Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Music: Ernie Bridge at Halls Creek this weekend
Ernie Bridge
Country singer/songwriter Ernie Bridge will be appearing at Halls Creek’s Nguyurru Waaringarrem festival this Saturday.
A former Halls Creek Shire President, Mr Bridge went on to become our state’s first Aboriginal member of parliament.
You can read more about him here:
HON ERNIE BRIDGE OAM CitWA JP
President – Watering Australia
Foundation & Unity of First People of
Australia
Ernie Bridge was born at Halls Creek in the
Kimberley region in the far north of Western
Australia. Prior to his political life, he was
involved in family business and became a
successful small businessman in his own
right. Mr Bridge has the distinction of being
the first Aboriginal Member of the WA
Parliament and the first Aboriginal person to
be appointed a Cabinet Minister in any
Parliament in Australia. In 1993 he was
awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia
(OAM) for his service to Parliament and Aboriginal Affairs.
He is the President of the Watering Australia Foundation, a non-profit
organisation established in 1995 and continues to champion water supply
needs. In 1997 he also established the Unity of First People of Australia, a non
-profit organisation dedicated to assisting Aboriginal people and
communities with the establishment of employment-creating enterprises and
roles for indigenous people in the key areas of law and order, education and
health.
In 2003 he received the Centenary of Federation Medal for his service to
Parliament and Aboriginal Affairs and in 2004 he won the Western
Australian Citizen of the Year Award in the category of Governor’s Award for
Regional Development. Since retiring from Parliament in 2001 Mr Bridge has
continued to pursue business interests through the Watering Australia
Foundation and the Unity of First People of Australia.
WINNER of 2010 NAIDOC Perth
“Elder of the Year Male”
From the organisers of Nguyurru Waaringarrem.
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