Marie Thorne inaugural Sealin Garlett Award winner

Respected Nyoongar Elder the late Marie Thorne has been announced as the winner of the City of Fremantle’s inaugural Sealin Garlett Award for Community Leadership.

The award, which honours the late Reverend Sealin Garlett, was presented at a special ceremony as part of the City of Fremantle’s NAIDOC week celebrations.

Marie Thorne, who passed away last month, was a resident of Hilton for around 30 years, raising seven children of her own and fostering 12 others.

She was a leader of the Fremantle Indigenous Action Group, spreading her knowledge of Aboriginal sites and issues to non-indigenous people since 1998, and was also successful in her campaign to rename Booyeembara Park with its Nyoongar name.

She was a published writer, creating poetry that showed her ties to her Nyoongar roots and won the Fremantle Heritage Award for an individual after working tirelessly within her community, securing emergency accommodation and safe shelter for the homeless, and for other vulnerable people.

Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said it was tragic the winner of the first Sealin Garlett Award for Community Leadership never knew she was nominated.

“Marie was chosen by a panel prior to her passing and we were extremely saddened to learn that she would never know she won this award,” Mayor Pettitt said.

 “Her gentle nature belied her determination and she dedicated her life to improve the life of anyone experiencing disadvantage.

“She took her duty of care for her extended family extremely seriously and her generosity and kindness led her to accept any and all requests for help without regard to her own circumstances.

“I sincerely hope she knew how valued she was by the community and for the work she did in her lifetime.”

The award was accepted by Marie Thorne’s son Fred Penny and granddaughter Vernadine Lee Penny.

It honours the late Reverend Sealin Garlett, who was an outstanding contributor towards reconciliation both to the Nyoongar community and non-Aboriginal community of Perth.

The City of Fremantle created the award in collaboration with the Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group to celebrate the achievements of a community member who has demonstrated outstanding contributions in reconciliation and community leadership.

The Music and Cultural Director of the Walyalup Kannajil Community Choir Kobi Morrison, counsellor and social worker Janetia Knapp and youth mental health advocate Sally Anne Gamble all received commendations.