A Tribute Dinner Honouring The Hon. Dr. Helen Sham-Ho OAM

Members of Way In Network were deeply honoured to join distinguished guests from across the community in paying tribute to our founder and honorary life president, an extraordinary Chinese-Australian woman, Dr Helen Sham-Ho.

Helen made history as the first Chinese-Australian woman to serve in the New South Wales Legislative Council, becoming a trailblazer for Chinese-Australian representation in public life. Through her years of dedicated public service and selfless commitment to the community, she broke barriers and paved the way for future generations.

Throughout her distinguished career, Helen has championed education, community development, immigration affairs and Australia-China relations, while maintaining strong connections with numerous community organisations. She is also the founder of Way In Network, where she has remained committed to empowering women, encouraging personal growth and giving back to society.

For all members of Way In Network, it was a profound privilege to celebrate Helen’s remarkable legacy and recognise her enduring contributions. Her vision, perseverance and dedication continue to inspire us all.

A tribute to Helen — a true pioneer whose legacy continues to open doors for generations to come. ❤️

A special highlight of the evening was the beautiful singing performance by the WIN sisters, which came as a delightful surprise to all guests. As the only musical entertainment during the dinner, their heartfelt performance brought warmth and joy to the occasion. In a gathering where all speeches were delivered in English, the Chinese ladies’ singing added a unique and memorable cultural touch. We sincerely thank all the WIN sisters who participated and contributed their time and talents, making the tribute dinner even more meaningful and memorable.

“✨ 向我的mentor良师益友何沈慧霞博士致敬,一位以生命影響生命的女性 ✨

看見這麼多朋友、社會賢達及支持者齊聚一堂，共同慶祝 Helen Sham-Ho 對社區多年的無私貢獻，內心充滿感敬佩。❤️

Helen不僅是澳洲慧賢會的創辦人，更是我一直由衷敬重的導師。能夠在她的引領下參與社區服務、見證她多年來為女性賦權、關懷新移民及促進社會共融所付出的努力，是我和姊妹們的福氣。

Helen 一路走來，她以自信，勇氣、智慧、堅毅，遠見與好打不平的理念，打破了一道又一道的玻璃天花板（Glass Ceiling），也跨越了無形的竹子天花板（Bamboo Ceiling），真真正正達到了天花板的成就。無論是女性在社會中的角色、華裔在主流社會中的代表性，還是少數族裔女性參與公共事務的機會，她都以自己的行動證明出身不應限制一個人的高度，性別與文化背景更不應成為追求理想的界限。

她不僅為自己開創道路，更為後來者拓寬了道路，不僅成就了自己，更啟發了一代又一代女性和提拔多位年輕華人參與政壇，勇敢追夢、挺身而出，為社會帶來改變，為在澳華人爭取權益。

作為慧賢會的現任會長，我尤其深深體會到，一個組織能夠薪火相傳、歷久彌新，背後離不開創辦人的初心、遠見與堅持，也離不開每位前會長和會員互相的支持和一份愛，希望可以感染和提拔更多的新一代延續我們的使命！

能夠得到她的指導是我的榮幸，能夠向她學習，是我的福氣，她有時教導後輩真的是大家描述的tiger mum😅💕。

感謝Helen一直以來的啟發與引領。她走過的每一步，都在為後來者點亮一盞燈，她付出的每一分努力，都在社區留下深刻而長遠的印記。

今晚這麼多人的到來與支持，正是對她一生貢獻最真摯的肯定。願Helen繼續光芒閃耀，也願我們這些承蒙她啟發的人，將這份愛與力量傳承下去。”

From Way In Network President Jessie Xiao

“A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step”
A tribute to the Hon.Dr Helen Sham-Ho OAM. celebrating her remarkable contributions to public & community