Two West Australians who have devoted their lives to serving Indigenous communities were among those to be recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Sister Valerie Deakin, of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict in Geraldton, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for “service to Indigenous communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory”.
June Oscar (pictured at left), an alumna of the University of Notre Dame’s Broome campus, was appointed an Officer in the Order of Australia, for “distinguished service to the Indigenous community of Western Australia, particularly through health and social welfare programs”.
Sr Valerie said the award came as a complete surprise.
“About 10 days before it was announced on the Queen’s Birthday holiday, I got this lovely letter in the mail with embossing, and I knew it was something special,” she explained.
“I’m discovering it’s a great honour to receive an Australian medal because I’m getting opportunities to speak to the media about my involvement with the first peoples of this land over many years.”
Sr Valerie, whose older brother, Bishop Hilton Deakin, was made a member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2003, said she had always wanted to work in Aboriginal ministry.
“The congregation that I belong to happens to be the very first religious congregation founded in Australia,” she said.
“And I always had this desire that wouldn’t it be wonderful if this first congregation was able to work in a good way with the first peoples of this land.”
Sr Valerie said she was “thrilled” when she got the opportunity to live at Wiluna, situated in WA’s mid-west, to work among the Aboriginal people almost 30 years ago.
While there, she helped to establish a meeting place where the local people would share stories, paint, and create wood carvings.
“My ministry was really like pastoral loitering and just being with the people and giving them an opportunity,” she said.
After spending five years in Wiluna, Sr Valerie moved to the Northern Territory, where she lived for the next 12 years.
She played a significant role at the St Francis Xavier Catholic School in Daly River as the assistant principal and mentor to Aboriginal teachers at the school.
Bishop Justin Bianchini asked Sr Valerie to be the chaplain of Greenough Regional Prison in 2005 and, since then, she has lived in Geraldton.
Sr Valerie, who is also the diocesan Indigenous liaison officer, said she enjoys her work immensely.
“Every day’s different; you can never predict what’s going to happen in Aboriginal ministry; you’ve just got to be ready to be adaptable,” she said.
Sr Valerie added that she “loves the honesty and simplicity of the Aboriginal people”, who have taught her many things about life.
“I’ve learnt something in each place that I’ve been, but especially in Daly River… I learnt to understand what land meant to Aboriginal people,” she said.
“They’ve shown me practical ways of putting other people before themselves.
“Whenever we went into town, the first things they would be buying were things for other people… it was other people first and I was fascinated by this.”
Fellow welfare and community worker, Rhonda Aylmore, said Sr Valerie thoroughly deserved the award.
“Sr Val is a well-known and much loved lady who selflessly cares for others,” she said.
“[She] is one of those rare breed of people who truly care about others and will do anything to help anyone.”
The 582 recipients of the awards were announced on June 10.
Chair of the Council of the Order, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, said the awards publicly recognise those who “provide outstanding community service and whose achievements enhance national identity”.
“The recipients are not only worthy of respect but encourage emulation… they are people who serve the community, but do not seek accolades,” he said.