AAG's Inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Honorary Membership Award
By Prof Julie Byles (AAG President 2011 - 2013)
Marjorie Tripp is a proud descendant of the Ramindjeri people of the Ngarrindjeri nation, whose country is around the mouth of the Murray River, in SA. Marj has worked in the area of Aboriginal Health and Community programs for over 40 years and has been instrumental in initiating many programs and institutions that benefit Aboriginal people in South Australia and nationally.
This includes establishing the Council of Aboriginal Elders of SA, the Tandanya National Cultural Institute in Adelaide, the National HACC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group in 1992 which has provided a consultation model for all federal government programs. Over the past 5 years, her energy has been dedicated to chairing the national Aboriginal War Memorial Committee, raising over a million dollars with construction of the memorial now under way.
During the past 30 years, however, Marj’s greatest passion has been aged care. Marj has worked at both state and national levels representing the interests of Aboriginal people with the goal to ensure that Aboriginal (and all other people as well) are able to receive the care, when, where and how it is most appropriate. Over this time, she has become a great friend of the AAG.
Marj was the first Aboriginal woman to join the Australian Navy in 1963, and was an ATSIC Regional Councillor for 9 years. She has been awarded 2 Australia Day Medals in 1983 and 1993 for her contribution to the Aboriginal community. In 1999 Marj was an Ambassador for the International Year of the Older Person and received a Centenary Medal for her community work over 37 years.
Living in Adelaide and although semi-retired since 2005, Marj remains on various state and national committees relevant to older members of the Aboriginal community. Marj still speaks at numerous state and national conferences including the AAG's 2007 National Conference in Adelaide where she gave the David Wallace Address.
In 2010 Marj was named the SA Aboriginal Elder of the year, was the NAIDOC Public Service Award winner and NAIDOC Community Service Award winner.
For the AAG, Marj has worked for nearly 30 years to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation. She believed, well before it became trendy, that Indigenous people should speak for themselves at conferences and present their good news to their non-Indigenous colleagues. She has also advised about presentation and programming to suit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. This has all helped the AAG to become a highly trusted non-government forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander aged care discussion to achieve better planning and policy.
Marj’s work honours the spirit of her people, those that have fought - in the services, in communities for more respect and in aged care for a good quality of life for her people.
We today wish to acknowledge these many years of hard work, to show our respect and support for Marj’s efforts and achievements.
From the report 'Translating Research into Caring and Practice' Report on 2012 National Workshop of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing Committee (ATSIAC) of the Australian Association of Gerontology'