Awards 2018

Mrs Marlene Hayes

Nominated by Ms Maree Corbo 

Seconded by The Hon Dale Wakefield MLA

Marlene Hayes grew up in the Retta Dixon Home in Darwin where she spent most of her young life. Her mother was from the Stolen Generation and Marlene has spent much of her adult life, locating her family who live in the Darwin area and as a result has built a connection with many of them. Marlene has three daughters and a son. She has 22 grandchildren and four great grandchildren all of whom she supports in a range of ways.

Marlene has achieved much in her life and is a foundation member of the Tangentyrere Women's Family Safety Group which was developed out of a need identified by Female Town Camp residents for a voice and action on Family and Domestic Violence issues.

The TWFSG direction and development is organic and works from a strengths based approach acknowledging and celebrating the skills, knowledge, history, assets, connections and relationships that Town Camp residents have. This group are imperative to the holistic response that Tangentyere Council has in addressing these issues, not only in Town Camps but in greater Alice Springs and outlying Communities. The TWFSG have developed 'awareness raising tools' that are easily understood and culturally appropriate. At the request of the TWFSG members, messages have not been toned down to make then more salient. The women are clear, that violence is hurting their communities and that violence and abuse must stop.

Marlene has been pivotal to the development of the TWFSG and of the anti-violence education material and content for workshops for women in the Town Camps of Alice Springs alongside the development of a range of visual resources such as help cards, posters, family and domestic violence cards and the film "Stand Up" that focuses on bystander issues.

Marlene is a big voice for getting the message into the community, that violence isunacceptable and has negative impacts, not only on Aboriginal women and children but also men and communities. Marlene describes herself as "Big Voice – Strong Woman".