RIP Aunty Nancy Rooke (1935-2019),the face of our Indigenous community the heart and soul of kindness, justice and compassion.
The indigenous flag is at half mast outside St Matthew’s, Albury, in honour of the passing of aunty Nancy Rooke, who as well as an indigenous elder has been a community ambassador for inclusion, a champion for justice and gave people permission to think differently.
Aunty Nancy was a regular member of the St. Matthew’s congregation but had a spirituality that wasn’t limited by denominations or religious institutions.
There was no tokenism about her, Nancy had a gift for connecting people and her navigational equipment was an unswerving unapologetic commitment to kindness and compassion.
She often said that the Murray river for Anglo-Saxons and traditional government structures was a point of division but for indigenous communities a point of meeting and connection and she shared that wisdom liberally with those around her.
She lent her down to earth humanity to many causes for vulnerable people and helped demolish barriers and legislative injustices with a quiet calm delivery, a twinkle in her eye but like the Murray river itself —in a manner that was difficult to ignore or contradict.
We are all richer for having known her and her passing will cause us to reflect on the themes of her life that brought people together and helped change our community for the better.
Aunty Nancy’s funeral on Monday 2pm 14th October, at St. Matthew’s, Albury, will be a community celebration of her contribution to the life of the region.
