Noongar elder West Australian of the Year

Robert Isaacs, a Noongar elder who has dedicated his life to improving the welfare of Aboriginal communities, has been named West Australian of the Year.

Dr Robert Isaacs

Robert Isaacs, a Noongar elder, has been named West Australian of the Year. (AAP)

An Aboriginal elder, who was part of the Stolen Generation and the first indigenous person to be elected to local government, has been named Western Australian of the Year.

Robert Isaacs has dedicated the past 50 years to improving the welfare of Aboriginal communities in Australia's west.

The Noongar elder has been at the forefront of Aboriginal education initiatives and helped establish Clontarf Aboriginal College, Australia's first indigenous school.

He became the first Aboriginal person to be elected to local government after he became councillor and deputy mayor for the City of Gosnells.

Dr Isaacs was also awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to the community and Aboriginal affairs.

When he was six months old, he was taken from his family and placed in institutions until the age of 17.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world