The Black & White Committee is run by a team of volunteers, many of whom have been committee members for over 20 years and some for over 50 years. Since 2000, current president Susan Diver has brought about significant changes in keeping with social changes in Sydney life. In the modern era the profile of Committee members has changed as more professional and business women join and bring with them the corporate connections that result in sponsorship. The Black & White Committee is well poised to maintain its traditional heritage while proceeding efficiently into the future.
The charity holds a number of events each year, including the Annual Black and White Ball or Gala, The Women of Achievement Luncheon, The Lifestyle Luncheon and other events such as art exhibitions, cocktail parties and reviews
Each year the Black & White Committee raises approximately $250,000 through these fundraising events for Vision Australia’s Children’s Services.
These funds help Vision Australia’s Children’s Services to provide a range of support, counselling, therapy and training services free of charge to children with blindness and low vision and their families. Children with blindness or low vision may experience a range of difficulties including difficulty bonding with their parents, dependency and unemployment later in life. A child may not even develop the strength to brush his or her teeth or hold his or her head up without non-visual stimuli to encourage them to crawl or walk. The services provided to these children costs more than $3 million annually across New South Wales and the ACT alone.The Black & White Committee’s aim is to continue to support the education of children and young people who are blind or have low vision by allowing them to access computers through synthesized voice screen readers and Braille, and all written literature through talking books, recorded versions of texts through the audio studio facilities and the innovative Feelix library of Braille books.
Susan Diver OAM, President, Black and White Committee
Anne Mountstephens OAM, Deputy President, Black and White Committee
Executive Committee
Executive Member Honorary Secretaries: Pam Scharrer, Michaelene Graves, Rosemary Winlaw
Executive Member Honorary Competition Secretaries: Jacquie Cope-Williams, Jeanette Higgins, Cecile Hunt, Claire Scapinello, Christobel Hoeben, Mary Anastasi
Executive Member Honorary Treasurer: Vikki Baltussen
Executive Member Honorary Assistant Treasurer: Mary Walsh, Sarah Ash
Executive Member Honorary Publicity: Angela Belle McSweeney
Executive Member Honorary Assistant Publicity: Carlie Poulden
Past Presidents
1936 – 1937: Mrs Eric Sheller
1938: Mrs Roy Buckland
1939: Mrs A.V. Maxwell
1940 – 1947: Mrs Roy Buckland
1948 – 1949: Mrs Marcel Dekyvere
1950: Lady Lloyd Jones
1951: Mrs Marcel Dekyvere MBE
1952: Mrs Lawrence Byrne
1953: Mrs Marcel Dekyvere MBE
1954 – 1955: Mrs Richard H. Allen
1956 – 1960: Mrs Marcel Dekyvere MBE
1958 (Acting) Mrs Neville Manning
1961: Mrs Neville Manning
1962 – 1970: Mrs Marcel Dekyvere MBE
1964: (Acting) Mrs Richard H. Allen
1971 – 1973: Lady Austin
1974 – 1975: Mrs Leon Myerson
1976 – 1990: Mrs Charles Parsons AM
1987: (Acting) Mrs Arthur Gollan
1991 – 1999: Mrs Roy Melick OAM
2000 – Present: Mrs Susan Diver OAM