A very important member of the Bonnyrigg Aboriginal community, Aunty Yvonne, has been honoured in a ceremony that sees a tree she loved not just saved, but turned into a beautiful spot where her family can gather to remember her.  

The ceremony to unveil the new seat around the tree was deeply moving and respectfully conducted by SGCH’s Communities, Place and Partnership team. The event was wholly given over to Aunty Yvonne’s family, so they could honour her memory and celebrate her importance to family and the broader Bonnyrigg community.  

Students from Bonnyrigg Public School conducted a Welcome to Country, which was followed by a poignant smoking ceremony that was, as Aunty Yvonne’s grandson Malcom said, about “helping her on her journey to the Dreaming”.  

Aunty Freda, who hosted the event, spoke of her reverence for, and love of, Aunty Yvonne and then welcomed two of Aunty Yvonne’s sons – Dallas and Arthur – to speak about their mother.  

“She was the third eldest of 14 kids,” says Dallas, “and she was one of the six kids that was taken away to the homes – the stolen generation.” She had the biggest heart, he adds. “It didn’t matter if we had one friend sleep over or 32, she made everyone feel welcome. She was a deadly soul.”  

Speaking about the tree on Bradfield Crescent, Dallas said his mum felt so strongly about it, she was prepared to tie herself to the tree. “She said to the Council, “you’re not taking this one, this one is mine”. And she got it. I just wish she was here … but she’s here in spirit. Thank you, Mum.”  

It took Charly on SGCH’s maintenance team eight days to build the seat around the tree – it was a project that he says was extremely meaningful to him. 

“Every day someone would stop to have a chat about what I was doing and to tell me how important the tree is,” he says. “I learnt how special the community in Bonnyrigg is.”  

In her closing speech, Sarah Mulcahy, who led the organising of this event so beautifully, said: “The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week is ‘Be a Voice for Generations’ and we hope that today’s event shows that we are here to listen to all voices across all generations in the community.”