Celebrating Dr Aunty Matilda House Williams OAM

On 30 January, we were honoured to share lunch with Dr Aunty Matilda House Williams OAM in celebration of her recent well-deserved recognition within the Australian Honours program. Former Principal Sally Renouf spoke at the lunch, and we are grateful to be able to share Sally's remarks with our community here, followed by a gallery of images from this special occasion.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak on this special occasion.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of this gathering, the Ngambri and Ngunnawal peoples; I pay my respects to elders past and present, and I joyously celebrate Aunty Matilda today.

What a special opportunity this is, to be here in the heart of the College, the dining hall with you all - it’s like coming home; and to celebrate such a grand accolade in such a familiar and meaningful environment in which Aunty Matilda - you - have made such a significant impact, is very fitting.

Aunty why it was so obvious to me that Burgmann College must nominate you for this award really came down to three things:

1. The first was, I honestly thought you must already have an OAM. And when Amelia and I spoke with your son Paul Girrawah House and realised you hadn’t, we thought this was just the biggest oversight that really needed to be rectified immediately.

2. The second reason supports the first, and that is: Aunty Matilda, your contribution to society and to Burgmann College has been exceptional.

Aunty, you are so clearly deserving of this honour. Your dedication to equality, to naming injustice, and working to make life better, is extraordinary. You have a profound sense of duty to community, and a generosity that is constant and practical. You lead with clarity and determination; you are fierce, iconic, and have an unmatched ability to keep things real.

Your life is full of examples, over and over again, of advocacy, truth-telling, wisdom, generosity, and the occasional perfectly-timed, gently-devastating comment that reminds us all to lift our game.

When I think about this, and then what Burgmann College is about, the overlap is so strong that nominating Aunty Matilda for this recognition felt like the most obvious thing in the world.

Burgmann asks its residents to learn how to live in a community, to practice egalitarianism and inclusivity not as abstract ideals, but as daily habits. This place encourages you to develop a genuine commitment to communication, integrity, equality, fairness, and care for one another.

Aunty Matilda, you model all of this, not in theory, but in action.

3. And finally, the third reason really is about who you are at heart. What I have learned and come to admire about you is that there is no gap between what your values are and what you believe is important, and how you act in the world and show up. If it were a Venn diagram, it would just be one circle.

In addition to countless Welcome to Country and smoking ceremonies, we have shared so many other special moments together, and I would like to share some of those with you all today.

• Cups of tea and visits with little Margot and the chooks in the backyard of the Deputy Flat with Amelia,
• Chicken curry lunches in the dining hall with Chef Troy,
• Having the privilege of meeting members of your family over the course of many events, including Naiya, Leah, Ruby, Jerikye, and Reuben;
• Planting the kurrajong tree on the front lawn in memory of Henry ‘Black Harry’ Williams,
• You holding my daughter Ava soon after she was born,
• Celebrating the unveiling of Professor Brenda Croft’s striking portrait of you in the GP Room
• Attending your welcome at the 47th Opening of Parliament
• Celebrating your NAIDOC award in Brisbane with you and Professor Aunty Anne Martin AM
• Hanging out with Peter Garrett at our 50th celebrations
• Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Village with Paul’s beautiful tree carving
• Sharing a scone at the Hyatt with Judy, Thea, Amelia and my girls for your 80th birthday high tea,
• and of course, today.

Aunty, you are an integral member of this community, and we are so lucky to have you – congratulations on your OAM.

Acknowledgements

An essential part of this nomination process was the practical steps to get it done.

Firstly, I would like to thank Paul for his ongoing guidance throughout the nomination process; and to everyone who contributed their references and support for Aunty Matilda’s nomination.

I would also like to thank Fiona Nixon, who so generously volunteered her time and energy to help secure this nomination. She carried the process through with care, persistence, and real thoughtfulness, and she captured Aunty Matilda’s contribution, and her deep connection to Burgmann, beautifully and truthfully.

This recognition exists because Fiona did the work. So, Fiona, thank you and well done.

I also want to acknowledge Amelia Zaraftis, because it was through Amelia that Aunty Matilda first became connected with Burgmann.

Over the time I worked with Amelia, from 2016 until I left in 2024, Amelia did an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work to deepen the College’s understanding of, and connection with, Aboriginal people and communities. Much of that work was quiet, careful, and relational, the kind that doesn’t always show up in reports or headlines, but which changes institutions in real and lasting ways. One example that immediately comes to mind is the creation of the College’s inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan, launched in 2019 by Nova Peris OAM OLY.

The reason Burgmann has been able to take meaningful steps in this area, and I mean genuine steps, is thanks to Amelia’s commitment, integrity, and persistence. She helped build the trust, relationships, and cultural grounding that made this College ready to learn from, and be shaped by, leaders like Distinguished Professor Asmi Wood, Professor Aunty Anne Martin AM, Professor Brenda L Croft, and of course, you, Aunty Matilda.

So, Amelia, thank you. This connection, and much of what it has enabled at Burgmann, exists because of your work.

So, in conclusion, congratulations Aunty Matilda – we love you, we’re here to celebrate you, and I think it’s only fitting to end (because we probably can’t manage a tunnel right now) with three cheers for Aunty Matilda – we are so happy you have been recognised in this way.

Former Principal, Sally Renouf