Theresa Walley
Aboriginal Elder of the Year 2007
Theresa Walley, (nee Winmar) was born
in Kellerberrin on 6 ovember 1937. She
was one of nine children born to Mary
Theresa Indich and Louis Winmar.
At the
tender age of seven, she and several other
family embers were placed in the care
of the Carrolup Mission. Mary and her
hildren absconded and Theresa ended
up in St Joseph’s rphanage at New
Norcia. Here she received a very restricted
upbringing so was totally unprepared for
life when she was sent outside the doors of the Orphanage at
age sixteen with a suitcase. She found a job as a domestic
at the Quairading Hospital.
Eventually she met and married
Leslie Robert Walley. The hildren to this marriage are Trevor,
Robert, Doreen, Cheryl Ann, Rosemary, Charmaine and John
Christopher (deceased).
Now a great grandmother, Theresa’s life has been one of survival,
bringing up children, working and constantly researching the
background of her culture.
Rather than retire, now with the duties of ‘Elder’ she is
constantly on call and in great demand.
Her love of her fellow
Indigenous people, especially the young, is very evident in
the many projects in which she is involved, including tourism
where she uest speaks, does educational bush walks and
demonstrates the values of bush-tucker.
