DCM > Women > Tribute > 2003 > Jose Petrick

Jose Petrick OAM (b. 1924)

"Her energy, optimism, knowledge, have been inspiring to me. She is a fellow pianist, has a great sense of humour and is a role model for women everywhere. She is representative of the kind of women who come to the Northern Territory and - against great hardship and difficult circumstances - make great successes of their lives in a quiet, steadfast manner. She has twice the energy of anyone half her age." (Anna Harris, Nominator to the Centenary of Federation Peoplescape , 2001)

Jose Tizard was born in Bournemouth , England in 1924. She trained as a secretary and then as a Registered Nurse. Jose came to Sydney in 1950 and worked in nursing and secretarial positions. She came to the Northern Territory to be the governess at MacDonald Downs Station, 300kms north-east of Alice Springs in 1951.

In 1952 Jose married Martyn Petrick from neighbouring Mt Swam Station where they lived until 1960. They then moved to Neutral Junction Station, near Barrow Creek with their two small children Suzette and Grant. While there Jose ran a medical clinic for the 150 people in the neighbourhood which included 100 Aboriginal people.

Martyn died suddenly in 1974. Suzette had started her nursing training in Adelaide and Jose and Grant moved to Alice Springs . Jose worked as a journalist for the Centralian Advocate.She later print a booklet called Street Names Tell History. Jose left The Advocate in 1978 and undertook further historical research and wrote features for the National Trust of the Northern Territory .

Jose was appointed Historical Interpreter and Postmistress at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station in 1980 for a year and was relief guide until 1996. She was awarded a Government grant to transcribe the diaries of Dr Frederick Renner, the doctor during the construction of the Overland Telegraph line, whose practice extended from Port Augusta to the Roper River , a distance of approximately 2600kms. The diaries were published as The Renner Diaries.

The 2000 copies of the street name book sold out and as the town expanded Jose published a second edition The History of Alice Springs Through Street Names which included more than 200 streets in 1986. This edition sold out and Jose publisheda third edition in 1996 twice the size of the previous one. This edition entitled: The History of Alice Springs Through Landmarks and Streetnames sold out in 2004.

" Ayers Rock was first recorded in 1872 by explorer Ernest Giles (Giles St) and named the following year by explorer William Gosse (Gosse St), after the Premier of SA, Sir Henry Ayers. Ayers Rock is world renowned for its glowing red colour change at sunset and sunrise, which is watched by thousands of tourists each year." (Jose Petrick, The History of Alice Springs through Landmarks and Street Names , 3 rd Edition, Hyde Park Press, p.3).

Jose's immense historical research has been recognised. In 1993 she was the recipient of the Alice Springs Zonta Club Woman of Achievement Award, and in 1998 she received a Women's Achievement Award from the Chief Minister, for her service to the Northern Territory .

In January 2000 Jose was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for the preservation and recording of the history of Alice Springs and for her voluntary work at the Old Timers Homes. In August 2000 Jose was thrilled and honoured to carry the Olympic Torch. In December 2003 Jose was awarded the St Philip's College Outback Achievers Award, an annual award presented to a someone who is a role model for the students.

Jose is a Life Member of the National Trust (NT) and Patron of the Heritage Alice Springs Inc. She is a member of the Alice Springs Running and Walking Club and has won various gold, silver and bronze medals in the Alice Springs Masters Games in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2004. She is also a member of the Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club.

Jose's daughter Suzette married Noel Heritage, her son Grant married HelenMae Oldfield. She has five grandchildren, Clarke, Scott and Chelsea Lee Petrick and Matthew and James Heritage.