By Greg Martin

When she’s not attending girl guides meetings and functions, Diane Williams always finds time to potter in the spectacular gardens surrounding the Williams home in Bilpin. The gardens attract a large variety of birds who always find a bite to eat compliments of their hosts!

Nearly five decades down the track, Diane Williams still retains a passion for the Girl Guides movement. Here she is pictured with some of the latest group of young guides to be, well, guided by her to become good citizens.

For centuries, the Northern Hemisphere’s guiding light has been Polaris the North Star, the brightest in its constellation. It has steered travellers across land and sea, helping humanity find its way.

Bilpin has its own Polaris of sorts though she would blush at the comparison.

Diane “Brown Owl” Williams has faithfully guided generations of young people through Girl Guides Australia for an extraordinary 48 years. Inspirational, humble and tireless, Diane has devoted much of her life to serving others.

Her dedication to Girl Guides has earned her some of the movement’s highest honours, including the coveted Wattle and Flowering Gum badges for exceptional service. She has also received the Asia Pacific Region Appreciation Award, recognising individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Girl Guides.

Closer to home, Diane was awarded Hawkesbury Citizen of the Month before receiving the ultimate honour the 2022 Hawkesbury Citizen of the Year.

But that’s only part of the story.

In 1968, Diane married Brian, a long-serving member of the Kurrajong Heights Rural Fire Service. Without hesitation, she joined the brigade herself and has been its long-time catering officer. Brian has served for 60 years, including 40 as captain a remarkable partnership in community service.

Diane left school at 14 and began working at Windsor Woolworths before moving to Goberts Textiles in Richmond. At just 18, the retiring owner offered her the business free of charge. Though initially shocked, she accepted and successfully ran the store for many years. In 1980, she and Brian ventured into a new chapter, operating a popular grass-skiing business at Kurrajong Heights for two decades.

Her guiding journey began in 1978 when, aged 29, she became an assistant leader with Kurrajong Brownies.

“When I was in primary school, I watched a girl put on her uniform and head to Guides after school I wanted to be a Brownie from that moment,” Diane recalls.

When the opportunity finally came, she embraced it wholeheartedly. Within a year, she was leading 28 Brownies.

Over the decades, Diane has been involved in countless camps and international trips, travelling to destinations including Norfolk Island, England, Scotland, Ireland, Switzerland, India, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, France and the United States.

For 35 years, she also helped distribute The Waratah, the movement’s monthly magazine. And for the past 16 years, she has volunteered monthly at Hawkesbury District Hospital, delivering books and bright conversation to patients.

Now 76, Diane reflects on the strong women who supported her journey and the hundreds of girls she has mentored.

“I believe I haven’t done my job if any girl leaves unhappy,” she says. “My aim has always been to encourage them to bring out the best in themselves.”

It’s safe to say that Hawkesbury’s own “Brown Owl” has done exactly that lighting the way for generations to follow.