One of Australia's most family Indigenous actors, Deborah Mailman, was named NAIDOC Person of the Year 2003 at the National NAIDOC Ball held in Hobart on 11 July 2003 during NAIDOC Week. The acclaimed stage, film and television actress, who stars in the Channel 10 program The Secret Life of Us, was handed her award in front of an audience of more than 500 guests including the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Phillip Rudock, and ATSIC Chairman Geoff Clark.

Ms Mailman's win was just one of the highlights of the national awards made to Indigenous elders, youth, sportspeople, apprentices, scholars and artists. Three NSW winners were recipients of NAIDOC awards: Aunty Violet French from Moree (Female Elder of the Year), Stacey Kelly-Greenup from Kempsey (Youth of the Year) and David Peachey from Dubbo (Sportsperson of the Year).

Congratulations to all the NAIDOC award winners.

BIOGRAPHIES OF NATIONAL NAIDOC WINNERS
Person of the Year : Ms Deborah Mailman
Apprentice of the Year : Ms Laurel Dodd
Scholar of the Year : Frederick Penny
Female Elder of the Year : Mrs Violet French
Male Elder of the Year : Mr William Kennedy
Youth of the Year : Stacey Kelly-Greenup
Sportsperson of the Year : David Peachey
Artist of the Year : Belynda Waugh

Person of the Year : Ms Deborah Mailman
The popularity of Deborah Mailman's work on The Secret Life of Us has been recognised with a Logie for Most Outstanding Actress. She has also received the Best Actress award for her work on the series in the Tudawali Indigenous Film and Video Awards. Deborah is no stranger to recognition of her work, having won both the 1998 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress and the Film Critics' Circle of Australia Best Actress Award for her performance in the feature film Radiance. She won a Matilda Award for playing the same character on stage.

Despite all these accolades, however, the NAIDOC Award as Indigenous Person of the Year 2003, holds a special place in her heart – it is the first award she has won from her own people.

Deborah’s first major production was the Queensland Theatre Company's One Woman's Song, about Aboriginal activist, poet and writer Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Nunukul). Since then, she has worked extensively in Australian theatre and overseas, taking her one-woman show, The 7 Stages of Grieving, to the London International Festival of Theatre and Zurich Arts Festival. Her other theatre credits include The Small Poppies, As You Like It, Capricornia, Murri Love, King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Summer of the Aliens, The Cherry Pickers, The Taming of the Shrew and Gigi.

Previously Deborah has worked in television on productions such as Inside Out, A Village Called Chardonnay, Coloured Inn, Bondi Banquet and Playschool. She has had roles in the feature films Dear Claudia, The Third Note, The Monkey's Mask and most recently Rabbit Proof Fence.

Deborah is an outstanding role model for young Aboriginal Indigenous women and Indigenous youth. She is the very public face of Aboriginal Australia as seen on our TV screens every week. She has promoted the cause of Aboriginal Australia and particularly Aboriginal women through her acting both on the screen and in the theatre. All of this has gained her the admiration of her people and the arts community. Despite her many successes she is always grounded in her people and her community.

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Apprentice of the Year : Ms Laurel Dodd
Laurel has proven that being an unemployed mother of four in Port Augusta is no barrier to furthering her skills and establishing a professional career. She started her study with Spencer Institute of TAFE Port Augusta Campus and within a year completed her certificate 3 in Community Health Care (Aged Care) and Certificate 4 in Community Health Care (Aged Care). She then started work as an Aged Care Worker at Wami Kata Old Folks Home. Laurel has also graduated as an Enrolled Nurse and is registered with the Nurses Board of SA.

Laurel now works at the Port Augusta Hospital and she won the State Award 2003 (Indigenous Nurse). Being recognised as one of the country’s top nurses, Laurel leads the way as a role model for other nurses. Her success has also opened the way for other Indigenous people interested in a nursing career. There are now more Indigenous Aged Care Workers, Enrolled Nurses and Registered Nurses. Laurel is also studying Grief and Palliative Care Counselling.

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Scholar of the Year : Frederick Penny
Fred Penny has overcome the adversity of being a part of the Stolen Generations (he was taken from his parents and family and placed in Wandering Mission (WA) for 12 years) and managed to turn his life around dramatically. He has used his skills and God-given talents to help and assist Aboriginal people in their struggle for recognition and inclusion rather than exclusion. His life and achievements are a great inspiration for other Aboriginal people to follow.

Fred has been a musician since his teens and has used his musical abilities to spread the word, to get the message out there, to make people aware and to raise people’s consciousnesses, about the inequities suffered by Indigenous peoples in our society. He began his musical career as a solo artist but during the last six years he has worked with his son and their band 'Urba-rigini'. They play in a variety of community venues including Prisons and Detention Centres. In 2000 Fred professionally produced an album called 'A Penny for your Thoughts' which is about raising people’s awareness of the various social issues that impact upon the general population and in particular our Indigenous peoples.

Fred has also achieved scholastically by recently gaining his Bachelor of Social Work Degree. This may not seem remarkable in itself until you take into account his upbringing and his years of suffering. He had to get his life and himself together in order to realise his dream of truly helping his people and he went back to study at university as a mature-aged student. While studying for four years at university Fred found his long-lost first cousin (Neila Penny) who was also taken away and brought up in England. Fred had promised his uncle before he died that he would find her and bring her home.

After much work and time and effort Fred contacted his cousin and after he completed his studies he went to England and stayed with her for three weeks in which time he provided her with the information and knowledge that would cause her to remark that “I now know who I am and where I come from”. The empty place in her heart was now filled. She just had one more thing to do and that was to return home to Australia and, most importantly, go to her Mum and Dad's grave, which she did in March of this year. She has since gone back to England but says she will be returning home for good soon. While her Mum and Dad were not here to witness her return, many of her relations and well-wishers have.

Fred is now a Social Worker and focuses on working in the community and assisting people and communities to realise their full potential and capacity. His life has now come full circle, from being a part of the system, to working in the system to helping others to experience the benefits of being an independent person.

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Female Elder of the Year : Mrs Violet French
Violet Pearl French (nee Groves) was born in Gulargambone 9th February 1918. Mrs French was married to James Allan French at Quirindi in 1935 and moved to Moree in 1937 when their eldest daughter, Christina, was two years old. After 61 years of marriage Mr French died in July 1996 following a long series of illness in Moree Hospital. Mrs French has dedicated her life to helping people throughout the Aboriginal communities that she has come into contact with throughout her life and still continues to do this at her ripe old age of 85 years old. Mrs French has always been humbled by the recognition that she receives and always says, “why don’t they give the awards to someone who deserves it?” Mrs French has worked as a domestic for business people in the town and remains a very respected person and community icon. She visits the hospital regularly and the old people’s home to give ongoing support to the sick and elderly as well as helping the community in general.

Mrs French is called on regularly to officiate at the Moree Council’s official functions and as a Guest Speaker and mentor in the Moree.

She is the sister of the wonderful Aboriginal Rights Campaigner and Activist, Herbert Stanley Groves (better known as Bert Groves) who was a very prominent campaigner along with the likes and company of Bill Ferguson, Jack Patten, Pearl Gibbs and our other great past elders. Mrs French has made every contribution possible to the Moree community, both black and white and does whatever she can to make life comfortable for those she considers less fortunate than herself.

Some of the wonderful achievements of this amazing elder of the Moree Community are as follows:

• 1986 NSW Senior Citizen of the year
  
• 1986 NSW Aboriginal of the year
  
• 1987 NSW NAIDOC Aboriginal of the Year
  
• 1987 Awarded the Salvation Army’s Silver Star for her charity work
  
• 1988 Senior Citizen of the year
  
• 1989 Salvation Army League of Mercy worker for 30 years
  
• 1990 Senior Citizen of the Year for Moree
  
• 1993 Moree Murri Elder of the Year, Moree
  
• 2000 Opened the Moree Main Street beautification program
  
• 2000 Handed the Olympic Torch over to the Moree Community
  
• 2001 Moree Department of Education & Training Award for Elder of the Year
  
• 2002 Was recognised by Moree Rotary Club out of 100 candidates as the overall Community Person who made the most significant contribution to the Moree Community and, in recognition, a monument was erected with a designated river beautification program by the Local CDEP named “Pearl French Grove”.
  
• 2003 Received the Australian Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community by the Commonwealth Government of Australia.

Mrs and Mr French had 11 children and today have an amazing number of 162 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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Male Elder of the Year : Mr William Kennedy
Uncle Jack is the patriarch of the Wotjobaluk people in the Wimmera. He is a silent achiever but during the last eight years has been a strong advocate for Native Title and has been fighting for his people's land rights.

He is one of the Head Representatives for his Family on the Board of Wotjobaluk Traditional Land Council.

He is COUNTRY
He is CULTURE
He is WOTJOBALUK

Jack left school when he was 13 and started working on a farm for two shillings and 6 pence a week during the Great Depression. He began playing football at age 14 with Antwerp in 1933 and during the next six years tried out a few other clubs including the Federals in 1937. When World War 2 broke out, Jack joined up on 14 June 1940 to fight for his country. Jack was a gunner in the 2nd, 11th Field Artillery. On the 14 October 1945 he was honourably discharged for long service. He was decorated with many medals including the Australian Service Medal and the English Defence Medal (as he was at the Syrian Campaign with the English). When Jack returned to Australia he did numerous jobs and finally joined the Victorian Railways after the birth of his twins.

Uncle Jack is not only the senior elder of the Wotjobaluk but also the oldest Aboriginal male in Victoria at age 84. Uncle Jack has been acknowledged by various organisations, institutions and communities for his invaluable cultural knowledge. As the great grandson of Dick-a-Dick, a leading member of the 1868 Aboriginal cricket team, Uncle Jack attended the first ATSIC Chairman’s XI versus Prime Minister’s cricket match in Canberra, where he met John Howard. He also attended the Sports Australian Hall of Fame - night of nights, when Dick-a-Dick and fellow cricketers were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Uncle Jack is still extremely active within his community and is always broadening his experiences by travelling around the country and meeting people of all races. He shares his culture with various groups, such as primary school students, university students, archaeologists and international tourists, to name a few, in the hope of their having a better understanding. Uncle Jack is the only surviving member of his family. Uncle Jack's photograph appears everywhere from the Museum to Koori Newspapers - he is culture, he is well respected. He has also opened meetings on country and has appeared on a video starring as Bunjil, Our Creator.

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Youth of the Year : Stacey Kelly-Greenup
Stacey has made some astounding achievements since leaving school two years ago after completing year nine. Being a young Aboriginal person, she has had to overcome many barriers and in doing so she has been actively involved in local community groups, state groups and national groups.

Stacey has been recognised for her achievements at a local level but she also truly deserves recognition at the national level. She is a confident, young Aboriginal girl who has willingly contributing on issues affecting young Aboriginal youth in Kempsey and statewide. Stacey wants a better community for our people.

Stacey is currently working two days a week at Regional Extended Family Services, and studying through OTEN to gain her School Certificate. Her passion is law and she is continuing with her education to make her dream come true. She has overcome an eating disorder and still continues to contribute to her people. Her achievements include:

• Chairperson West Kempsey Community Renewal Youth Committee (2001)
  
• Nationally Accredited Family Mediation/Conflict Resolution Volunteer Worker (from 2001)
  
• Member of the New South Wales ReconciliACTION Youth Group (2001-2002 ongoing)
  
• Committee Member Regional Extended Family Services/Reconnect Program-Kempsey & Hastings Area Local Reference Group
  
• Kempsey Local 2002 NAIDOC Award Winner-Open Section
  
• Junior Project Officer-Kempsey Indigenous Website Project (2002)
  
• Establishing website, NSW Aboriginal Youth Advisory Group (2002-2003 ongoing)
  
• Attorney General's Department’s Many Rivers ATSIC Council Family and Youth Committee (2003)
  
• Kempsey Shire Council Young Citizen of the Year Award Recipient 2003
  
• Youth Member Djigay Student Association/JPET Steering Committee (Kempsey)
  
• Secretary- Burrun Dalai, Out of Home Care Service (Kempsey - 2003)
  
• Kempsey High School ASSPA Committee/Public Officer (2003)
  
• Regional Extended Family Services, Indigenous Cross Team Member and National Indigenous Leadership Program (2003)
  

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Sportsperson of the Year : David Peachey
Having started playing the game he loves with the Dubbo Pacemakers when he was just five, David Peachey, a Wiradjuri fella, could almost be called the Mozart of football. The talented youngster went on to play A-grade for the club as a 16-year-old alongside three of his uncles. It wasn’t long before the great Artie Beetson spotted David playing for South Dubbo High School. David moved to Sydney in 1992 and was slotted in the Sharks’ U21 team.

Two years later he graduated to first grade and has been with the Sharks ever since. Offered the captaincy in 2001, David is now a 10-year veteran with the team and has also been twice selected for State of Origin. There is not a Rugby League player who gives back to the Aboriginal community more than David Peachy. He travels to remote areas, supports the Aboriginal Rugby League Knockouts, and promotes health and wellbeing to Aboriginal kids across the state.

He is a true gentlemen and one of the nicest players you’ll ever meet.

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Artist of the Year : Belynda Waugh

Self-taught female artist Belynda (Bindi) Waugh was selected winner of the 2003 National NAIDOC Art Award ahead of 125 entries from around Australia - including for the first time several remote desert communities. The competition, which is sponsored by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, carries a prize of $5,000.

Her winning entry is titled “Care for the children, they are the future you see, help them grow straight and walk tall; this is the way it should be” and was inspired by a line in a poem she had written recently which highlighted that caring for the children is the best way to set an example. The work was motivated by real Gladstone identities and features three large adult figures as shadows over a newborn baby with plants spiralling skywards around them.

“It was something my father once said about all men’s shadows are black and there’s no difference and that you should hold your head up!,” Bindi said. “And to grow straight and tall, like the plants, is what we want from all our children,” she added. Ms Waugh was born on the Gold Coast, but her people Yiman are from Central Western Qld near the Dawson River. The 45-year-old mother of two is a prominent figure in the Gladstone art scene and has already had several pottery, glassware and canvas works displayed.

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