Special Achievements

• Won the first bursary which was made available to assist a child from the Territory to undertake secondary schooling in Adelaide.
•  1963 - Official Photographer of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visit.
• First Alice Springs female photographer.
• She and her husband were the first managers of the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve and started a small zoo there.
• 1981 - Awarded the medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general Division of the Australia Day Honours.
• Her art is in private collections in Australia, USA, UK, and Germany.

Additional Information

• Member of pioneer JOHANNSEN Family
• 1961 - After fire destroyed her photographic studio -- and almost everything --- she turned to painting.
• 1983 - shared a drink with Her Majesty.
• "Most of my childhood memories are to do with the sand, the heat and the dying cattle."
• Foundation member of the Consumer Affairs Council serving as Deputy Chairperson and Chairperson.
• Foundation member and art adviser to Alice Springs Art Foundation, Inc.

Image - Mona Byrnes

Mona with her eldest son Geoff, at the Johannsen home in Todd St, Alice Springs

Source: Northern Territory News, Tuesday October 28, 2003, page 29

Link - "Mona Byrnes"

Territory Stories

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Link - "Vale Mona Byrnes OAM"

ABC Alice Springs

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Link - "Byrnes, Mona (1923-)"

National Library of Australia

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Link - "Vale, Mona Dora Byrnes, OAM"

Little Darwin blog spot

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