Quentin Bryce: Behind-the-Scenes She is a Friend and Mentor

Australia’s first female Governor-General Dame Quentin Bryce has long been recognised as a trailblazer, but as biographer Juliet Rieden wrote about her life, she also found a woman deeply committed to friendship, justice and community.

Key points:

“Quentin is a powerful reformer,” Juliet told Hope 103.2’s UNDISTRACTED podcast.

“She’s kind, she’s generous, she’s compassionate [and] she cares so deeply about changing the world.”

A lawyer and academic, Quentin’s career has included many significant roles: she became the nation’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner in 1988, later served as Governor of Queensland in the early 2000’s before her historic appointment as Governor-General in 2008, where she continued her advocacy for women, children and Indigenous Australians for six years.

Her upbringing in rural Queensland, Juliet observed, gave Quentin a clear sense of purpose and dedication to friendship.

“She’s kind, she’s generous, she’s compassionate [and] she cares so deeply about changing the world.”

“She sort of decided as a teenager that what she wanted to do was change the world and then pretty much went ahead and did it,” Juliet said.

“She writes so many letters, reams and reams of letters,” Juliet said.

“They’re really touching, very caring, to people she knows very well and even to people she’s just met.”

Quentin’s passion for women’s rights emerged early. After time in London during the late 1960s, she returned with what Juliet calls “a verve for changing the world, really, and changing the world for women and children.”

“She decided as a teenager that what she wanted to do was change the world and then pretty much went ahead and did it.”

In 1978, her role on the National Women’s Advisory Council marked the beginning of her political influence, and a decade later, she became Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner.

“That was very hard work, but it was very thrilling work,” Juliet said.

The challenges of leadership were real, there was “lots of sexism, lots of misogyny”.

“It’s very hard being the first woman in a role,” Juliet said.

Yet Quentin’s resilience was grounded in her upbringing and her family, with her marriage to architect Michael Bryce being a cornerstone.

Quentin Bryce: The Authorised Biography is out now.

“[Quentin] would say that her marriage was the most important thing in her life,” Juliet said.

Michael, who passed away 47 years into their marriage, is remembered as “the wind beneath her sails,” who championed Quentin’s career while sharing equally in family life and parenting their five children.

Following Michael’s death, Quentin drew strength from what Juliet calls her “soul food” –  the bush, music, art and beauty.

“These are things that are important to her,” Juliet said.

“She sees beauty everywhere. She sees beauty in a flower, she sees beauty in a work of art. She sees beauty in the young kids that she mentors.”

Listen to the full episode of UNDISTRACTED with guest Juliet Rieden in the player above.

After spending so much time with Quentin for the biography, Juliet’s learned “a great deal about the power of reform, about implementing change, about not just talking the talk, but walking it”.

“[Quentin’s] also taught me a lot about the importance of friendship, about giving back, about being a good person in your community,” Juliet said.

Quentin’s life message is to, “never be afraid of giving things a go, even if they frighten you a little. Jump in”.

Quentin Bryce: The Authorised Biography is out now.

Listen to the full episode of UNDISTRACTED with guest Juliet Rieden in the player above.

Feature image: Supplied (Penguin)