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PDF printable version of Australia’s first Ambassador for Ageing: Noeline Brown - a voice for older Australians (PDF 109 KB)

12 April 2008

Minister for Ageing Mrs Justine Elliot today announced the appointment of actor Ms Noeline Brown as the Ambassador for Ageing – to promote positive ageing.

Noeline Brown is a well respected media personality, an active community member and an Australia Day Ambassador.

The Federal Government created the Ambassador for Ageing to ensure that older Australians have a strong voice, a direct link into Government and a person to promote positive and active ageing.

The Ambassador for Ageing will be involved in a range of activities and events that promote positive and active ageing within the community as well as being a spokesperson for older Australians.

Ms Brown turns 70 this October and already speaks on the subject of healthy ageing to clubs and volunteer groups around the nation.

Noeline Brown will be involved in a range of activities and events that promote positive and active ageing within the community as well as being a spokesperson for older Australians.

The Ambassador will undertake a range of functions and responsibilities including:

• promoting internationally recognised principles of positive and active ageing;
• promoting healthy and active ageing messages within the community;
• leading promotional activities to ensure our communities value and respect older people;
• being spokesperson for respecting and recognising the continuing contribution made by older people to our nation;
• explaining Government programs and initiatives to the public including assisting older people to be aware of programs and how to access them;
• encouraging older people to plan for the future;
• representing the Australian Government at conferences, meetings and media engagements; and
• attending meetings with key Commonwealth, State and local government stakeholders on positive ageing issues.

The Ambassador for Ageing is an election commitment made on August 22, 2007.

While it was submitted for costing under the Charter of Budget Honesty during the election, the position will now be funded within existing resources. The Ambassador for Ageing will be supported within the Department of Health and Ageing's Office for an Ageing Australia.

Ageing in Australia

The Department of Health and Ageing oversees more than 2870 accredited nursing homes with 167,070 aged care beds across Australia. The average age of people entering residential care is 82.

Currently, there are 1.9 million Australians aged 70 and over, comprising 9.3 per cent of the population.

Within 40 years the number of people aged over 65 will almost triple, from 2.8 million today to around 7.2 million in 2047, or from around 13 per cent of the population today to over 25 per cent.

Australia is facing a demographic shift. Australians now have one of the world's longest life expectancy rates, outliving Swedes, Norwegians and Finns. Australia will change forever. An Australian born today can expect to live to reach 80.9 years of age; it is 78.5 years for a man and 83.3 for a woman.

Noeline Brown – biography

Noeline Brown is one of Australia’s best loved actors. She was born in Sydney’s inner-west and has had a long and successful career in radio, television and theatre.

Ms Brown lived in Stanmore for her entire childhood and went to Stanmore High School, where she was School Captain in her final year. Her first job was at the age of 15 in the Marrickville Municipal Library and it was at this age she developed the love of theatre.

In 1962 she was “discovered” at Sydenham’s Pocket Playhouse and her professional career began. Two years later she featured in the popular TV hit, the Mavis Bramston Show, which made her a household name.

After working briefly in the United Kingdom, Ms Brown returned to a series of radio, theatre and TV performances in Australia.

She starred in memorable programs as Blankety Blanks and The Naked Vicar Show. Ms Brown recently appeared in the film 'Razzle Dazzle' and the TV series “Dancing with the Stars”.

Ms Brown had both popular and critical acclaim including a Logie award in 1978 for the most popular NSW female personality.

She is married to writer/producer Tony Sattler, with whom she runs a production company — Wintergreen Productions. She currently lives in the Southern Highlands and continues to write, act and do community work.

Ms Brown has maintained an interest in social, political and community issues throughout her career. On the community front, Ms Brown has worked tirelessly for arts organisations and institutions including the Actors Benevolent Fund.

Since 1999, she has been patron of Starting Points, a charity for children with special needs. In 2006, she received a “Children's Week Community for Children Award” for “volunteering to improve the lives of children”.

In 2005 she wrote her autobiography, Noeline Brown – Longterm Memoir. She also starred in Peta Murray’s play Wallflowering, which toured Australia between 2004 and 2006. She was nominated for a 2007 Mo Award for her appearance in the play.

Last summer, she received an award for “most outstanding performance by an actress” for her role as Florence Foster Jenkins in the play Glorious at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney.

For more information, contact Mrs Elliot's office on (02) 6277 7280