Family members of the late Aunty Kathleen Miller gathered at the Singleton TAFE today to receive Private Members Statement certificates from Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen this afternoon.
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Aunty Kathleen, who was born at 61 York Street on January 23, 1929, was Singleton's oldest living Koori person until her passing at the Singleton Hospital on April 25 this year.
The 90-year-old was remembered the following month in Mr Johnsen's parlimentary speech (view here).
"This is a real privilege to be in a position where I am able to honour Aunty Kathleen Miller and to be able to share that honour with her family," Mr Johnsen told the Singleton Argus.
"She meant a lot to Singleton, the family meant a lot to Singleton and her life was one of adversity and inspiration.
"To be able to put that into Hansard and perpetuity is something that I can only sit back and go; I had that honour and privilege with that family."
Family members sat back and relived Mr Johnsen's speech at the Singleton TAFE's Connected Learning Centre.
It was a fitting setting after both he and Susie George (Regional Manager TAFE North) stood alongside Aunty Kathleen to open the facility in February this year.
"I'd like to think I have good relations with many people in our community; particularly the Indigenous community and we are all one because we're spiritually connected," Mr Johnsen added.
"Anyone that ever forgets that is missing something deep and meaningful."
Aunty Kathleen's story is depicted on an artistic piece in the centre these days.
The piece, painted by staff member Carol Cunningham, was then presented to Aunty Kathleen's proud son, and author of 'Koori; A Will To Win', James Wilson-Miller.
"Today means so much to me, it means a total recognition of my mum and her achievements in the past," Mr Wilson-Miller explained.
"Mum was always an advocate for education and with my sister and her two daughters she made sure they were educated as well; she was just that sort of a person.
"There's a story where, as a student at the Hunter Street School, she could read and write ahead of her non-Indigenous classmates.
"But, sadly enough, the teachers of that time did not care to take notice of Aboriginal people with intelligence so (all these years later) I thank Michael because my mother's name is now in parliament with perpetuity."