The journalist, writer, broadcaster and filmmaker Anne Deveson has died aged 86.
Those paying tribute remembered her for a particular focus on social issues and mental health.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s two years ago.
“Vale Anne Deveson, you gave us so much over a long productive life so your friends honour your contributions to making society more civil,” feminist Eva Cox said in a tweet.
Deveson’s daughter, the novelist Georgia Blain, also died several days ago. She had been diagnosed with incurable brain cancer last year at the age of 51.
Blain died at her home on Friday, the Australian reported.
Our sharp, wondrous, talented, hilarious, beautiful friend Georgia Blain has died, and like all her friends I'm absolutely heartbroken.
— Charlotte Wood (@charlottewoodau) December 12, 2016
Too much sadness. Georgia Blain and her loved mother anne Deveson die within 4 days of each other a terrible loss for all of us
— Wendy McCarthy AO (@takingalongview) December 12, 2016
Deveson’s 1991 memoir Tell Me I’m Here chronicled her son Jonathan’s experience of living with schizophrenia and his eventual death of a drug overdose. Tell Me I’m Here was later made into a documentary, Spinning Out.
Deveson’s most recent book was Waging Peace, a memoir, published in 2013. It followed her childhood in Britain during the second world war, and her family’s evacuation to Malaya and then Australia as refugees in 1942. After a brief return to London, Deveson moved back to Australia in 1956 and embarked on a career of social commentary.
Deveson’s formal accomplishments included time as the chair of the South Australian Film Corporation, head of the Australian Film, TV and Radio School, and a leading role in the controversial royal commission on human relationships. The commission, set up by the Whitlam government, foreshadowed social and legal changes on abortion, homosexuality and policy affecting women. Deveson was also one of the founders of the Schizophrenia Australia Foundation, now SANE Australia.
Deveson was married to broadcaster Ellis Blain for 20 years. Blain died in 1979 shortly after their marriage ended. They had three children, Jonathan, Georgia and Joshua.
Vale Anne Deveson, you gave us so much over a long productive life so your friends honour your contributions to making society more civil!
— eva cox (@evacox) December 12, 2016
A giant in journalism, social change, mental health #AnneDeveson has died.
— Natasha Mitchell (@natashamitchell) December 12, 2016
An hour we sharedhttps://t.co/aBRZSZN67L
Vale incredible Anne
Georgia Blain’s first novel, Closed for Winter, was a haunting story of childhood loss and the resonances of grief throughout a family. She wrote nine novels, the most recent being Between a Wolf and a Dog, published in March this year. Her 2008 memoir Births, Deaths, Marriages was shortlisted for a Nita Kibble Literary Award.
Blain wrote about her brain cancer diagnosis and treatment in the months leading up to her death. She is survived by her partner, filmmaker Andrew Taylor, and their daughter, Odessa.
Blain’s editor, Marika Webb-Pullman at Scribe, said in a statement today: “Georgia was a wonderful person, as well as a wonderful writer. The warmth, intelligence, insight, and empathy so evident in all of her writing also characterised Georgia herself.”
Members of the Australian literary community expressed their grief on social media.
So sad to hear that both Georgia Blain and her mother Anne Deveson have passed away within days of each other. RIP beautiful women ❤️️
— Dr Anita Heiss (@AnitaHeiss) December 12, 2016
Georgia Blain: you were a great woman, writer, daughter, mother, partner, dog owner and wearer of great kaftans. The best kaftans, always.
— Sophie Cunningham (@sophiec) December 12, 2016
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