We honour the life and legacy of Trish Crossin AM, a fierce advocate for working women and a foundational figure of the Northern Territory Working Women’s Centre.
Trish was a founder of the NT Working Women’s Centre and her commitment to the Centre was absolute. She understood what the NT WWC meant for Territory women, particularly those facing isolation, discrimination and insecure work, and she would not accept a future where the NT WWC did not exist.
Trish played a critical role in securing and protecting funding for the NT Working Women’s Centre at times when its future was uncertain. She was relentless. Trish was known for turning up, pushing hard and refusing to leave offices.
She did not accept vague assurances or half answers. She stayed, pressed and negotiated until WWCs were properly funded because she knew how essential the service was for women across the Territory.
That same determination shaped her contribution to the broader movement. As a member of our national governance committee, Trish was helping establish Working Women’s Centre Australia as a national body, always bringing the NT perspective and her years of experience working with WWCs across the country. Trish was passionate about WWCs having an open door, to all women, no matter their circumstances at work.
In 2023, Trish delivered a keynote address at the NT Working Women’s Centre thirtieth anniversary that left a lasting impression on me. She spoke passionately about the Territory, the early days of the NT Centre and the hard fought battles to build and protect it.
Trish spoke powerfully about the battles women faced in building and sustaining Working Women’s Centres. She questioned the logic and fairness of having to repeatedly battle for funding, as though the value of the work needed to be proven over and over again. She described women doing countless unpaid hours, often while raising children, managing families and holding down jobs, working tirelessly to argue their case to departments, politicians and communities simply to keep these vital services alive.
I learned a great deal from hearing that history told so powerfully, and I was especially keen to share this history with the the new WWC network, as we had just welcomed five new Working Women’s Centres.
After her speech, I approached Trish to ask whether I could have a copy of her speech, so that the history she shared could be documented and shared across the network. Trish laughed and said yes, then showed me her notes. They were just three illegible dot points. Trish confirmed that she could not even read the bullet points, she had prepared.
Trish was speaking from the heart, telling the story of the NT Working Women’s Centre and has the room captivated. She was, of course, well practised at public speaking, but telling a story with such honesty, depth and connection is something else entirely.
As the first female Senator for the Northern Territory, Trish was tough, whip smart and principled. She spoke her mind clearly, but she also listened to difference and platformed people who were not always noticed.
The legacy of Trish Crossin AM lives on through the NT Working Women’s Centre, the national Working Women’s Centre network, and the countless Territory women whose working lives are safer and fairer because she did not give up, worked late and didn’t leave the room until WWCs were funded.
A young Trish photographed in front flag.
Our hearts are with Trish’s husband Mark, her son Paul, and her daughters Melinda, Amanda and Kate.
Trish often spoke to me about how deeply proud she was of her children. Knowing who I am, and who Trish was, our conversations naturally turned to her daughters and their work. It was clear to me that Trish’s legacy extended beyond her community and the Working Women’s Centres. She had also passed on her strong sense of justice, courage and conviction to her children. She was so proud.
Vale Trish.
Words by Abbey Kendall, CEO Working Women’s Centre Australia
