circle Magazine announced her as their 'Woman of the Year'. In 2001, she was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women as part of the Centenary of Federation's Ordinary Woman: Extraordinary Lives. In 2004, she became a Living National Treasure.

Mary Paton has made an outstanding contribution to breastfeeding women and their families, both in Australia and overseas. Mary had the vision, integrity and drive to found an influential and far-reaching voluntary organisation dedicated to helping women breastfeed in an era where the word could not even be used in public.

These days Mary lives in retirement with husband Tim in the NSW Southern Highlands. They have three children and three grandchildren and Mary maintains an active interest in our Association that she still calls Nursing Mothers' with great fondness. Mary leads a busy life with her interest in antiques, gourmet preserving and gardening in particular. She built a seven-acre garden from scratch on the NSW Far South Coast, which she opened to the public under Australia's Open Garden Scheme. She became very involved in this organisation, first as a Selector, then Chair of Selectors for the ACT/Sthn NSW region, then regional Chair of the Management Committee and member of the national board, until her husband's illness. She remains an ex-officio member of the regional committee. She also served as a Community Director on the NSW Life Education State Board.

Mary writes: 'I was delighted to receive the award and personally feel very honoured and wish to thank those responsible for nominating me. However, what is more important is the honour this award bestows on the Australian Breastfeeding Association. The ongoing publicity it brings to the Association is invaluable.

Amongst the many kind letters of congratulation I received from friends and organisations are letters from various politicians. These provided me with the opportunity to highlight an applicable statistic or statement from ABA's excellent Australian Breastfeeding Leadership Plan in my thank you letters! I was particularly touched to receive a letter from Senator Kay Patterson, for she was a friend of NMAA's first medical honorary adviser, the late Dr Lorna Lloyd Green. Dr Lloyd Green was a tower of strength in the early years and continued her active support of NMAA until her death.

Thank you, ABA. I will continue to use this honour to promote the Association and the wonderful service we provide.'

Essence May 2006.