Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for the Republic) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to pay tribute to an elder of the La Peruse Aboriginal community, Aunty Delma Davison, on her recent passing.

Delma was born in Nowra and always remembered her father's words: 'In a white man's world, you have to be better than them to be equal.' He was talking about getting an education. That's what Aunty Delma did. She had a long career devoted to education and was an integral part of the education of many young Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal kids throughout New South Wales. She was a determined and strong voice for better educational outcomes for all schools and all children, and she spent her lifetime dedicated to her family and those in need.

Aunty Delma was employed as an Aboriginal education assistant in the 1980s in the New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group for many years. She was a life member. She was heavily involved in the establishment of the Gujaga childcare and homework centre in the 1990s at Yarra Bay House and devoted her life to Aboriginal education and young people.

She will be sorely missed, and there were many who turned out to say goodbye to her at her funeral last Friday in Malabar. I was privileged to have the member for Barton, Linda Burney, speak at her funeral. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family at such a difficult time, including Aunty Delma's children, who recently lost their father, Uncle Leslie, and have now lost their mother. Our thoughts go out to the La Perouse community and all of Auntie Delma's relatives.