Josephine Peter started volunteering in Broken Hill at the age of 7, knitting socks for Australian soldiers during WWII. By 1945 her tally, she estimated, was 450 pairs of socks. Josephine’s next venture was packaging up food parcels, which sold for 3 pence each, for a charity called the Comfort Fund. As she grew up, and following the example of her mother who was also involved in supporting soldiers and their families during the war, Josephine realised that helping people in difficult circumstances was what she really wanted to do.
After over 75 years of service for too many organisations to list, her volunteering resume is rather impressive. In her lifetime of public service in Broken Hill, Josephine Peter was involved with college boards and tutoring, telephone counselling, arts societies and parents’ committees. She has volunteered with the Women’s Flying Doctors and driven thousands of kilometres in car rallies to raise money for kidney health. She volunteered for the Smith Family for 27 years and has also been a Broken Hill tour guide.
According to Josephine, a highlight of her extraordinary career as a volunteer was organising the debutante balls for the Broken Hill South Rotary Club, which she did for more than 20 years. Her husband of 58 years, Fred, was her co-organiser until his death in 2013.
On Australia Day in 2016, Josephine Peter’s life time of service to her community was honoured when she was named Citizen of the Year by the Broken Hill City Council. In 2017 she was awarded the NSW Local Hero award.
On the rare occasions when she is not volunteering, she also knows how to do things ‘for Josephine’ and likes to play the ukulele and to line dance.
Josephine Peter is still a local hero, and another of the many Broken Hill women, past and present, who embody the spirit of the far west and who have achieved great things.
Audio transcript available.