National NAIDOC Committee Announces Award Winners
13 July 2007
Statement from Aden Ridgeway, Chair National NAIDOC Committee
On behalf of the National NAIDOC Committee, it is with great honour that I announce the 2007 National NAIDOC Award Winners.
Over 1500 people gathered under the stars at the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony in Darwin last night to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NAIDOC and to recognise the achievements of ten outstanding Indigenous Australians.
The National NAIDOC Awards recognise the outstanding contributions that individual Indigenous Australians make to their own communities and the broader Australian community.
The recipients of the 2007 NAIDOC Awards were selected by the National NAIDOC Committee for their unwavering efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. All recipients are an inspiration to others in their own and in the wider Australian communities.
The proud recipients of the 2007 National NAIDOC Awards are:
- Apprentice of the Year Hamid Bin Saad
- Artist of the Year Leah Purcell
- Elder of the Year (Female) Dr Ruby Langford Ginibi
- Elder of the Year (Male) Boyd Scully and Jim Hagan
- Lifetime Achievement John Ah Kit
- Person of the Year Mark Bin Bakar
- Scholar of the Year Dr Yin Carl Paradies
- Sportsperson of the Year Robert Crowther
- Youth of the Year Simone Liddy
The National NAIDOC Committee enjoyed the opportunity to learn of the many inspiring achievements of Indigenous people during the selection process. The standard of nominations in 2007 was immense, making our job as selectors incredibly difficult.
I was pleased to announce a new partnership between National NAIDOC, the Christensen Fund and the Poola Foundation last night.
Together, the Christensen Fund and the Poola Foundation have generously agreed to provide $100,000 over five years in sponsorship of the National NAIDOC Person of the Year Award.
Mark Bin Bakar, the 2007 National NAIDOC Person of the Year will now submit a proposal to receive a grant to the value of $20,000 to assist with the fantastic work he already does within the Indigenous community.
I would like to thank these organisations for their kind support and I look forward to working with them to ensure this tradition continues.
Last night culminated the end of a fantastic week of NAIDOC celebrations throughout Australia. The effort and support that’s been put into the thousands of events held across the nation is truly overwhelming.
NAIDOC began in 1957 with people coming together and its amazing to see that 50 years later, this tradition is alive and just as strong as ever.
In 2007, NAIDOC received increased support from a number of organisations, immense exposure opportunities and intense demand for NAIDOC products. The 2007 NAIDOC poster, featuring Tyeli Hannah’s powerful artwork was the most popular NAIDOC poster to date with over 130,000 posters being distributed nation wide.
I’d like to acknowledge the efforts of people in communities across Australia. It is the volunteers and the community groups who make NAIDOC what it is today and what it will become in the future - and that, to me is truly remarkable.
Canberra, a city immersed in Indigenous political history, was announced as the focus city for National NAIDOC celebrations in 2008. I look forward to bringing NAIDOC back to Canberra to raise further awareness of our peoples’ continued struggle for equality in the Australian community.
For those unable to attend, the ABC will be broadcasting the 2007 National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony at 2pm on Sunday.
Media Contact: Heidi Andrews (02) 6121 4645
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