Keep ‘Em Active

Name: Charlie Wilson When it comes to kids, Charlie Wilson should know what he’s talking about. After all, he’s got five of them! Charlie and his partner Barbara are the proud parents of Charlie, 11; Lachlan, 9; Andrew, 8; Ottalie, 3; and Nazareth, 1½. “Sure, it’s hard work, but I love it,” Charlie says with […]

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Number One Mum

Name: Maryanne Malbunka Maryanne Malbunka received an extra special gift for Mother’s Day this year when she was named the national winner of the 2004 Barnardos Australia’s Mother of the Year Award. The award was announced last month at the Avillion Hotel in Sydney, where Maryanne was presented with a brand-new car as her prize […]

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Chipping In to help

Name: Dawn Likouresis Dawn Likouresis first came to the remote South Australian town of Coober Pedy when she was just 20. After what was originally meant to be only a three-day visit, Dawn decided to stay in Coober Pedy and is now an integral member of the community where she has lived for the past […]

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Being a mum is fun

Name: Suzanne Parsons With four kids and another on the way, you would think Suzanne Parsons from Kempsey would be craving a bit of adult time. However, when it comes to kids and supporting Indigenous families, Suzanne just can’t get enough. As a family support worker at the Durri Aboriginal Medical Service, Suzanne believes it’s […]

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Man of culture

Name: Kevin Slabb Kevin Slabb describes his picturesque home of Fingal on the NSW North Coast as the best area in the world. In fact, Kevin was born in the Tweed district and has lived in Fingal his whole life, raising his family, together with his wife Julie, in the house his father built for […]

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Maude’s Great Advice

Name: Elizabeth Maude Olbor Elizabeth Maude Olbor, or Maude as she is known to her friends, has lived almost her whole life in the small Cape York community of Hopevale. At the moment, Hopevale is dry, dusty and hot, and when it rains it floods. Well, that’s according to Maude, and personally she couldn’t think […]

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A Lesson In Love

Name: Kevin Kropinyeri Being a parent is all about sacrifice. And being a good father, particularly a young one, takes enormous sacrifice and character. For Kevin Kropinyeri, the sacrifices he made for his family were not so tough because the gift he received in return was far greater. “I find that I have a more […]

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The Love Goes Round

Name: Bella Savo When it comes to ambition and willingness to succeed, Bella Savo’s four children -Anthony, 12, Kerry, 11, Marion, 8, and Trevor, 6 – couldn’t have a better example than their own mum. Originally from Thursday Island, Bella has been an important and influential member of the Weipa community for 20 years. Weipa, […]

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Give Her Five Any Time

Name: Adele Chapman-Burgess Parents who are doing their best to raise a large family won’t find a better role model for tackling large tasks with poise and vigour than Adele Chapman-Burgess. In 1982, Adele became the first Aboriginal woman to give birth to quins. Since then, she has become just as accustomed to camera crews […]

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Right, Said Fred

Name: Fred Cobbo Fred Cobbo, 35, has two daughters – Brittney, 11 and Cassandra, 10 – whom he adores. One day he envisions them having big city jobs, and pursuing their interests in dancing and the culinary arts. He attributes their success to his emphasis on education, which he considers “very important for life learning”. […]

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A Good Sport

Name: Danny Allende Saying that he loves sport doesn’t do justice to Danny Allende. This father-of-three is a shining example of dedication to sport and community. A resident of La Perouse in southern Sydney, Danny uses his free time to serve as the vice-president of La Perouse football club, as well as being its A-grade […]

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Jodie’s A Super Mum

Name: Jodie Bell Jodie Bell leads a very busy life. Yet she’s never too busy to lend a helping hand to friends and family in need. “I’m the rock of the family,” she says. In fact, this mother of two often goes out of her way to pick up friends’ kids on the way to […]

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Collins Class

Name: Andrea Collins Everyone who lives in Nhulunbuy, a community of about 4,000 people on the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, knows the name of Andrea Collins. Andrea is a busy woman – she heads the ATSIC office at Nhulunbuy, she is the secretary of Miwatj Aboriginal Health Corporation, she’s involved in the local basketball […]

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Laurel Is Tops

Name: Laurel Hutchinson Laurel Hutchinson of Kempsey is already raising eight kids but she doesn’t mind if more of them drop in or come to live with her for a while – she just really, really loves kids. Laurel, who turns 34 this month, has packed a lot in to her busy life, but she […]

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Cherisse Buzzacott

Story: She’s TER-iffic! A student from the Northern Territory records a top TER. Finishing year 12 is a pretty deadly achievement. All those years of school, the hours of study required to pass, the pressure and the stress of those final exams – it’s a wonder anyone manages it at all. But one young woman […]

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Joleen Ryan and Nayuka Hood

Story: Potential Plus Two remarkable students have been honoured with a special award. A new award that has been created to recognise the contribution and achievements of young Indigenous Victorians has been presented to a duo of talented and remarkable young women. The inaugural Ricci Marks Aboriginal Young Achiever award was presented to Joleen Ryan […]

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