We celebrated International Single Parents day by launching our Wall of Honour to pay tribute to all the amazing single mothers we know and have known!
Congratulations to all the mums who were nominated – you can read the tributes, in alphabetical order, below. There’s a lot of love and inspiration on this wall!
CSMC Single Mother Wall of Honour
Debbie
I’m nominating Deb because she has always shown such resilience in the face of incredible adversity, with little, to no recognition.
Deb has always been an amazing mum. When she separated from her husband, it was not smooth sailing. No child support, no financial settlement and very little in the way of a familial support system. However, she always made sure her son knew how much he was loved, that he was well fed, well dressed and had what he needed for school and extra curricula activities. Even if it meant she missed out. Which she did, often.
Amidst all of this, she has continued a journey of personal and professional development. She put herself through the education system as a mature age student. She worked hard to get the certifications needed to be able to work with disadvantaged and at risk teens and adults. Now, she speaks at conferences, seminars, at local councils and the courts to ensure the needs of her clients are met and they’re treated with dignity and respect. She’s my big sister and she’s one of my heroes.
Deborah
My mum’s condition soon after leaving my abusive father with my sisters and I was due to having been abused for so long. After leaving and becoming a single mother she faced daily struggles finding work, dealing with court documents and numerous police officers, trying to provide food and shelter for the family.
My Mum and I had, and have, a strong relationship because despite all of the hardships, she never stopped trying to do her best for the family and trying to get back on her feet whilst dealing with immense emotional and mental shock and trauma. There were many times I’d find her crying in her room or ruffling through bags and bags of court forms and files for nights on end to find the one form she was looking for whenever she had to appear in Family Court hearings.
Mum tried desperately to take care of us and help us to adapt to our new schools and environment.
I’m nominating Mum because it is wonderful to have the love of the strongest person I will ever know.
Desley
Desley and I are both single mothers by choice and we met when we were both pregnant. Desley is an incredible mother and has always been an inspiration to me. We have been through all the mothering milestones together, and she has always been there for me. It means so much to me to have Desley as a friend, I love her very much. Desley’s son is clever, sensitive and kind, and is testament to what a terrific mum he has.
Elizabeth
Elisabeth has raised three beautiful humans on her own, now adults grown into lovely people leading rich and contributing lives. Lis is a wonderful professional artist, mentor and teacher, who has studied, worked and participated fully in our Gippsland community as long as I have known her (over 20 years). Recently it has dawned on me how difficult her struggles must have been, bringing up her lovely children on her own out here in the regions, where distances are vast (Gippsland is half the size of Victoria), public transport is not easily accessible, study and employment opportunities are far fewer than in metropolitan areas. Lis has supported herself and her children through all the adversities rural and regional women face daily, so many achievements to be proud of, and I am honoured to be her friend.
Emily
I am so resilient even though I have endured years of trauma and abuse, I continue to bounce back, like the phoenix from the ashes. I use my experiences as my superpower and continue to be empathetic and encourage others to reach their maximum potential. I have three teenaged boys 16, 17, 18 . Two are on the spectrum. My youngest needs continual care and support. I don’t have a large network of support but I somehow keep sailing the ship. For many years my abusive ex alienated my children from me. There were times where I thought I would not go on, but I always thought of my boys. We have been reunited for a couple of years now, there is still a lot of healing to go through. I am patient, my unconditional love for my boys will assist. Many years of grief and list memories, but now gaining new memories.
Jill
Jill is, like quite a number of single mothers, also a foster mother. Through her openness to sharing her life with disadvantaged kids, she has created a warm and wonderful family for her one biological child. She co-parents, acknowledges and respects the birth parents of children she fosters, deals with an incredibly challenging bureaucratic system, and constantly persists. Her house is full of lego, books, bikes, other active toys, and her garden is full of flowers, fruit, vegetables and great places to hide. Jill is a change agent, constantly working to improve the processes for children in trauma and the skills of those working with them. The kids are fabulous and I value her friendship, her political commitments, her strategic thinking and intelligence, and the warmth and love of the family she has created.
Julieanne
Julz would have to be the strongest most caring and loving mother to her seven children throughout their each individual life’s. Sadly Julz has experienced much more heart ache than any mother could even imagine, with the passing of three adult children who were parents themselves, leaving behind four young ones, and with much strength to then fight through all that pain to still be the best mother and grandmother to her other children and all of her grandbabies. My hat goes off to Julz as she battles through anything life throws at her all powered by her love for her own. Such an honour to be a supportive friend to a devoted single mother.
Kate
She never gives up. Always tries hard to better her situation. Her relationship with her teenage daughter is incredible. Respectful caring and always laughing even when life is really, really tough as it often is. I admire her incredibly as she continues to break the generational trauma legacy picking up where I left off.
Kavita
She is amazing what she does. Since the ex left her and her son who was two at the time, she has brought her son up so well. I am so proud of my sis . Her son is now 11 years old . She works so hard day and night. In the community, her independence, positive attitudes and her ongoing confidence brings respect to all the single women .
Kelly
I have known her for 21 years, she has always put her children first, done all the parenting by herself, financially, emotionally, and physically. While doing all of this she has studied and worked to provide the best for them. Kelly is an all round amazing human who works hard to support marginalised people, her friends, family, and her children.
Kelli
K was a doctor, a mum of two beautiful children, and the founder of a support group for single medical mums in Australia that is the safe place for many. She was an advocate against violence against women – and the kindest most giving person I never got to meet in person. She had experienced deep heartbreak but she gave everyone whose heart was broken so much love and goodwill that can never be repaid.
She started a culture of “buy yourself flowers Friday” for our group. She was a cancer survivor but she did not survive. Sadly, a year ago she died. Her life is not in vain because while we miss her dearly – her legacy is love, kindness, protection and compassion for all she came across.
I hope all single mums have the chance to buy themselves flowers as part of K’s legacy to look after yourself. Thank you for the flowers K.
Looby
Looby is a fabulous hardworking single mum doing her best with a challenging special needs child! She’s so kind and caring and goes above and beyond to do the right thing for her family, whilst also juggling work and other commitments. Down to earth and always willing to help others, Looby is a caring friend and dedicated mother.
Margie
Margie has been a long-time friend and we mutually supported each other during our single mothering years. She has been an inspiration as well as friend, giving advice when asked and always being a friend to me and my daughter. Together, we initiated a playgroup for African – Australian children of single mothers where we were able to discuss issues of concern and give each other support. Margie is brave and courageous and has done a wonderful job raising her children, continuing to support her grandchildren and acting as a catalyst within her communities.
Maureen
Maureen is the most amazing single mum I know! She chose to have her two beautiful kids by IVF all on her own. I admire her for her parenting style, how she manages to run her own successful business Global Teams, and how she devotes time to both her kids. Each weekend she spends a whole day doing an activity of their choice with each of her kids, like they might go to the art museum or for a run together. She is empathetic and caring and her kids both know how much they are loved for exactly who they are, and are always encouraged and supported to be their best versions of themselves. She is the one person I would trust to look after and care for my kids if I ever can’t be here for them (I’m a single mum too!).
Saide
It’s only since I’ve become a mother myself that I’ve realised how amazing my mum was/is and how many challenges she must have faced doing it alone. My mum, Saide, is strong, brave and set such an awesome example for me to follow – and now does the same for her grandchildren. She built a community around her to support us both, she worked incredibly hard to give me every opportunity she could, and she made the world a better place while doing it. Thank you mum, I’m so lucky to have you and I love you very much.
Samara
Samara is a very dedicated single mother to her two lovely kids – and so much more. She has the biggest heart imaginable. She will always go the extra distance for people. She cares so much about everyone around her and offers support in ways big and small. She also supports people through her work.
Samara is also the MacGyver of single mothers! Her ability to problem solve, fix things and tow stuff is impressive. She embodies the single mother mantra of ‘doing more with less’.
She is so kind, determined, dedicated and loving. She has the cheekiest smile! Her beautiful soul shines right out of her. Samara is an inspiration to me of open-hearted living.
Santosh
Santosh has gone through many challenging times in her life and especially in the last few years. Although it took a toll on her and her son, she has set an example of resilience. She built a career for herself and is now the founder of SmartHeal. She took an idea she was passionate about and built it into a sustainable business. Along the way she spoke at multiple events. She won many pitch events and a cash prize.
Most importantly, her son has tons of memories; countless adventures to look at. The school reports suggest that he is 12 months ahead in his academics. She has been awarded a fellowship, which is only awarded to people with high potential of contribution to the industry, university or ecosystem. She is Women in AI APAC nominee 2023 and Great Companies Entrepreneur of the Year 2024.
She continues to build herself, goes to gym, walks and meditates to keep her sanity. It is everyday women like this that need to be put on the wall so other women can see and be able to relate.
Shayal
Shayal is an absolute role model and the strongest female I have come across. She separated due to family violence from her husband when she was 5 months pregnant with her second child. I remember her not having a home, Covid just struck and she had no where to go. Her life had been a roller-coaster without minimum support, I know. She has turned their lives completely now. She has become so strong facing the hardships and its absolutely amazing to see how far she has come being successful in providing a happy and stable peaceful home for her and her two children all by herself. I think she is an inspiration. She cares and provides for her children all by herself and I think she is an amazing human and mother who deserves to be honoured.
Shirley
My mother, Shirley, is the most inspirational mother and woman I know. Shirley raised me and my three siblings as a single mother in a house of love and happiness and dreams, and when I became a single mother by choice in 2010, I knew that I could do it, because I had seen her do it. My mum was in the room when my two daughters were born and she cared for me while I was caring for my babies. She still cares for me now; she is my greatest support and my loudest cheerleader. My mum essentially co-parents my daughters, and they adore her. Shirley raised her children solo and at the same time built a successful and fulfilling career. Her brilliant example guides me through my life. Shirley is an incredible women and deserves so much all the love she receives.
Sian
I am nominating Sian for her strength and resilience. She is a shining light in so many people’s lives while bringing up her beautiful daughter with unconditional love and kindness. She is the first to help anyone around her even though she is time poor, and she is someone I respect enormously. Well done Sian you are an amazing mother, friend and human.
Sultan
I am nominating myself as I am finally seeing my worth. I am able to care for my two kids, put myself through Uni as the first in my family, to be able to get a better education and hopefully become a teacher. My youngest has additional needs, I take him to all his allied health appointments and love my boys enough to compensate for their abusive and manipulative father who come’s and goes as he pleases. I am teaching my boys the correct way to treat people, especially women and girls, life skills that are required for all people not just women. I am teaching them that help for mental health isn’t anything to be ashamed about.
Suzie
Suzie was forced into single parenting and did not question her unwavering commitment to her daughter. She idolised and adored her and was thrilled to become a mother. Through tragedy, financial hardship, loneliness, constant decision making on her own, solitude and lack of support, she has endured the ups and downs of all aspects of parenting and especially those challenging teenage years. She has been the most incredible and inspiring mother a child could ever have and her daughter is so lucky to have her as her mum.
