DECADES of service by a Wodonga community leader have been recognised with induction into the 2015 Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll.
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Working in community, you work with many people so, you know, we all share the load.
- Judy Cue-Ahmat
Judy Cue-Ahmat joined 14 other inductees on this year’s honour roll after being nominated by the Wodonga Aboriginal community.
Her achievement was acknowledged with applause on Thursday at Gateway Health Wodonga as the Wodonga Aboriginal Network launched its community plan for the next four years.
Known as Aunty among her community, Mrs Cue-Ahmat is a Gunditjmara woman who grew up in south west Victoria.
She and her family arrived in Wodonga in 1991 and before long she had set up an Aboriginal student support parent awareness group, which led to a homework centre being established.
Aboriginal community development broker Darren Moffitt said Mrs Cue-Ahmat helped found Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation.
“That just started off as an idea, with people sitting around a table,” he said.
“Now it's a fully-fledged Aboriginal corporation, delivering services to the community.”
Mrs Cue-Ahmat said she was shocked to be included in the honour roll, alongside well-known recipients such as songwriter Ruby Hunter, writer and film maker Richard Frankland and health administrator Jill Gallagher.
“Working in community, you work with many people,” she said.
“So, you know, we all share the load.”
Sharing the load and encouraging young leaders form key elements of the community plan launched by Wodonga Aboriginal Network participants Catherine Coysh and Tammy Campbell.
The plan identified goals such as reinvigorating the Burraja Cultural Centre, supporting youth programs, promoting cross border co-ordination and linking up with regional groups.
Mr Moffit said Albury-Wodonga was lucky to have Aboriginal organisations that other regions did not, but “it does stretch the leaders within the community”.
"They take on those leadership roles automatically because that's what the community expects of them," he said.
The Wodonga Aboriginal Network began in 2008 as one of 39 Victorian networks and comprises more than 40 Aboriginal volunteers and nearly 20 representatives of partner groups.
