MENANG ELDER GETS AN OAM

Carol Pettersen OAM with WA Governor Kim Beazley.

GEOFF VIVIAN

In Albany, Menang elder Carol Pettersen was surprised to be told she was to be given an Order of Australia Medal.

WA governor Kim Beazley conferred the medal on her and a group of others in the grounds of Government House in Perth last week.

“It was good to be amongst other people who were just as humble in receiving it, because we all come from a background where you just get on and do the work, you don’t expect to be honoured or recognised” she said.

“Certainly my own personal reward is just seeing the job done.”

Ms Pettersen said she was the only Aboriginal person in the group.

“A group of us Aboriginal people were almost like pioneers after the enactment of the self-determination for First Nations People,” she said.

“We had to lead the way and show our people how to access benefits and how to exercise their rights and how to take their place as citizens of Australia because before that we weren’t counted as citizens.”

You can hear the full interview here: