Feature: Ten great Aussie women of the decade
 By John Burfitt, Contributing Editor, Jamaica Blue Escape
Selected by Frank Morris
Cathy Freeman lit the cauldron at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and the flames of Aussie success have been burning brightly ever since. Be it as leaders of the nation, Oscar winners, Nobel Prize recipients, world champions or inspiring figures whose words and actions have inspired millions to work towards a better future, these 10 Aussie women have been leading the charge.
 Professor Elizabeth Blackburn
In the final year of the decade, Elizabeth scored an Australian first as the first female Australian Nobel Prize winner, for her work in medicine. She was recognised for her study of telomeres, the caps that protect chromosomes in cells, and is a discoverer of telomerase, an enzyme that does the protecting. The work of the Tasmanian-born molecular biologist has helped open a new field of science, raising the prospects of medical breakthroughs. The married mother of one has also been a strong advocate for the advancement of women, speaking out against closing career avenues to women because of the responsibilities of mothering young children.
Cate Blanchett 
Cate began the decade acclaimed as one of the new breed of Hollywood actresses to watch – and how her star has taken flight ever since! She was luminescent in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and bravely took on roles of three legends – Queen Elizabeth I, Katharine Hepburn and Bob Dylan – in the movies Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the Aviator and I’m Not There, winning an Oscar for her turn as Hepburn. At the same time, she became mum to three boys, and in 2008, became Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, starring in as well as directing numerous stage plays. Next up, she is playing Maid Marian in the new Robin Hood tale.
 Quentin Bryce
History was made in 2008 when Quentin became the first woman to be appointed Governor General of Australia. Quentin is a strong advocate for the rights of women, the protection of children and human rights for all. She came to the top job in the land having already undertaken such other roles as the Convenor of the National Women’s advisory Council, a Director of Queensland’s Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the Federal Sex discrimination Commissioner, and five y  ears as Governor of Queensland. Married to her husband Michael for 45 years, Quentin is also the mother of five and grandmother of six.
Mia Freedman
Magazine queen Mia Freedman kicked off the decade by being named Australian Magazine Editor of the Year for her work on Cosmopolitan magazine. Within four years, she was Editor in Chief of the trio of Cosmo, Cleo and Dolly, and launched a revolution within glossy magazines by banning diets and featuring models of all sizes and skin colours. Mia took a turn into TV with the launch of the chat show, The Catch Up. Since returning to her first love of writing, Mia has launched her website (www.mamamia.com.au), which has become one of Australia’s most popular websites for women. The married mother of three, her memoir, Mamamia: A Memoir o  f Mistakes, Magazines & Motherhood, climbed the bestseller list.
Julia Gillard
At the turn of the century, the very idea of an Australian female Prime Minister seemed a long way off. It became a reality in December 2007, when Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard assumed the nation’s top job while Kevin Rudd was overseas. It is a role she has undertaken many times since, and is considered the most likely candidate to succeed Rudd in years to come. Julia entered federal politics in 1998, and rose through the ranks as a shadow minister on such portfolios as Immigration, Indigenous Affairs, Reconciliation, and Workplace Relations. Julia joined forces with Rudd in late 2006 as the new leaders of the Labor Party, and when Labor won power
In December 2007, she became Australia’s first female Deputy PM. Her partner is Shepparton hairdresser Tim Mathieson.
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Female champion surfer plans to cycle from Ireland to Oz
Adapted by Frank Morris
A champion surfer is trading wave power for pedal power to travel home to Australia from Ireland. Former Australian body boarding champion putting the finishing touches to her route, which she estimates will take up to six months to complete. Kate Moloney. 27, was drawn to Strandhill, Co Sligo, last June because of its surfing. Now the graphic designer is planning the journey home but instead of flying, she intends navigating the 17,000km trip by trains, boats and her trusty bicycle, with the aim of raising €100,000 for charity. “I want to see beautiful landscapes, so cycling enables me to do that. It’s a challenge,” she explained. She will get a ferry to France and then cycle into Italy and Greece. Further cycling and ferries will take her to St Petersburg, where she hopes to catch the trans-Siberian train, cycling again from Beijing to Hong Kong, where she will catch a freight ship to Brisbane. Her progress can be followed on her website: www.katescycle.com. (Belfast Telegraph.co.uk’s via info.pacificlongboarder.com.)
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