OBITUARY
Elva Taylor
1941-2013
ELVA Taylor was a well-loved local elder from the Thungutti tribe who passed away on the 17 September 2013 at the Armidale Hospital.
Elva was born in 1941 at Nulla Creek Aboriginal Reserve to John and Minnie Quinlin. She was married to Thomas (Tucker) Taylor and they had four children Flossy, Anthony, Gillian and Wally (deceased).
Elva completed primary school yet did not learn to read or write, but she could count. The teacher was not qualified and she and the other Aboriginal children filled their time in school by swimming, running, and playing cricket.
Elva was part of the stolen generation. At the age of 11 years she was forcefully put on a train to Sydney without her parents’ consent.
Although she was just a little girl she was made to work 12 hours a day without weekends or holidays for a doctor’s family.
She started her day at 6am and went to bed after she cleaned up the family’s evening meal at 8pm. She was released from servitude at the age of 21 years.
Elva returned to Kempsey and got a job at the Kempsey hospital when she was 22. She worked hard – seven days a week for seven hours a day with only a 15-minute lunch break.
With the encouragement of her workmates, Elva entered the Kempsey Beauty Contest and won first prize.
She could not handle the racism in Kempsey and returned to Sydney. She got a job with the Australian Electoral Commission which involved a lot of travel.
Elva attributed her knowledge in administration and management to her position at the Australian Electoral Commission.
She took part in a beauty competition and was crowned Miss Waratah where she enjoyed sitting on a float and waving to the crowd.
Elva then moved to Armidale where she got a job at Mary White College at UNE and later at the Commonwealth Employment Service for 12 years.
She went back to school as a mature-aged student and completed a Diploma in Aboriginal Studies at the Armidale College of Advanced Education.
Always wanting to better the lives of the future generations, Elva Taylor became very involved in community organisations.
She was a vey successful chairperson at the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place from 2005 to 2012. Under her leadership the centre grew from strength to strength.
Elva was also on the boards of Jobs Australia, The Coalition of Aboriginal Peak Organisations, the Armidale Land Council, Juvenile Justice, Circle Sentencing and many other local organisations. She continued to serve as an ambassador for Youth Awareness Resource Network in Sydney.
Her main interest was in Aboriginal health and she served two terms on the Armidale Hospital Board and was working at the Aboriginal Medical Service (Pat Dixon Medical Centre) until the end. She started off as a health worker and had been the Chief Executive Officer for the last five years.
Elva has left a huge hole in the community with her passing. She will be greatly missed and forever loved and remembered.
– Article by Daisy William with Thomas ‘Tucker’ Taylor’s permission.
