FOR FIVE YEARS from 1970 I pushed a stroller, with a baby or two or three, in passionate street marches with hundreds of other women. As our voices grew stronger it was easy to believe that the future would deliver equity and equality for women. With the assurance of a youthful true believer I told Edna Ryan, one of my heroines who had been at the forefront of many battles, that I was confident 24-hour child care was just around the corner. She responded that if my three children’s children had access to quality child care it would be a miracle.

I was shocked that she could think that. I now know she was right about the complexity of providing quality child care across Australia. It is a dream yet to come true.