Tamara Parker and Ann Hawke have been announced as the 2020 City of Belmont NAIDOC Community Award Winners at a Flag Raising Ceremony on 9 November.
The City of Belmont has been proudly organising the NAIDOC Community Awards since 2012. The awards recognise the personal achievements of an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community member in sport, education, business, music, art, culture or community service.
Nominees must be from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, a resident of the City of Belmont, or work in, or attend, an educational institution or participate in an organisation within the City of Belmont.
Tamara Parker was recognised for her contribution in the area of education. Tamara has played an integral role as the Aboriginal Educational Officer in the Carlisle School community since May 2011.
“In the past 12 months she has established the Kindi Link Program for Indigenous families with children aged from birth up to three years old, where she has networked with surrounding schools and built connections in the community in an effort to shape a program to best meet the needs of clientele,” City of Belmont Mayor Cr Phil Marks announced.
“She has gone above and beyond in her efforts to produce and promote the Kindi Link program, focussing her efforts on programs that promote parents as first teachers,” Mayor Marks said.
“Her education programs have included sports, cultural celebrations and educational incursions, excursions and workshops that have enhanced the learning outcomes of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and families in the community, and promoted indigenous culture, sport and history.
She has managed to bring families into the school and provide support, build relationships and secure opportunities for the students.”
“The second City of Belmont NAIDOC Community Award recipient was Ann Hawke for her contribution in the field of Community Service.
Mayor Marks said Ann has been a foster carer for past 35 years caring for some 53 children and is the founder of an Aboriginal organisation called Kinship Connections Aboriginal Corporation, which has been delivering community services to Aboriginal people since 2012.
“Ann also pioneered a program called ‘Who’s My Mob?’ through Kinship Connections Aboriginal Corporation that supports young Aboriginal people to identify, connect and reconnect with their birth families,” Mayor Marks said.
“Recently Ann and other staff have started a youth group targeted at young Aboriginal men on the streets of Belmont who are involved with the justice system,” he said.
“Ann’s efforts through Kinship Connections focus on healing and reversing intergenerational trauma by addressing the gaps in government child protection and family services for Aboriginal young people.
“Ann’s work has been known to the City of Belmont for some time now, with the City providing assistance with the provision of an office to operate and create a base from. This space is well utilised by the local community and a direct benefit to Aboriginal residents living in the City.
“Congratulations toTamara and Anne from the City of Belmont and thank you for all that you do in our community.”