A Point Cook woman who has devoted her life to helping the families of servicemen and women has been recognised in Australia Day honours.
Margaret Fisk has been honoured with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her service to members of the Australian Defence Force with a disability, and to their families, through support organisations. …
It’s the second time Mrs Fisk has won an Australia Day honour, having received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1996.
“The OAM was just wonderful and now to get this – it’s a total surprise,” she said.
Mrs Fisk helped establish the Defence Special Needs Support Group in 1993 when she was trying to get a diagnosis and treatment for her son, Brendan, who has intellectual disabilities, autism and cerebral palsy.
At the time, her husband Terry was in the Royal Australian Air Force and being posted to different locations every two years, making it hard for Brendan to access the help he needed.
“There’s a wait to get assessments done, a wait to see doctors and then a wait to get onto waiting lists,” Mrs Fisk said.
“If you’re on a two-year posting cycle and you have a two-year waiting list, you’re not going to get any services.
“And this was way before the days when the government was providing funding for early intervention and things like that.”
She started meeting other Defence families going through the same thing and, before long, support groups popped up all over Australia, leading to changes in government policy.
Mrs Fisk also set up a national respite program, Circle of Friends, in 2001.
“There’s a lot of people who have helped and a lot of people willing to listen to our problems and willing to help implement the solutions,” she said.
