Tamara Sloper Harding OAM

Known as The Lady In The Hat to many in East Timor, Tamara first went there in 1999 in the wake of the violence following East Timor's referendum on independence. At that time she was a Royal Australian Navy officer and was one of the first people into the shattered territory.She travelled extensively gathering a profound knowledge of the country, meeting its people, and falling in love with both.Tamara spent time in the village of Soibada located in the centre of Timore Leste. Since then, she has maintained a close association with the village spearheading a continuous program of assistance aimed at providing education, training, and jobs for people determined to build a strong future for their nation. On Australia Day 2016, Tamara was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for her work for the communities of Timor Leste and her own community of Pittwater, in Sydney.