Nora Morrisroe

She has devoted her whole working life to assisting the musical development and appreciation of our youth, many of whom have gone on to make fine careers in the musical field throughout the world.

Locally, on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, to the national level, she is recognised as a gifted and generous music educator. She has taught at a number of country and city Victorian high schools and introduced comprehensive music programs for tuition and performance into each school. She has assisted in curriculum development for music as a key learning area on the VCE Board of Studies and the National Curriculum.

From 1997 onwards, Nora taught at Canterbury Girls' Secondary College and increased the number of small chamber ensembles, established the Canterbury Orchestra and Junior Choir as well as maintaining the four concert bands, stage band and two chamber string orchestras.

From 1988-96, Nora was Co-ordinator of the Statewide Music Resource Centre that she established to ensure a specialised music reference and loan service was provided to all schools. She wrote the initial Arts: Music Discussion Paper and assisted with planning and presenting the 1994, 1995 and 1996 professional development programs as part of the National Music Teacher's Professional Development.

Her annual Music Teacher's Resource Guide provided an annotated listing of resource centres, support organisation, performing artists and other programs developed for schools, as well as University entrance requirements for music courses.

In 1997, Nora had a Paul Harris Fellow bestowed by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and in 1999 she was given Life Membership of the Australian Music Educators' Association. Nora's life is truly dedicated to music education.