It is with sadness that we acknowledge the passing of The Honourable Margaret (Peg) Lusink AM (1922-2026), a foundational figure in the history of the Victorian Women’s Trust. A member of the Victorian Bar for over 50 years and a Justice of the Family Court, Peg was a woman of high intellect and practical resolve who stepped up at a pivotal moment for Victorian women.

In 1985, when the Victorian Women’s Trust was established with a million-dollar grant, then-Premier John Cain was looking for a leader who could provide stability. He approached Peg, who was serving as a judge at the time, describing her as the “safe pair of hands” needed to oversee such a significant public investment.

Peg accepted the role of Foundation President (now known as Convenor) and spent six months focused on the mechanics of governance. Once the board was functional and the organisation was operational, she wrote to the Premier to inform him that her task was complete, paving the way for Loula Roudopoulos to take the lead.

Peg’s professional life was marked by service across many sectors. In 1976, she made history as the first woman from Victoria to be appointed to a Superior Court of Record when she joined the bench of the Family Court of Australia. After thirteen years on the Family Court bench, she moved into academia as a Professor of Law at Bond University. Whe

Image: (from left) Peg Lusink and Mary Crooks in April, 2022 (supplied).

n she eventually settled in Euroa, she remained active in the community, establishing a mediation practice and serving on the boards of local bush nursing hospitals and the National Friends of the Libraries of Australia.

Her work on the Adult Parole Board and the Commonwealth Professional Services Review Tribunal further reflected her commitment to the justice system and public oversight.

Mary Crooks AO, our former Executive Director, had the opportunity to meet her in 2022, when Peg was 102 years old. During their visit, Peg expressed her satisfaction in knowing that the Trust had not only survived but continued to grow. Mary recalls:

“Peg was whip-smart, independent, and immensely practical. She was delighted when I initiated contact… she hadn’t really realised that the Trust had survived and prospered. It was a great meeting. I was glad to have met her.”

Peg’s commitment to justice for women was perhaps a natural progression; she was the daughter of Joan Rosanove, one of the first women admitted to practice law in Victoria. Through her own career and her early leadership of the Trust, Peg made a tangible difference to the lives of women across the state, both in metropolitan Melbourne and in the rural communities she called home.

We are grateful for Peg’s early stewardship, which helped ensure the Trust could become the organisation it is today. Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

Funeral details and a full obituary will be published in the coming days. Visit the Vic Bar website for more details.