Cathy Tate recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours List

13th June 2018

Twenty-four people from the Hunter, Newcastle and Port Stephens area have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List including Cathy Tate, Chairperson of the Calvary Mater Newcastle Community Advisory Council.

Cathy has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Newcastle. An award she has found very humbling to receive.

Since moving to Newcastle over 40 years ago, Cathy has consistently contributed to the community – giving a voice to the less fortunate and vulnerable, fundraising, teaching future generations, standing on ceremony as former Lady Mayoress of Newcastle, as well as providing tireless service to the Mater.

Cathy has been involved with Calvary Mater Newcastle formally Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital since August 2003 when she became a member of the Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital Board. As part of the Board, Cathy helped guide the Mater alongside other well-known Novocastrians through its redevelopment, a timely and intense process, and eventually the transfer of the Newcastle Mater Misericordiae Hospital to Little Company of Mary Health Care to become Calvary Mater Newcastle.

Following the transfer, Cathy became involved in what was then the hospital’s new Community Advisory Council, a committee of community members who play an advocacy role to provide a connection between the community and the hospital. Since 2013, Cathy has been the Chairperson of this committee. Cathy also belongs to the hospital’s Patient Care Quality Committee, where she provides a valuable perspective from a consumer’s point of view. As well as being Patron of the Calvary Mater Newcastle Auxiliary ‘Cancer Carers’.

Cathy said,

“My mum always said ‘put your best foot forward, do what you can and help others’ and I like to think I’m doing what I was told.”

“I look at particularly the Mater, where I have been very involved for quite a number of years, the number of people that volunteer day in and day out to help in the wards, help in palliative care, sell lollies, raise funds – they’re always so cheerful and happy and so prepared to contribute their bit.”