Remembering Ann Shevill

Ann Shevill (L) with Zontians Mary Magee and Betty Byrne-Henderson at a Garden Party hosted at Government House, Brisbane, in September 1992, by Her Excellency Ms Leneen Forde, then Governor of Queensland.

Born Margaret Ann Brabazon in Winton on 12 May 1927, Ann’s early years were spent in outback Western Queensland where life was dominated by droughts and the Great Depression. She boarded at Somerville House in Brisbane in 1941, but when her secondary education was interrupted by World War II, she returned home and worked at the Queensland National Bank in Hughenden completing a correspondence course to qualify as an Accountant and Corporate Secretary.

Ann moved to Sydney in 1949 to work as an accountant, and travelled and worked overseas. She returned to Queensland in the 1950s, becoming a mainstay of the office of the Queensland Division of Engineers Australia - at times constituting the entire office staff!

In 1963, she bought into Glenfalloch, one of Brisbane’s first high-rise residential developments.

As a resident of Glenfalloch, she served as a member of the Glenfalloch Board of Directors and at times Acting Chairman. Her experience there and later, when she moved to a block of more modern units, gave her an insight and personal experience of Body Corporate Management leading to a significant career in this field.

Ann married Bishop Ian Shevill in 1974. The Bishop was a widower with two young boys, and Ann not only cared for the family but worked tirelessly for the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, becoming Honorary Diocesan Treasurer.

Ann returned to work in 1982 as a part time Secretary to the Home Unit Owners Association, with the right to practise as a Body Corporate Manager.

Ann was a dedicated and passionate supporter of community organisations, particularly Girl Guides and Zonta International.

She had read about Girl Guides and Boy Scouts in English children's magazines when she was a child, and became involved in Guiding from her teenage years. She was proud of her association with the movement, serving as State Treasurer of Girl Guides Queensland (1980-1984) and as a member of the State Council, Finance Committee and Constitution Committee and as Vice-President (1991-1996). As the Governor of Queensland was the President but was not always able to attend meetings, this was a busy time for Ann.

Zonta International entered Ann’s life in 1971 when she was invited to join the Zonta Club of Brisbane as a Charter member, together with Pat Avery who shared Ann’s passion for Guiding. Ann made an enormous contribution to the Club and became a familiar face at Zonta International Conventions, District Conferences and Area Meetings. She was a member of the District 24 nominating committee (1992–1994) and as District Treasurer 1994–1998).

Zonta friends - Ann Shevill and Rhyl Row, 1998

Ann continued her busy professional life, serving as the first Honorary Secretary/Treasurer to the Steering Committee established to set up Body Corporate Managers Institute Queensland (BCMIQ)1. She was Secretary/Treasurer to the new Institute and later as BCMIQ President (1986-1988) and part-time Secretary (1989-1994). Ann was awarded Honorary Life Membership of BCMIQ in 1995 and The Shevill North Training Centre was named in honour of Ann and Margaret North (also a member of Zonta). SCA continues to present the annual Ann Shevill Essay Award in her honour.

Ann was widowed in 1988 and moved into Iona Retirement Village in Brookfield. Always an avid reader, she was credited with receiving Borrower Card No.1 when the Kenmore Library opened. A keen amateur photographer, she contributed her collection of images of the 1974 Brisbane flood to the State Library of Queensland, and maintained an enormous collection of photographs of Zonta activities which are now held in the Club’s archives in the John Oxley Library.

In retirement, Ann also continued to play tennis and golf but her favourite hobby was the Brabazon Family History Project. Having enthusiastically adopted computers in the 1990s, Ann kept up a lively email correspondence with Brabazon family members around the world.

When Ann died in Brisbane, a celebratory service for her life was held at the Chapel at the Old Friary in Brookfield on 5 August, 2014, and, on 21 September 2014, a group of her family and friends, including many Zontians, gathered at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane for a ceremony to scatter her ashes.

A life-long supporter of QAGOMA (Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art), Ann made a generous bequest to the Gallery of Modern Art Foundation in her will. The gift funded the acquisition of four works by Indian artists which had been exhibited in the 2016 Asia Pacific Triennial (APT8) - an untitled Kaavad shrine by Satyanarayan Suthar, and three ink-on-paper works by Pradyumna Kumar.

Compiled by Judith Anderson from web searches and records held by the Zonta Club of Brisbane.