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Diplomat, aid
worker and humanitarian
Australian diplomat Allison Sudradjat, who lived and worked in
Papua New Guinea from 1996 to 2001 for the Australian Government's
aid agency, was one of the 21 people (including five Australians)
who lost their lives in the Garuda Airlines crash in Indonesia on
March 2, 2007.
Allison arrived in Port Moresby in July 1996 to take up the role
of First Secretary for AusAID at the Australian Embassy.
Not only was she at the forefront of implementing Australia's aid
program in Papua New Guinea - Allison also made a great
contribution to efforts to build peace in Bougainville, oversaw
the delivery of aid to deal with PNG's worst drought in 100 years
in 1997-98, and led relief efforts following the Aitape tsunami in
1998 that killed some 2000 people.
During her time in Port Moresby, Allison was a key member of the
team that established Australia's first structured aid programs in
Papua New Guinea. Her AusAID colleague Annmaree O'Keeffe remembers
the long hours they worked in order to implement the new aid
program structure, while also coping with the needs of people
affected by the drought and tsunami. At times, the huge workload
coincided with the Islamic Ramadan period, and Allison, a devout
Muslim, was unable to eat or drink until after sunset for the
duration of the month-long period. Nevertheless, she was tireless
in her efforts to build up the aid program and assist those in
need.
She had a very strong relationship with the Department of Health,
especially the department's Secretary, Dr Puka Temu, and they
worked closely together to find ways that the Australian aid
program could assist the department to improve its performance.
In 2005 Allison and her family moved to Indonesia where she played
a leading role in providing assistance to people affected by the
Indian Ocean tsunami. She was appointed to the role of Minister-Counsellor
- the most senior AusAID official in Indonesia - in mid-2006, and
was on her way to Yogyakarta on March 7, 2007, as part of an
official Australian Government party when the plane in which she
was travelling overshot the runway and crashed. In that terrible
moment a husband lost his wife, four children lost their mother,
and Australia lost a dedicated and compassionate humanitarian, aid
worker and diplomat in the service of her country.
Indonesia and Papua New Guinea lost a loyal friend who loved both
countries and their people, and who understood their complexities
and potential to grow.
Allison grew up in Western Australia in the town of Narrogin. A
hardworking and gifted student, she won a scholarship to Perth
College where she became Head Girl and studied the Indonesian
language. She moved to Canberra in 1983 after being awarded a
highly prized undergraduate scholarship to the Australian National
University.
On completion of her Honours thesis (Marriage in Islam) in 1986
she was awarded a year-long Indonesian Government university
scholarship in Bandung. Before taking up the scholarship she
worked for a short time at the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra
where she met Ris Sudradjat. In July 1988 she and Ris were married
in Jakarta, and the first of their four children, Jamila, arrived
the following year - to be followed by Imran, Zaini and Yasmin at
two year intervals.
When Allison joined AusAID in 1989 she found her vocation and an
outlet for her enormous intellect and compassion. It was Allison's
compassion and frankness that made her one of AusAID's most
capable and dedicated contributors, whose intellectual and
practical approach to the challenges of development was not just
an inspiration, but was delivered at warp speed. She played hard
in the contest of ideas and often won people over with her
analytical skill, her probing questions and the force of her
argument. She inspired her staff and was unswervingly loyal to her
friends.
Many of Allison's colleagues and friends from her time in Papua
New Guinea need only look around their offices and homes to see
mementoes. For Dorothy Luana in Rabaul it is the coffee mug with
her name written on the side, which arrived in the post
unexpectedly, three years after Allison had left PNG. For Annmaree
O'Keeffe, who returned to Australia with AusAID, it is the photo
frame Allison gave her, to keep photos of her family close by, and
the scarf hand-knitted by Allison, for comfort during tough times.
One of Australia's most respected and talented development
experts, Allison was also an inspirational leader, and people
looked to her with great respect, admiration and fondness.
We will miss her expertise and kindness, and the mere sight of her
trademark curly hair and keen eyes. Allison remembered everyone's
name, arrived (literally) with soup when a friend was sick, taught
people to swim and never missed a chance to tell her children and
her staff they'd done something fantastic.
Allison is dearly loved and missed by her husband, her four
children, parents, brother, sister and extended family. Her family
has suffered an unbearable loss. Allison was a wonderful daughter.
A wonderful sister, a wonderful wife, a wonderful mother who spent
her life, and ultimately gave her life, in service to humanity. In
our hearts forever.
 
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