THE life of dedicated Frankston environmentalist Kath Hassell was honoured at a plaque unveiling last week.
Hassell was a Frankston Beach Association member and spent decades advocating for the preservation of Frankston’s natural open spaces. She died at the end of 2020.
Last week, a plaque commemorating her life was unveiled at the Sentinel sculpture near Cliff Road in Frankston.
A big crowd of friends and family gathered to remember the environmental warrior. Hassell’s daughter, Jennifer Hassell, said the Sentinel sculpture was the perfect location for a plaque.
“While I think of this as mum’s bird, the Sentinel is about all of us – about community and the love of nature and a reminder of what we need to do to protect this,” she said. “We love the way the bird looks out across the foreshore and beach and on towards the creek – where you have all worked so hard.”
Frankston Environmental Friends Network president David Cross said Kath Hassell “set an unequalled standard in conserving Australia’s coastal environment and she was greatly admired by all who knew of her outstanding work.”
“It is accurate to say that without Kath’s enthusiasm, inspiration, knowledge and hard work, the City of Frankston would be a poorer place in which to live,” he said.
Hassell received an Order of Australia Medal in 2017, and was named Frankston Citizen of the Year in 2000.
