Albany 2026: Much-loved Menang Goreng elders welcome bicentenary as opportunity to showcase Noongar successes

The Albany bicentenary is a chance for the Noongar people to display their culture and be proud of their heritage, according to respected Menang and Goreng elder Aunty Averil Dean.

Ms Dean is cultural speaker and community leader who, while advocating for improved housing and educational opportunities, inspires pride in her birthright and hope for future generations.

So, even though the arrival of Europeans to the settlement 200 years ago was nothing Aboriginal people of the time would have welcomed, she said she was looking forward to Albany’s bicentenary celebrations.

“I am excited for the bicentenary,” she said.

“It’s great the City of Albany has taken it on board to embrace the Noongar spirit and history; I take my hat off to them.

“All we ask for is recognition of our place in society — we want that feeling of ownership and belonging in our country.”

She said education was key for young Aboriginal people and hoped that by showcasing the area’s Noongar heritage, and acknowledging their successes, the bicentenary could be something everyone could enjoy.

“We just want our children to do well so we won’t have to worry about what will happen to them when we leave,” she said.

Ms Dean and her sister Treasy Woods are familiar faces around Albany, often conducting welcome to country ceremonies and supporting local Aboriginal causes.

Ms Dean’s address to the crowd at the Anzac Peace Park on New Year’s Eve was one of hope and optimism that 2026 would be a marvellous year for everyone in Albany.

Born in Gnowangerup, the sisters attended the mission school where the education was rudimentary.

Despite the Christian emphasis and the discouraging of Aboriginal cultural practices, the sisters say the mission school was nevertheless a happy place.

Shielded by their parents from hardship and the mostly racist society which surrounded them, they were inspired by their family and elders to keep connections to their customs and beliefs.

After boarding school in Perth — another cultural shock — Ms Dean trained as a nursing aide before marrying husband Kenneth.

They moved to Albany in 1971, settling in Mt Lockyer, and she became a cultural teacher, running classes for Year 9 pupils at Albany Senior High School to help Aboriginal students take pride in their identities.

Having also moved to Albany, sister Treasy and brother Jack Williams also became involved in teaching, taking students to sites around the area and explaining what they meant to Noongar people.

Working with young people, passing on her cultural experiences has been — and still is — the cornerstone of Ms Dean’s life in Albany.

The year-long focus on the city is something she hopes Aboriginal people can make the most of, and that non-Indigenous residents and visitors will embrace the Noongar history.

“We are very proud of what’s happening with our young people,” Ms Dean said.

“There are lots of worries, of course, but we are not giving up.

“The bicentenary is great for us.

“This year will showcase our history and culture and things can only grow bigger from that.”