Frances Dawn Mathyssen-Briggs, 91, was born in 1929 on Cummeragunja Mission near Barmah, and was nine years old when she took part in the historic walk-off from the mission with her parents Geraldine and Selwyn Briggs.
For many years, Mrs Mathyssen-Briggs and her family lived on ‘‘The Flats’’ on the banks of the Goulburn River between Shepparton and Mooroopna.
She went on to become actively involved in improving the lives of her indigenous community — marching for women’s equality and land rights and advocating for better access to government services for indigenous people.
She was instrumental in establishing the first statewide Aboriginal Welfare Committee and was a co-founder of the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative and Medical Service. The service started from her house and used her kitchen and home phone as a base.
She also helped successfully lobby the Victorian Government for the return of the Rumbalara housing settlement land in Mooroopna for community use.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Mrs Mathyssen-Briggs worked with Goulburn Valley Base Hospital to help establish culturally appropriate health treatments and services for indigenous families.
Other roles include:
● Founding director, Bangerang Cultural Centre – Aboriginal Keeping Place, Shepparton, 1974-1982;
● Chairperson of the Goulburn Valley Aboriginal Elders Committee, 1990-91;
● Founding member of the National Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women;
● Chair of Koorie Women Mean Business Inc for eight years, deputy chair for three years and committee member since the 2000s;
● Long-standing former member of Goulburn Valley Health Aboriginal Task Force Shepparton;
● Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, and the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service founding member; and
● Founding member of Victorian Aboriginal Welfare Committee in the 1970s.
Mrs Mathyssen-Briggs was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001, and in 2019 she was among 10 new inductees into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll.
A mother of 10, and a grandmother, great-grandmother and foster mother to generations of children, Mrs Mathyssen-Briggs still sits on the Rumbalara Elders Committee and mentors young people to reconnect them to their family history.
Her daughter Leanne Miller said her mother had been an important role model for indigenous people all her life.
“She still engages with committee members and enjoys the company of her people and family around her,” Ms Miller said.
“Her reaction to the news of this award was absolute joy — that her work on behalf of the indigenous community has been recognised.
“She sees it as a culmination of all her work for children,” Ms Miller said.
She said in a specially made video to be shown today to mark her mother's award, Mrs Mathyssen-Briggs thanked everyone who had believed in and supported her work over the years.
“We are all amazed at her stamina. She is 91 and not out — and she's raring to go in 2021,” Ms Miller said.
