An Elder known as a “living legend”, a young leader inspiring her community and a dedicated cultural educator have been honoured by Victoria Police for their work enhancing the relationship between police and the First Nations community.
The Chief Commissioner’s NAIDOC Awards were presented at the McIntosh Centre in Shepparton on Wednesday, July 12.
About 300 people attended the event, and witnessed Yorta Yorta man Colin Walker, known as Uncle Col, being honoured with the Elder Award for his work providing cultural education to Victoria Police members over more than 20 years.
Uncle Col’s award was fitting given the theme of NAIDOC 2023 was ‘For Our Elders’.
He has worked extensively with government organisations and the wider community, including being part of Shepparton's Koori Court and assisting Shepparton Cultural Camps for more than 20 years, providing an “on Country” experience for police.
Alyssa Priest, who is completing a certificate in business administration at Shepparton Police Station through Victoria Police’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school-based traineeship program, received the Youth Award.
Robynne Nelson received the Community Member Award for providing cultural competency training to government and private organisations for several years.
Leading Senior Constable Warren Lomas has worked as a Police Aboriginal liaison officer since 2009, helping to improve relations between police and Indigenous people, and was presented with the Victoria Police Employee Award.
Organisations to be recognised included Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative, which received the Aboriginal Organisation/Group Award for its work as the lead agency for the First Nations community across Greater Shepparton.
The Marram-Ngala Ganbu court process received the Organisation/Group Award.
The initiative aims to provide a more effective, culturally appropriate and just response for Koori families in child protection proceedings.
Superintendent Shane Cashman, from Eastern Region Division 3 in Shepparton, praised the recipients for the work that led to their awards.
“The award recipients have been fantastic, from youth to Elder to a police member and to community organisations,” he said.
“Each has made an extraordinary contribution to building positive relationships between communities and police.”
The relationship between Victoria Police and the state’s Traditional Owners has not always been a positive one though, with Chief Commissioner Shane Patton admitting before the Yoorrook Justice Commission in May this year that Victoria Police was “influenced by systemic and structural racism” and that the uniform could be a “symbol of fear” to First Nations people.
The commissioner was unavailable for interview, but Superintendant Cashman said NAIDOC Awards reflected the efforts being made by both communities to strengthen the relationship in the Goulburn Valley.
“Since I arrived here in May 2022, it’s been an amazing opportunity to work with community, both Koori Courts, Children’s Court and Rumbalara, they’ve been amazingly supportive and welcoming,” he said.
“So much of the good work goes unseen, but (we’re) just looking to build on that relationship.”
Superintendant Cashman said that included recruiting more Indigenous people into Victoria Police.
“We have a program that we do with GOTAFE for members of the Aboriginal community to build into becoming police,” he said.
“We absolutely celebrate when (First Nations community) members join Victoria Police.”