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Yvonne Weldon (née Coe born yy month 1971) is an Australian social activist and a proud Wiradjuri woman. She maintains strong ties to her homelands of Cowra and the Riverina areas in New South Wales.

From a young age Yvonne developed a strong passion and commitment to bringing about positive change for Aboriginal people and communities.

She has had the honour of providing the welcome to country ceremonies for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai, as well as at the swearing in of Governor Margaret Beazley.

--Early life and background-- Yvonne is the daughter of Anne Coe, a Wiradjuri woman of the Kalare (Lachlan) River and a Wiradjuri man, George Weldon, of the Murrumbidgee River people. She was raised in Dulwich Hill and educated at Redfern Public School and finished at Saint Scholastica’s College in Glebe.

She performed a contemporary Aboriginal dance to Midnight Oil’s The Dead Heart at the band’s Sydney concerts in 1986 and also as a special guest on Young Talent Time in 1987. Yvonne later travelled to Hawaii as one of the first Australians invited to the Festival of Pacific Arts in Honolulu.

Yvonne is the current elected Chairperson of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, a Board member of Domestic Violence NSW and a Board member of Redfern Jarjum College. Yvonne has held key positions with the NSW Government and Aboriginal Community Controlled sectors. In the health sector Yvonne has worked as the Aboriginal Program Coordinator for the Cancer Institute NSW and with Medicare Local. Prior to this, Yvonne held a range of senior positions including CEO of Murawina Long Day Care, Mt Druitt; Senior Project Officer, NSW Aboriginal Housing Office; Manager Aboriginal Policy and Strategy, NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care; Principal Policy Officer, Human Services; Aboriginal Program Coordinator, Cancer Institute NSW and Senior Project Officer, ATSIC.

In 2016 Yvonne was shortlisted for the Queenslander Literary Awards, Unpublished Indigenous Writer – David Unaipon Award category and was awarded the 2017 Allen & Unwin Faber Writing Academy scholarship.

--Activism and Causes-- She has dedicated her career to the Aboriginal struggle, addressing deprivation and the right to self-determination. She has a passion for improving the lives of all through health, social justice, Aboriginal advancement, children’s rights, education, child protection, research and evaluation.

--Personal Life-- Yvonne is the niece of the prominent Redfern Wiradjuri social worker and humanitarian activist Mum Shirl. She is the brother of activist Paul Coe. Children? Grandchildren? Is this important?

--References--

Redfern Jarjum College School Board - https://rjc.nsw.edu.au/school-board/

https://ajeworld.com.au/blogs/aje-report/aje-insider-creative-collective-yvonne-weldon

https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/true-country-why-tracing-australias-legacy-of-trauma-is-so-important-for-the-future/news-story/28b41a6a5bf8ca22208d79abec8333d2?utm_campaign=VogueAuOrganic&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=postOrganic&fbclid=IwAR2qxC_FD-625iDU9Xp8tCY0EH6eS0wBIgJO5NCxflFakGCWv_Rgj0QEP8c

https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/yvonne-weldon-on-the-truth-about-aboriginal-incarceration-racism-in-australia-and-how-we-can-instigate-real-change/news-story/53649cfbe6d648ffd5c1fbade00cab70

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=242764277338918&id=194764094549

https://www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/parties/inside-the-ceremonial-tree-planting-celebrating-60-years-of-vogue-australia/image-gallery/88a941bd1dc442f88e3ceb17a2b147d9

PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines. The PM's unwelcome intervention in a sacred moment (smh.com.au) Yvonne Weldon — Bundanon Queensland Literary Awards Shortlists 2016 | Writerful Books | Write Better Books Yvonne Weldon - TEDxSydney Yvonne Weldon — Sydney Environment Institute Australia Day celebrated across country as speakers urge reflection, unity - ABC News Outstanding volunteers from St George and Sutherland Shire – The Centre for Volunteering Edwina McCann on being 'ashamed' of Vogue's lack of diversity and publishing through COVID - AdNews Photos of the week, January 28th, 2021 (smh.com.au) ‘A moment of unity’: Australia Day stirs debate despite COVID-19 (smh.com.au) In 2020, the fashion campaign is getting personal (smh.com.au) Australia Day: Movie with poignant First Nations message opens Australia Day concert (smh.com.au)