A pioneer community builder

It is not every day that a street is named after you and that is what happened recently to my late grandmother Hajnalka (Hanna) Enders. The signs are now up for Hanna Enders Lane in Dickson, ACT, and I had the pleasure of visiting to see these in commemoration of Hanna, who was co-founder and president of the Dickson Neighbourhood Centre.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, to Jewish parents, Hajnalka (Hanna) Hass’s family moved to Berlin, Germany in the late 1920s. The rise of Hitler threatened her new family’s future and brought hardship and separation during the Second World War. The family was eventually reunited, and in 1951, Hanna, her husband Adam and three children emigrated to Sydney (one of whom was my father, Peter).

In 1963, Hanna moved to Canberra, where she was co-founder and president of the inaugural Dickson Neighbourhood Centre Inc. from 1979–1987. She was also a valuable and energetic member of the planning committee which led to the establishment of the North Canberra Community Centre in 1989.

Her drive to create a community centre was to provide a place for all voices to be heard, after living for so many years in a world where only some were allowed.

Hanna provided valued voluntary service to a wide range of local organisations including the Royal Canberra Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, the Horticultural Society of Canberra, and the Canberra Opera Society, designing and making costumes for performances. She was awarded the British Empire Medal in June 1981 for service to the community.

A proud moment for our family indeed!