On January 26 VACCA CEO Muriel Bamblett was awarded an Order of Australia for her services and contribution to the community, and in particular her work with Aboriginal children and families.
Speaking on the day, Muriel said, "I am pleased to receive this award. I am so proud of the work that we do with children in care. This award is an acknowledgement and recognition of the collective work that we all do and have achieved here at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency.
It’s a privilege to be nominated by the community for the work that we do and to receive this award. It is nevertheless disappointing that the announcement and award is connected with 26th January which is a day of mourning for many in the Aboriginal community. There will be many other award winners who are Aboriginal who may well be faced with this dilemma. It is time we changed the date and announce these national awards on another day which does not celebrate the beginning of colonisation of our land."
For a full list of recipients click here.