Judith Cooper

Judith was only four weeks old when she came to Darwin with her parents. Her father was a Darwin Doctor for fourteen years then the family moved south. In 1971 Judith returned to Darwin and took up nursing at the Darwin Hospital when her architect husband John Leslie Cooper decided that Darwin was a growth place for his profession. John and Judith have three daughters and two sons. Judith was one of two nurses to start the Family Planning Association in Darwin in 1973 where she worked as a nurse educator until 1983. She decided to change careers and became involved in library work. Judith was a member of the Catholic Women's League (CWL) since 1971 and held the position of national president of the CWL of Australia from 1982 to 1984. During this time she hosted the biggest conference held in Darwin since Cyclone Tracy, with 400 women attending from around Australia and overseas. She was also a board member of the YWCA from 1978 to 1986, the aim of the organisation was to encourage women to become involved in their community and organise activities. From 1981 to 1986 she was involved with the Little Athletics association at both the local and Territory levels and was responsible for the first National Little Athletics competitions in the Northern Territory in 1982.Nurs