International Committee News

  INTERNATIONAL  COMMITTEE  NEWS

Good evening fellows.  One of our objectives this year is to trace the recipients of our past fundraising efforts.  In this way, hopefully, we can present to the club a series of'snapshots' of how we do,or how we have done,  our work.  PDG Ray King of the Kooringal Club Wagga Wagga has provided the first of these 'snapshots'.  

Project 'Yal balinga da' 2001.   Renovation of a condemmed house for use as a learning centre by Indigenous people.

From: Ray King

To: 'Richard Dawes'

Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 9:53 AM

Subject: RE: Yalbalinga da

Great to hear from you Dick

Flo has been very ill. She had fluid on the lung, a heart problem and of course she has had breast cancer which we hope has now been removed. She awaits further hospitalisation in respect of her heart. Probably a stent will be inserted. She is gaining strength for this. She has spent some time in hospital and is convalescing now at home. She says she has more energy now but is still finding things difficult. They are modifying the house to accommodate her needs.

She received the Premier’s Award for her contribution to the community through her work promoting the Wiradjuri language, as long time secretary of the Wiradjuri Council of Elders, her newsletter and the oral and picture history display she organised and other community activities. She certainly has been a dynamo in the Aboriginal community.

The Wiradjuri language program which started at Yalbalinga da, graduated to the Riverina Community College as a Certificate 2 and then Certificate 3. Then it became associated with the University and is now a language stream as part of a degree course there. So there has been a great outcome from early beginnings. There is now a second Wiradjuri dictionary published. We had the launch a couple of months ago. Flo’s brother Stan was the co-author.

The building itself is being used for meetings and Flo wants to give another dinner for Rotary and others when she is well. I fear that is a long way off. She is in her late 70’s now and her health is precarious. We keep in constant contact by phone. She always is cheerful but still very tired.

Thanks for your enquiry. I will pass it on to her. She will be thrilled that you have asked about her.

Best wishes

Ray