Aunty Marion Pearce, a proud Gunai and Monaro woman, who lived most of her life in Bairnsdale, has been posthumously inducted on the Victorian Aboriginal Honor Roll.
Aunty Marion’s four daughters, Margaret, May, Linda and Michelle, were at the ceremony in Melbourne recently.
Margaret told the Advertiser her late mother’s induction “makes us proud”.
Marion Pearce was one of eight children to be born to Albert Solomon and Edna Solomon (nee Gaye) when she arrived on October 23, 1948 in Orbost.
In 1965 she married Robert “Jumbo” Pearce, who was inducted on the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in 2014.
After briefly living in Robinvale, in 1966 Marion and Jumbo returned to Bairnsdale where they raised their four daughters.
Aunty Marion and Jumbo also provided foster care to more than 200 Aboriginal children.
At a young age Jumbo was removed from his family during the Stolen Generations.
He had experienced and seen the adverse effects of what the system of removal and foster placement did to Aboriginal children’s self-identity and mental health.
This inspired Aunty Marion and Jumbo to advocate tirelessly for Aboriginal parents whose children were being removed.
They strongly believed that children in care needed to be raised by Aboriginal families or Aboriginal carers.
Aunty Marion only attended school for a short time. Following a school visit by government welfare officers, Aunty Marion’s father decided to follow seasonal fruit picking, not wanting his children to become Stolen Generations statistics.
This meant the family constantly moved. Aunty Marion’s strength and determination were borne out of her struggles with racism, and not being accorded respect and equality.
She ensured her family stayed strong, connected to Country, that her daughters knew of her experiences and the fundamental importance of quality health, education, housing and justice to make Aboriginal people’s lives better.
Aunty Marion taught her family to always stand up, speak their truth and express how they felt.
She was a strong woman with a kind heart. She was always looking to achieve the best outcomes for her community and always shared her culture generously and freely.
Aunty Marion’s experiences of racism sharpened her resolve in early adulthood.
An example included going to the hospital’s maternal health clinic early in the morning with her new baby to be first in line, only to have to wait all day and be last seen.
Experiences like this compelled her to advocate assertively for health services designed and run by community.
In the late 1960s and into the 1970s, Aunty Marion and Jumbo joined other local leaders, including Marion’s mentor, Aunty Nessie Skuta, to advocate for community equity and better services.
Aunty Marion mentored and educated Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community members within the health and justice sectors, including within government, to ensure community members were respected and given services appropriate to their circumstances, such as family violence aid. She also ensured that providers were made accountable for their actions.
Due to continuing discrimination experienced by community members needing to use health services, Aunty Marion was part of a women’s group of some 67 proud, strong and resilient women, along with some men, who set the foundations in 1975 for what would become the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative (GEGAC).
Aunty Marion sat on GEGAC’s board for more than 30 years.
The Pearce family, who are still deeply involved in GEGAC today, are proud of all Aunty Marion achieved for GEGAC and how it has grown into a multi-service provider.
Aunty Marion had a strong spiritual life and was a committed member of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry for Victoria, educating the Church about reconciliation, especially by incorporating important Aboriginal cultural artefacts and symbols, including the message stick, into Aboriginal Mass.
Aunty Marion was well-known for her leadership and personal presentation.
A powerful woman of serious intent, Aunty Marion commanded respect and was always up for the robust conversations that were needed.
She believed in speaking her truth.
She is recognised for her lifelong commitment to self-determination and Aboriginal health and wellbeing, education, housing and justice.
Aunty Marion died on July 1, 2016.

IMAGE: Marion Pearce, pictured here in Bairnsdale in May 2016, has been inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honor Roll for service to community. K664-9284