User:DavidHatton1/sandbox

Lorraine Hatton, OAM is formally recognised as a Quandamooka Elder, from the Noonuccal and Ngughi tribes of North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah), South-East Queensland, Australia, with blood lines to the Turrabal tribe. She was raised in the Aboriginal Community of Dunwich, Queensland, referred to in traditional language as Goompee or Coompee, meaning pearl oyster. Lorraine is the youngest of 11 children to Aunty Emma Enoch and William Gardiner. Aunty Emma was born at One Mile Mission and her Great Grandmother, was a Native Aboriginal Nughi Woman, known as Tjunnabin. Granny Tjunnabin is an Apical (the apex of genealogy) Ancestor of the group. The Tjunnabin Family is the largest in that area.

Lorraine enlisted into the Australian Army, in 1986 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Signals Corps, were she established and maintained a distinguished and successful career, including being Army’s first Aboriginal female Warrant Officer. She served for 21 years, deploying on Peace Keeping, Humanitarian and Operational War Service, her last tour being the Communications Manager to the Australian Army Special Forces Task Group in Afghanistan, in 2006.

She retired from the Army in 2007, however, has continued to provide selfless service to the wider community in many roles.

Some 13 years after retirement, in May 2020, she was formally appointed as the Indigenous Elder of the Australian Army. As Army Elder, she is recognised as a person, who has gained recognition as a custodian of knowledge and lore, and who has permission to disclose knowledge and beliefs. She holds a crucial role in supporting both formal and informal cultural education aspects, across Army nationally and the communities Army operate in. She is responsible for imparting tradition, knowledge, culture, values, dispelling myths, attending ceremonial activities, role modelling traditional practices, as well as bringing Army closer to Indigenous communities. Part of this role sees her sit on the Army Cultural Advisory Board (ACAB) in addition to being a member of the Indigenous Advisory Group at the Australian War Memorial, (AWM).

Lorraine is also an advocate and mentor with the Preston Campbell Foundation and Gold Coast Titans Deadly Futures Program. She is the Board President / Chair of the Queensland State Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dedicated Memorial (ATSIDMQ) Committee, that is currently coordinating the construction of this State Memorial in ANZAC Square Brisbane. Moreover, she is the Inaugural Patron of the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways (IYMP) project, advocating education for Indigenous youth from remote locations of Australia. Lorraine is the Inaugural Indigenous Ambassador for the Corporate Protection, a private sector emergency services company, employing many ex-Defence Members and a signatory with Prime Ministers Veterans Employment Program. In 2021 Lorraine was appointed to University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Board / Council.

She is a voice and advocate for Australia’s First Peoples and First People’s Youth Groups, in addition to being a campaigner for numerous veteran initiatives.

Lorraine was the only female finalist for the Queensland Australian of the year in 2019. In that same year she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal, (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours List, for services to the Indigenous community.