By JO HARRISON
MORE than 1000 mourners gathered at the Armidale Town Hall last Friday to pay tribute and celebrate the life of Aboriginal elder Elva Dawn Taylor.
Mourners came from throughout Australia to pay their respects and remember the life of the well-loved local elder from the Thungutti tribe who passed away on the 17 September at the Armidale Hospital.
Elva was a prominent figure in Armidale and became involved in numerous community organisations including key roles as Chairperson at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place from 2005 to 2012; on the boards of Jobs Australia; The Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations, the Armidale Land Council, Juvenile Justice and Circle Sentencing.
She was passionate about indigenous health. She served two terms on the Armidale Hospital Board and was working at the Aboriginal Medical Service (Pat Dixon Medical Centre) until its closure.
Former member for New England Tony Windsor paid tribute to a woman he greatly admired.
“Elva Taylor was an extraordinary woman, she had a true sense of belief in the things she fought for over many decades,” he said.
“She came from an extraordinary family of Aboriginal leaders and I think we saw some of that today in terms of the younger people who gathered here.
“There is a challenge there for the younger community to look at what your Aunty Elva has achieved, look at the things she argued for and stood for and work towards a common unity.”
A private burial followed at the Armidale Cemetary. The funeral cortege to the cemetery stretched over one-and-a-half kilometres.
