It is with a sense of deep sadness and profound loss that Denise Allen’s family announce her passing at dawn on January 22, 2022.
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After a battle with cancer, Denise passed peacefully and without pain surrounded by her children Shae, Hayley and Paul and her beloved granddaughter Stella Mae; as she wanted.
Denise’s tireless advocacy for social justice, disability reform, dying with dignity and labour movement ideals will be a loss to the Australian political landscape.
It was important to Denise that others continue the campaigns that meant so much to her and other like-minded souls.
Denise Boote was born in Alexandra, Victoria, in March 1953.
Denise was the youngest of three children, along with Anne and Marylyn, to Jack and Betty Boote.
Denise was a highly competitive swimmer in her youth, particularly proficient at backstroke.
After leaving school and spending time in Melbourne working for Myer, Denise travelled to Port Moresby to stay with her sister Anne where she met John Allen, the man who would become the father of her three children.
In 1974, Denise gave birth to her first child, Shae Elise, followed in 1977 by the arrival of Hayley Lee and then in 1979, her son, Paul Anthony.
Much later, to her great delight, Shae gave birth to Stella Mae, the light of Denise’s twilight years.
After the end of her marriage, Denise struggled, as many single parents do, with the tension between making money to raise her three children and making something of herself.
Among Denise’s achievements was her advocacy for people living with a disability and standing up for those disenfranchised or marginalised by the status quo.
Her biggest achievement, indisputably, is her time as the State Member for Benalla in the 54th Victorian Parliament as part of the Bracks Labor Government from 2000 to 2002.
Denise campaigned determinedly on local issues prior to her election and continued to be a strong advocate for her regional constituents for the entirety of her time in office.
Denise ran for parliament for the seat of Benalla in the 1999 general election and lost to the incumbent, Victorian National Party leader and deputy premier Pat McNamara, where she polled 42.5 per cent of the primary vote, a swing of 7.85 per cent from the 1996 election.
After Mr McNamara’s resignation six months into his term, triggering a by-election, Denise ran again this time against Nationals candidate Bill Sykes.
Despite great odds, she won the May 13, 2000, by-election by 237 votes, achieving a further swing of 7.81 per cent.
Denise became the first Labor member to hold the seat of Benalla in its 97-year history.
She was also the first woman to hold the (now abolished) electorate.
Despite gaining funding for local infrastructure projects, such as the Kirwans Bridge restoration, these funding commitments were not always enough or matched by federal counterparts.
Denise was a passionate environmentalist who campaigned for the adaptation of industrial hemp as a renewable resource and alternative farm product to supplement jobs in tobacco and logging in north-east Victoria.
Denise continued to campaign for alternative fibre production after leaving politics.
Her time in parliament was the high watermark of her life and the pride and joy of her father, ALP life member Jack Boote.
Denise always said, “It was a short period, but a huge part of my life.”
Among her achievements in parliament was being the inaugural chair of Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, her decades-long campaigning for Dying with Dignity (enacted as Voluntary Assisted Dying in the 58th parliament) and her activism for the widespread adaptation of industrial hemp as a renewable resource.
Denise gave a speech to a House of Lords Committee in 2014 on ethics in politics.
She continued to fight for north-east Victoria after her time in office, seeking pre-selection for the ALP in the seats of Indi and Euroa in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Her ongoing contribution to political discourse in Australia is evidenced by the outpouring of heartfelt, and humbling, tributes to Denise by her “Twitter family”.
Denise led a highly varied occupational life, working as a model, motivational speaker, small business owner, Member of Parliament, political consultant and disability advocate.
Denise turned the ability to start again into an art form, from her many brave moves to new, and often unknown places, to her polymath-like talent to make new endeavours succeed despite the odds.
It was, however, her political career and ongoing advocacy that she found most fulfilling.
Terms like “didn’t suffer fools” and “pulled no punches” attest to Denise’s acerbic wit.
A fiercely partisan, political animal, Denise was a true believer in the Australian Labor Party.
She never lost sight of the light on the hill, even when storm clouds obscured its luminescence for her.
Denise was lucky to have been born in Australia — and she realised this.
For many years, and despite a burning desire to do so, Denise did not think that a single mother-of-three from a working class family with few resources could aspire to become an MP.
It is testament to the progressive ideals of the ALP and the egalitarian Australian spirit that someone of her ilk could realise their dream of being an MP.
Her service to the state in which she was born and loved so much was and is a source of pride for her and her children.
It is fitting that, in her life reflections, Denise identified that “all that really matters, in the moment, is love”.
This love extended to those she fought for and didn’t know, her advocacy for a dignified existence for the least fortunate in our society and her fierce, unwavering love for those in her inner circle.
Despite personal tribulations, Denise lived her dreams as best she could manifest. Although taken from us too soon, she leaves an indelible mark on those that knew her, even if that connection was only digital.
The complex, compassionate, challenging, loving, fierce warrior woman that was Denise Allen is survived by her mother, Betty, progeny Shae, Hayley, Paul and Stella Mae, lifelong friends and Twitter family.
Denise’s family would like to thank the staff of the Alfred Centre Short Stay Unit for their care, but especially the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Palliative Care Unit (Ward 1A) for their exceptional care, compassion and humanity in Denise’s final weeks.
We cannot thank you enough for the dignity and comprehensive care you provide to patients and their families during one of the most painful periods in their lives.
You reaffirm our faith in the human condition.
Vale Denise. The world is darker for your flame being extinguished.
A celebration of Denise’s life will be held at 2pm on Sunday, February 13, at ‘Rennie’s at Acheron’, 132 Breakaway Rd, Acheron, Victoria, 3714.
Those wishing to join in the celebration are welcome to attend. Denise requested that we wear a splash of red to her memorial.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation, in Denise’s honour, to the Peter MacCallum Foundation.
RSVP attendances to denniallenmemorial@gmail.com
— Paul Allen