Media Alert - 20 June 2002

Award to Faith Bandler

The Australian Republican Movement will make a rare award of Honoured Life membership to Faith Bandler AM.

Faith Bandler is life long supporter of an Australian republic.

Born in Tumbulgum northern NSW in 1918, Bandler is the daughter of a Pacific Islander who was brought to the cane fields as Kanaka labour by slave traders in 1883.

Faith Bandler is best known, and most admired by her fellow Australians for her crucial role in the success of the 1967 referendum which removed legal and constitutional discrimination against Aboriginals.

One of the few that have been successful, this referendum has been our most important to date.

Faith Bandler's outstanding work includes:

• Founder of the National Commission of Australian South Sea Islanders
• General Secretary of the Federal Council of the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
  

She has received many awards including the AM in the Order of Australia, and in 1997 the Human Rights Medal.

Susan Ryan AO Deputy Chair of the ARM will make the Honoured Life Membership award to Faith Bandler at the NSW Parliament at 10.30 am on Friday 21 June 2002.

Susan Ryan said, ""this is the first Life Member award to be made to a woman. Faith Bandler is respected and admired by all republicans because of her outstanding human rights record. and her essential role in the referendum victory in 1967.

We hope she can assist us to achieve victory the next time Australians get to vote for a Republic."

Further comment:
Susan Ryan - Mob: 0417 344 926