Indigenous Officers Show The Way

Three Indigenous officers from Centrelink, the Child Support Agency and Medicare in Parramatta, NSW are to bring their culture to life for this week’s NAIDOC celebrations with a display of Indigenous dance, bush tucker and other cultural activities on Thursday (7 July).
The officers – Alicia Laurie, Joy Hodgson and Alex Sebastian – will share with the local community the spirit of NAIDOC Week and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“NAIDOC Week is an important celebration of Indigenous culture, so we’ve been working together to bring a taste of our culture back to Parramatta,” Ms Laurie said.

“Parramatta’s name comes from the Indigenous word ‘Burramatta’ which in the Darug language means – ‘the place where the eels lay’, so as you can see, there is a lot synergy between Indigenous people and the region.”
Ms Laurie said the trio had invited local elders and community organisations who work with Holroyd’s Indigenous community, to join in the activities planned on the day.
Minister for the three Agencies, Tanya Plibersek said occasions like NAIDOC Week were a time to celebrate Indigenous history and culture and to recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“I’m extremely proud of the work Indigenous officers across my portfolio agencies are doing in their local communities,” Ms Plibersek said.
“The work Alicia, Joy and Alex do in the community such as visiting services to community centres, correctional centres and local hospitals, helping people with Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support assistance is making a positive difference to people’s lives.