Elizabeth Anne Byrne Henderson (born 1932) is an Australian philanthropist and retired businesswoman. Byrne Henderson is perhaps best known for her work in the automotive industry, but is also known for her advocacy in the health sector and for her financial benefaction to tertiary education.

Early life

Byrne Henderson attended All Hallows' School in Brisbane. After leaving school, she worked as a stenographer, a book keeper and as a junior sales clerk.

Career

Byrne Ford

Henderson established a Ford dealership called Byrne Ford in Brisbane with her husband Bernie Byrne in 1969. When her husband died in 1977, she took over the business as sole owner and governing director, despite experiencing sexism in a male-dominated industry. Under her guidance, the company rapidly expanded and grew from having a staff of 35 workers to having over 140 employees. In October 1991, the company became the first Australian car dealership to attain

Quality Assurance Quality assurance (QA) is the term used in both manufacturing and service industries to describe the systematic efforts taken to ensure that the product(s) delivered to customer(s) meet with the contractual and other agreed upon performance, design ...

accreditation. Henderson handed over the company to her son Peter Byrne in 1995.

Philanthropy

In 1987, Henderson commenced an ongoing philanthropic relationship with the Queensland University of Technology when she gifted a substantial amount of money to the university to establish a fundraising course. Among other things, Henderson's donations are credited with assisting medical research, providing student scholarships, and enabling the restoration of Old Government House. In 1997, Henderson was awarded an honorary Doctor of the University degree from Griffith University, in recognition of her contribution to society. Her community involvement also extended to being a board member of the Brisbane City Council's Transport Committee and the Queensland Harness Racing Board as well as a member of the Brisbane Cricket Ground Trust and the Queensland Corrective Services Commmission. She was also a foundation member of the State Library of Queensland Foundation, and a member of the Ronald McDonald House Committee and Zonta International.

Health

Henderson is also known for her work in the health sector. She had a lengthy association with the

Royal Brisbane Women's Hospital The Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) is a tertiary public hospital located in Herston, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is operated by Metro North Health, part of the Queensland Health network. The hospital has 929 ...

, chairing the hospital board from 1982 to 1991. A women's health centre located within the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital is named in her honour. Henderson is credited with helping introduce

mammography Mammography (also called mastography) is the process of using low-energy X-rays (usually around 30 kVp) to examine the human breast for diagnosis and screening. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through d ...

buses for women in remote areas as well as supporting the development of a midwifery system in Aboriginal communities.

Politics

Henderson contested the

1989 Merthyr state by-election The 1989 Merthyr state by-election was a by-election held on 13 May 1989 for the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Merthyr, based in the inner Brisbane suburb of New Farm. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of National MP an ...

which was triggered after the resignation of Don Lane in the wake of the Fitzgerald Inquiry. As the National Party candidate, Henderson bore the brunt of a substantial swing against the government, polling third behind Santo Santoro (Liberal) and Barbara Dawson (Labor).

Awards

In the 1995 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of her service to the community and to women's health. In 2011, she was named as a Queensland Great. In 2022, Henderson received the Queensland Community Foundation's Board of Governors Award for Outstanding Achievement.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne Henderson, Betty 1932 births Queensland Greats Members of the Order of Australia 20th-century Australian businesswomen 20th-century Australian businesspeople Australian women business executives Australian motor vehicle dealers