Funding for universal access to Stella Young statue

Published on 01 October 2024

Works to create universal access to a statue honouring late disability rights activist and journalist Stella Young will soon be underway at Cato Park, Stawell.

Northern Grampians Shire Council will deliver the project by the end of the year after winning a $100,000 Council Support Package grant from Regional Development Victoria.

The grant will enable the extension of footpaths from two accessible car parks to both the bronze statue and accessible toilets, along with sign and landscaping upgrades.

Council chief executive Brent McAlister said the universal access upgrade stemmed from the Remembering Stella Young project, which culminated in the statue unveiling at Cato Park in March last year.

“The statue is a popular fixture of Cato Park, which of course is a much-loved community asset,” he said.

“This latest upgrade is a fitting extension of the Remembering Stella Young project, which aims to continue Stella’s legacy – to challenge and educate society and its perception of disability, and to strive for a ‘world where disability is not the exception, but the norm’.”

Ms Young was born in Stawell in 1982 and lived in the town with her family until moving to Geelong to study a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations at Deakin University. She later completed a Graduate Diploma of Education at the University of Melbourne.

Ms Young was born with osteogenesis imperfecta and used a wheelchair for most of her life, learning to live independently.

Active in the disability community, her roles included membership of the Victorian Disability Advisory Council, Ministerial Advisory Council for the Department of Victorian Communities and Women With Disabilities Victoria.

Ms Young was the editor of Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s disability-focused online portal, Ramp Up, from 2010 to 2013, and often shared her expertise on television programs on the ABC, SBS and Channel 10.

“One of the project outcomes of the universal access upgrade is supporting community cohesion and pride, and we are certainly proud of what Stella achieved throughout her remarkable life,” Mr McAlister said.

“Thank you to Regional Development Victoria for recognising the importance of this statue to our community and how vital it is that all people have the opportunity to access it.”

Mr McAlister said works at Cato Park would begin this month and people could keep an eye on the council’s Facebook page for more information.

People can visit website stellayoung.com.au for more information about the remarkable life of Stella Young.