Our Committee
The Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Incorporated Committee consists of:
Graeme Miniter
Chairperson
Olivia Roberts
Vice-Chairperson
Mary Gimondo
Secretary
Lefki Kailis
Minute Secretary, Liaison Treasurer
Maxim Business Solutions
Treasurer
Isabel Brown
Committee Member
Tianah Brown-Yates
Committee Member
Ted Farmer
Committee Member
Cass Lynch
Committee Member
Grantley Miniter
Committee Member
Connie Moses
Committee Member
Kim Scott
Committee Member
Graeme Miniter
Chairperson
Graeme Miniter was born at the Gnowangerup Mission to parents Roy Miniter and Elaine Miniter nee Brown . He attended primary school in Borden, Mt Lockyer and Spencer Park and high school in Albany. Upon leaving school Mr Miniter has worked for the Education Department as an Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Department of Indigenous Affairs and the Southern Aboriginal Corporation as a program manager. He also served as Chairperson of the Executive Board at South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council.
Olivia Roberts
Vice-Chairperson
Olivia Roberts is a proud Wirlomin lady. She has broad shoulders and a big heart, having worked for decades in Aboriginal health throughout the Great Southern region. Orphaned at 10, she has grown up with a strong kinship with extended family who have instilled the importance of heritage, culture, family values and respect for others. Olivia has been an executive board member for the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, Aboriginal Legal Services, Southern Aboriginal Corporation, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Alliance. In 2024 Olivia was named Albany’s Senior Citizen of the Year.
Mary Gimondo
Secretary
Mary Gimondo writes grant applications and acquittals and liaises with funding and sponsor bodies and has more than 30 years experience in this field. She is a past secretary of the CBCA WA, has a background as a children’s librarian and has worked for the Education Department and in Public Libraries. Mary has also worked in special and law libraries and recently retired from the Australian Tax Office where she worked as a business analyst. In 2008 Mary was awarded the CBCA WA Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished services to children’s literature. Mary is also involved with committees within the community.
Lefki Kailis
Minute Secretary
Lefki Kailis has a professional background as a librarian, English teacher and Teacher-librarian. Her professional practice has always focused on social justice, respect for the natural environment, and philosophy. She has been the National President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia and National Judge of the CBCA Book Awards.
Lefki has worked with a team headed by Whadjuk Noongar Elder and leader Kerry-Anne Winmar and including James Webb, Honey Webb and Dulcie Donaldson to produce a short documentary titled Aboriginal Habitation along the Derbal Yerrigan pre European settlement. She has been intimately connected with the Wirlomin family since 2006.
Isabel Brown
Committee Member
Born in Subiaco in 1976 after her mother was rushed to Perth due to complications, Isabel Brown and her parents were the last family to live on the Gnowangerup Reserve. Isabel is the first born to Edward Brown Snr (RIP) & Deborah Brown nee Smith. She is also the first born granddaughter to Audrey Brown nee Roberts & James (Foreman) Brown.
Isabel went on to further her studies from ADDU – Australian Dance Development Unit to Abmusic then Education (Early childhood). She also attended Marr Mooditj Training and graduated top of her class for Mental Health winning the Richmond Well-being Encouragement Award. Isabel organised for traditional dancing to be done before the ceremony with the Aboriginal and TSI students who had also graduated.
Isabel has worked on Noongar radio with the segment “Yorga Yarning” she is also an activist with connections all over Australia from the Noongar Tent Embassy to the Canberra National Tent Embassy. Isabel has also been connected to Dumbartung and has been since she was 16 years old. Constantly visiting Uncle Robert and Aunty Selena, Dumbartung has done work for our people for over the last 30 years including the Kyana Festival.
Isabel is a strong Wirlomin Warrior and plans to focus more on becoming a leader and voice for her people.
Tianah Brown-Yates
Committee Member
Tianah Brown-Yates is a proud young Wirlomin woman. She is the youngest daughter of Isabel Brown.
Tianah is a qualified ATSI Health Care Practitioner being top of her class winning the Fiona Stanley Encouragement Award she understands the importance of her elders health and well-being. Tianah also has many other certificates in hospitality, Engineering, Leadership Development as well as Office & Business Service Modules.
She is also an experienced cultural awareness mentor and has done past volunteer work as an indigenous dance choreographer that included work amongst children & young teenagers.
Tianah is now at home with her fiancé raising their 3 children. She is hoping to finish her current studies by mid 2026 to focus more on Wirlomin and become a strong voice for her generation and future generations to come.
Ted Farmer
Committee Member
A proud Wirlomin man and the oldest son of Olivia Roberts and John Farmer.
Ted Farmer has lived and worked in the Great Southern Region for most of his life.
He finished his schooling in Albany, then entered employment with the City of Albany, the Western Australian Police Service and is now working in the Mining sector.
He has very strong family connections with his immediate and extended families and is wanting to grow as a future leader within his family and for his people.
Cass Lynch
Committee Member
Cass Lynch is a Koreng Wudjari Noongar woman, and is descended from the families of Ravensthorpe in the Great Southern region. She is a writer and researcher, and has recently completed a PhD in Creative Writing that explores Noongar stories that reference climate change. She speaks and writes in the Noongar language, and is currently a Research Fellow at Curtin University where she works with Professor Kim Scott on the revitalisation of south coast Noongar songs and stories.
Grantley Miniter
Committee Member
Born in Albany, I am the youngest son of Vera Miniter and Cedric Roberts. I grew up on the Gnowangerup Reserve and attended Gnowangerup District High School as well as spending time in Albany. In a former life I was a heavy machine operator, and now I am trying to enjoy life and spending time with my Wirlomin mob, learning more about culture and history.
Connie Moses
Committee Member
Connie Francis Moses was born in Gnowangerup and remembers hearing Noongar language before hearing English. She descended from the Moses and Yorkshire families of the south coast of Western Australia and is a proud member of the Wirlomin group. Connie is a qualified primary school teacher, has a degree in Aboriginal Studies and is currently studying Aboriginal Community Management. She is passionate about revitalising Noongar language and teaching younger generations.
Kim Scott
Committee Member
Kim Scott is an award-winning Noongar author who has worked extensively in Indigenous education and the arts. Kim’s second novel, Benang (1999), won a number of literary awards, including The Miles Franklin, which he won for a second time with That Deadman Dance (2010) along with the South-east Asia and Pacific Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Australian Literary Society Gold Medal and other accolades. His work has been translated and published in China, India, Holland, Japan and France.
Kim was awarded a Centenary Medal and in 2012 was inaugural Western Australian of the Year. He is a member of the West Australian Writers Hall of Fame and in 2022 was declared a State Cultural Treasure. Kim is currently employed as Professor of Writing in the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts at Curtin University.