Winsome McCaughey

Winsome Howell was born and raised on a property at Baddaginnie, in north-east Victoria, where her great grandparents had settled in 1870.[2] After primary school she was sent to board at Morongo Girls' College in Geelong.[3] She was married to Patrick McCaughey.[4]

She studied philosophy during her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne, and resided at the University College from 1962–64.[5]

Alongside Ruth Crow, McCaughey helped found the community-based childcare movement and was founder and Director of the Community Child Care Association from 1972 to 1979. She drafted Australia's first Children's Services Policy for the Australian Social Welfare Commission.[6]

McCaughey was Executive Officer of the Reichstein Foundation from 1986 to 1988.

McCaughey was the spokesperson for the residents' group Melbourne Voters' Action, and in 1982 was elected Councillor of the City of Melbourne Council, topping the ward's primary vote. She remained councillor until elected Mayor of Melbourne in 1988.[7]

When her term as Lord Mayor ended, she headed Melbourne's bid for the 1996 Olympic Games. She also spent three years as the CEO of the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (now called Food Standards Australia).[8]

In 1991 she met her partner, Snow Barlow, Professor of Horticulture and Viticulture at the University of Melbourne. Together they have established Baddaginnie Run, on her family's land, with the aim of restoring the land's biodiversity, establishing native vegetation bio-corridors, growing premium quality grapes through sustainable practices, and creating fine wines that reflect the area's soil and climate.[2] McCaughey was CEO of Greening Australia for four years.[9][10]

McCaughey was founding Executive Director of the Australian Business Arts Foundation (AbaF, now Creative Partnerships Australia) from 1998 to 2005.[11][10] She has been a trustee of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust since 2010, is Director of the Macpherson Smith Rural Foundation and a Director of the wine company Seven Sisters Pty Ltd.

In 2014 McCaughey was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia 'for her distinguished service to the community, particularly to local government and early childhood development, and through a broad range of charitable organisations.'[12]