Honouring Aunty Deb Mellet for her lifetime of service to Aboriginal communities

Aboriginal inclusion officer Jeremy Nikora and Aunty Deb Mellett posing for a photo at Federation Square

This piece was written by Jeremy Nikora, our Aboriginal inclusion coordinator, to honour Aunty Deb Mellett (Gurringi), a respected elder and long-time community leader for her incredible contribution to the Aboriginal community.

Kia ora,

One of our founding Aboriginal Advisory Group Elders, Aunty Deb Mellett (Gurringi), was recently awarded with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her tireless lifetime of work supporting Aboriginal community and culture.

Aunty Deb, a proud Gurringi woman from far north Queensland, has been one of my closest mentors and advocates within the Aboriginal community for over 10 years.

As the General Manager of Nairm Marr Djambana (Frankston’s Aboriginal Gathering Place), she led the transformation of the centre into a strong community hub. Aunty Deb has nurtured a close relationship with schools, including Elisabeth Murdoch College and their Koorie student body. Two of our Democracy Ambassadors, Jenaya Bartlett and Olivia Hull came through this school, giving young Aboriginal students the opportunity to do work placement at the centre and connect with their community.

In 2022, Aunty Deb hosted one of our early mobile voting centres during the 2022 state election, a first for both Nairm Marr Djambana and the VEC.

Most recently, Aunty Deb has played a pivotal role in the development of our Aboriginal Action Plan, Ngabun-Bambunj, and in strengthening our overall engagement within the communities across the Mornington Peninsula.

She is an amazing elder and we are very fortunate to have her support for the work we do to this day.

This recognition is a very well-deserved honour for a beautiful community leader.

Jeremy Nikora
Aboriginal inclusion coordinator