Awards 2023

Jenny Dorris 

Nominated by Pamela Margaret Hamill

Seconded by Miss Lucy Campbell

As a volunteer, Jenny Norris has always been active within the community. Jenny says that her passion didn't seem like volunteering, more like living an active life, pursuing the things she enjoyed and contributing where she felt strongly about an issue_ That saw her participating in a wide range of areas, much of which has been overlapped and become a little blurry.

Whilst never being a Committee member of Wildcare, Jenny has been passionately involved in wildlife rescue and care since 1991. The first animals she took into her care were two baby female joeys from East Point in 1991 and has continually had several animals in her care since then.

Jenny joined the Northern Territory Aids Council in its second year during a very difficult time in her life. Also at this time and for a number of years, she worked as a volunteer Radio presenter for Top FM104.1 presenting both the Country Music program and the Folk Music program.

Jenny was also a member of the Darwin Film Society Committee for six years during a period encompassing both the establishment of the Deckchair Cinema and its subsequent move to its current location.

Between 2001 and 2005 Jenny had the privilege of working with a group of friends, assisting five families of refugees to settle for the then, Melaleuca Torture and Trauma Service.

Jenny also spent a year with the NT Environment Centre Committee followed by a four year project with three friends, archiving projects for the same organisation.

For a couple of years pre COVID, Jenny assisted with afternoon teas at Burnett House for the National Trust; locally promoting the work of Opportunity International in funding for the establishment of Trust Banks and was a local fundraising volunteer for the Australian Orang-utan Project.

However, Wildcare is Jenny's passion. She has coordinated Possum releases for Wildcare for the past 3 years, mentored many Carers and am recognised for my management of critical care cases. She says that she has undertaken so many rescues and cared for so many animals in a year, that to recall them all, has become much of a blur.

Jenny Norris is a very special person, whose love of and care for our wildlife, will remain a significant part of her life for time to come. Her determination to provide sanctuary and care for our wildlife has earned her, significant acknowledgments, not the least being recognised today, as a Senior Of Excellence NT.