Aunty Diane Kerr is a respected Elder of the Wurundjeri Tribe, and a Mother, Grandmother and Aunty to many across several generations.
Aunty Di has worked hard in the health sector. She has been actively involved with the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne and in 2013 she chaired the hospital’s Community Advisory Committee and was a member of its Consumer Committee. She helped found research at the University of Melbourne’s Heart Research Centre around mental illness and chronic disease afflicting the Wurundjeri people.
Aunty Di performs a 'Welcome to Country' at an AFL game. Image Source: Western Bulldogs twitter.
Aunty Di feels that many Aboriginal people’s health problems stem from ‘a type of post-traumatic syndrome disorder’ which permeates the culture and comes from ‘the stress and distress of being removed off country’. Aunty Di is also a strong leader in the continuation and awakening of her culture.
Since 2014 Aunty Di has been conducting women’s ceremonies for Aboriginal girls. The ceremonies enable the girls to approach womanhood with confidence, having gained a connection to country, knowledge of their identity and a general sense of well-being. She also provides leadership and cultural advice to local councils, corporate and community organisations and is an ambassador for the Indigenous Leadership Network of Victoria.
Aunty Di continues to be dedicated to improving the lives of those around her. The responsibility of guiding younger generations is very important to her and she works hard to uphold Aboriginal culture in a modern, urbanised world.
You can read more about Aunty Di on the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in which she was inducted in 2017.