NOONGAR LINGUIST DENISE SMITH-ALI WINS ORDER OF AUSTRALIA MEDAL

Denise Smith-Ali and members of the Noongar Language Centre with former Premier Kim Beazily in 2019. Image credit: Noongar Language Centre Facebook page.

Last week, Noongar linguist Denise Smith-Ali was awarded the Order of Australia for her work preserving the Noongar language. 

Ms Smith Ali said she was very proud to have won the Award.

“Its slowly sinking in but, yes I’m very honoured,” she said.

Ms Smith-Ali leads the Noongar Boodjar Language Cultural Corporation.

She said the organisation is working on various projects. 

“it’s been good working with the prison project, teaching five difference prisons, Banksia Hill, Melaleuca, Casuarina, Hakea, and Boronia teaching Noongar language classes”

“I also am working on another project which is working closely with CSIRO and were doing the documentations of plants and animals.”