Stalwart activist honours family

Treasy Woods has been campaigning for her Noongar community since 1958, and there were times the Albany-based activist felt the battle for equality couldn’t be won.

“We had to live with prejudice everyday, but I can say that we are past that now,” she said.

But on Monday Mrs Woods was awarded for her continuous efforts to educate people about her heritage, winning the 2013 Noongar Citizen of the Year award at Monday night’s NAIDOC award presentations.

“I would consider myself more of the quiet achiever in the background, I don’t know who nominated me or how I was given this award, but I couldn’t be happier, ” she said.

Mrs Woods is chair of the Noongar Heritage Group and a community voice for Noongar people.

She spends much of her time talking to students and companies about indigenous affairs, and said if there has been an aboriginal committee in Albany, she had been on it.

“I’ve even been on the Australian Heritage Committee twice,” she said.

Mrs Woods spent Monday morning launching NAIDOC week at Denmark Primary School, the first year it has been acknowledged at the school.

“That moment made me proud — I welcomed people on behalf of my ancestors,” she said.

She credits her family with keeping her focused, and the mother-of-six spends her spare time with 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she said.

On Monday, Mrs Woods was accompanied to the awards by her daughter Cherylene Woods and said she was proud watching all the winners take home awards.

“The other winners know the battle and won and I was proud to see the young ones be rewarded for the work they do,” she said.