Mary “Mullamar” Graham’s family Hua Nguyen, Richard Smith, Mary Smith, Mary-Anne Ryan and Chloe Smith helped open the Gawler East Link Road on Monday, a portion of which is named after the Gawler Aboriginal health pioneer. PHOTO: Sam Bradbrook
GAWLER Aboriginal health leader Mary “Mullamar” Graham was instrumental in fostering reconciliation in the north, and now she has a major road named after her.
Mrs Graham – a Kaurna, Narrunga and Ngarrindjeri woman originally from Point Pearce – dedicated her life to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.
A member of the Stolen Generation, she began volunteering at the Gawler Health Service in 2003 and would become the hospital’s first Aboriginal Family Resource worker.
She also started a support group for fellow women who are members of the Stolen Generation and was a strong advocate for reconciliation and teaching Aboriginal culture in the community.
In July last year, Gawler Council voted to honour Mrs Graham by naming a portion of the new Gawler East Link Road after her.
Members of her family were present at the road’s opening on Monday, with daughter Mary-Anne Ryan telling The Bunyip it was “emotional” to see her mum recognised in such a public way.
“She dedicated her life to improving life for Aboriginal people and Aboriginal families,” she said. “To have her recognised is a really beautiful.
“I think it’s really important (to have Aboriginal people recognised publicly) because it really shines a light on the positives and the successes.
“For Aboriginal people to succeed they need to go through so much. The journey is a lot harder; it takes a lot of resilience and to be acknowledged should be more common.”
Mrs Graham’s children and relatives have carried on her passion for improving Aboriginal wellbeing, with Ms Ryan now working in the Aboriginal education sector and her brother Richard Smith is employed in Aboriginal health.
Ms Ryan said their mother inspired them to work for positive change.
“All of mum’s children have worked in Aboriginal fields and really worked hard to keep her work alive,” she said.
“Watching her approach, learning off how she did things and hearing why things are important – that’s how we learn; through stories – really impacted me in wanting to take up the baton after her.
“We’ve all done it in our own way, whatever field we’re in.”
