Deaf Community legends honoured in Centenary celebrations

From the AAD Lookout!, Issue 5, August 2001.

Effigies of John Michael Lovett, AM and Dorothy Evelyn Shaw, OAM will go to Canberra as part of Peoplescape, to stand in the sun and rain for two weeks from 25 November.
Peoplescape is a national project to mark the end of the Centenary of Federation celebrations.  About 5000 plastic effigies of Australian people will be set up  in rows from old Parliament House to the current Parliament House in Canberra.

AAD [Australian Association of the Deaf] nominated John Lovett to be part of Peoplescape as a significant Deaf Australian- for his contributions to raising the profile of the Deaf Community, his encouragement of other Deaf people and for being an excellent amassador for Australia, particularly in the area of Deaf sports.

Dorothy Shaw was nominated by Thomas Pattison School, also for her importance and contributions to the Deaf community.  Among many other achievements, Dorothy Shaw was AAD's founding President.

We are delighted that these nominations have been accepted and John and Dorothy will be part of Peoplescape.

Over the next month or so we will be "decorating" John's effigy.  This is a plastic, life-size cutout in the shape of a person.  We will use paints and photographs to tell the story of John and his importance to the Deaf community.  We will then send John's effigy to Canberra, where it will be attached to a metal support to make it stand up.  Dorothy's effigy will be decorated by Thomas Pattison School.

You will be able to see these effigies of John and Dot, and the other 4,998 "people" in Canberra from 25 November until 4 December.  There will e a launch of the Peoplescape on 25 November in Canberra, and it will be televised live. So put this date in your diary now to watch it on TV- some stories from the Peoplescape will be included in the launch.  We don't know which ones, so we will be watching TV to see if John or Dot are there.

To find out more about Peoplescape, and to read the nomination "story" for John and Dorothy, go to www.peoplescape.com.au

By Tiffany Williams