Two titans of Territory politics honoured for their service to the community

TWO titans of Territory politics have been honoured for their service to democracy and the community

Pioneering Territory politician Noel Padgham-Purich’s contributions to the Territory community extend well beyond her work in politics. Picture: Helen Orr

TWO titans of Territory politics have been honoured for their service to democracy and the community.

Cecilia Noel Padgham-Purich, the first female to hold an NT bush seat, and former speaker Jane Aagaard have been appointed Members of the Order of Australia (AM) for their significant service to the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory and to the community.

Jane Aagaard

Mrs Padgham-Purich was an MLA for 20 years between 1977 and 1997, serving first as a CLP member in the seat of Tiwi then Koolpinyah before running as an independent in 1987.

From 1990 the seat was renamed Nelson.

Mrs Aagaard was the Labor MLA for Nightcliff between 2001 and 2012 and remains the only Labor politician to have held the speakership in the NT to this day.

She also chaired the NT’s statehood steering committee.

Her successor in the speaker role is independent MLA for Goyder Kezia Purick, who is Mrs Padgham-Purich’s daughter.

MORE TOP NT NEWS

Business booms after Stage Three restrictions lift

High Court overrules longer sentence for NT drug dealer

Two men charged in relation to murder investigation

But Mrs Padgham-Purich and Mrs Aagaard’s contributions to the Territory community extend well beyond their roles in politics.

Mrs Aagaard founded and ran the NT Brolga Awards and NT Sports Awards for more than a decade and was heavily involved in the Uniting Church of Australia, serving as a member of its National Assembly.

Mrs Padgham-Purich was heavily involved in the Country Women’s Association of the NT for many years, serving as its president for two terms.

She also founded the North Australian Canine Association, now known as Dogs NT.

She is a life member of the NT Royal Agriculture Society.

Mrs Padgham-Purich, who lives on her farm in Holtze, said she was “perfectly surprised” at receiving the honour though when asked how she would celebrate the day, said “everything goes on as you’d expect” as the chooks and the goats still needed to be fed.

NEW OFFER: Get amazing Sennheiser earbuds (RRP: $499) with NT News subscription deal

“One of the things to be considered mainly, when I did these things in the past I didn’t do it alone,” she said.

“This honour retrospectively belongs to more than me, it belongs to people that I’ve worked with.”