We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledge and pay respect to their Elders, past and present.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples should be aware the website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.

Lesley Hall OAM

 1954 – 2013

Disability advocate, arts administrator, writer and Feminist activist

“... we must cease to be judged on our appearances. Competitions which set and enforce standards of beauty must be abolished. It is for these reasons that women who are disabled oppose beauty quests.” – Lesley Hall

Lesley Hall OAM was a powerful activist who dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of those living with disabilities, women, First Nations people, and those on low incomes. As a leading advocate for the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), she played a major role in getting people living with disabilities involved in talks, lobbying, and campaigns. Thanks to her efforts, the National Disability Strategy and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) were successfully created, making a huge difference in support for people living with disabilities across the country.

Born in Melbourne, Lesley faced many challenges and barriers growing up.  She had no physical issues at birth but started to show symptoms of muscular dystrophy at around 7 years of age.  At sixteen, she visited an orthopedic surgeon who had unsuccessfully tried to “fix” her body with surgery many times. This time, Lesley planned to refuse the operation. During the visit, the surgeon told her that her disability made her “ugly.” This comment made Lesley realise that her worth was being unfairly judged by her disability and motivated her to challenge society’s definitions of beauty actively.

Lesley trained and worked as a teacher and was involved in various community and arts organisations. She was a founding member of the Women with Disabilities Feminist Collective (WDFC), now known as Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA).

Throughout her life, Lesley was a passionate advocate and activist against beauty pageants. She became known for her radical and effective methods of protest.  Lesley was strongly opposed to the inherent contradiction in events like these that raised money to support children with cerebral palsy, yet objectified physical perfection and excluded people with disability.

In 1981, during the International Year of the Disabled Person, Lesley staged a bold protest at the Miss Australia Quest, a beauty pageant organised to raise funds for the Spastic Society (now Scope). Holding a placard that read “Spastic Society oppresses women,” she stormed the stage, making a powerful statement that brought disability issues into the feminist spotlight. This was one of the first public acts to connect disability rights with feminist concerns, paving the way for future advocacy.

Lesley also made significant contributions working with disability advocacy organisations, including Reinforce, Action for Community Living (ACL), and the United Nations ESCAP in Bangkok.

In 1985, she wrote a groundbreaking report titled “Free from this Place” for the Australian Human Rights Commission, highlighting the rights and conditions of residents in Victorian institutions.

From 2008 to 2013, she served as the CEO of the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), where she played a key role in creating the National Disability and Carers Alliance and shaping the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

As a member of the Disability Resources Centre (DRC) in Melbourne, Lesley led efforts to support people with disabilities, making the DRC a vital resource for issues like accessibility and legal rights.   

Additionally, she was Chair of Arts Access Victoria and a dedicated advocate for the rights of women with disabilities, ensuring their voices were prominent in both disability and feminist movements.

Lesley understood the power of the arts, working with the Melbourne Workers Theatre from 1988 to 2002. As the arts and cultural officer at the City of Darebin, she was committed to representing Women, multicultural communities, First Nations people, and those living with a disability.  On the board of The Art of Difference, she supported an international festival showcasing artists with disabilities. Lesley was also a talented writer and editor, with stories published in Unusual Work and a novel in progress.

Her tireless efforts in social justice and disability rights made society more inclusive. Inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2014 and posthumously awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2015, her true contribution is seen in the lives she transformed and the structural changes she achieved. Her story of defiance, resilience, and passion shows how one person’s dedication can drive meaningful social change.

Acknowledgement:

This Biography has been written by Her Place Women’s Museum in consultation with Annette Rooke – sister of Lesley Hall OAM

Photograph: Lesley Hall OAM with her brother Frank Hall-Bentick.  Family Photograph courtesy of Annette Rooke

Commemoration

Royal Lane – Disability Pride Mural

Larissa McFarlane’s Disability Pride Mural in Royal Lane, Melbourne, is a vibrant tribute to the disability rights movement. Located on the south side of Bourke Street, near Swanston Street, the mural features the words “Disability Pride” formed by the silhouettes of local people with disabilities.

It also showcases portraits of six influential women including Lesley Hall OAM, Stella Young, Aunty Gayle Rankin, Daisy Serong, Dr Margaret Cooper OAM and Laura Hershey who lived with disabilities and self-portraits of McFarlane doing handstands, symbolising resilience and pride.  The mural also includes self-portraits of McFarlane performing handstands, symbolising the resilience and pride of people living with a disability. Surrounding these images are colourful kites, representing the strength of individuals as they overcome societal barriers. The mural celebrates both the struggles and successes of the disability community.

Artist

Larissa MacFarlane is an artist/activist based in Naarm working across printmaking, street art and community art practice. They identify as a proud queer, disabled, feminist and use their experience of a 23-year-old brain injury to investigate  Disabled culture, community, identity and pride.

Further Resources: