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Sue Bulger

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Sue Bulger
Other namesSuzanne Bulger
EmployerTumut Council
Known forIndigenous Land Council and Mayor
Board member ofLocal Aboriginal Land Council

Suzanne Bulger or Sue Bulger OAM was the First Indigenous Mayor of Tumut.[1] She was CEO of Brungle-Tumut Local Aboriginal Land Council, as well as Mayor of Tumut.[2] She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, in the King's Birthday honours in June 2024.[3][4]

Early life and career

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Bulger is an elder of the Wiradjuri community,[5] who was raised within the Brungle Mission. She was a long-standing member of the Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC),[6] holding a position with the LALC over a number of decades. She was a Councillor for Tumut Shire since 2000, and was then later elected to the position of Mayor.[3][7] Tumut Shire Council later changed name to Snowy Valleys Council.

Bulger was a teacher, following in the footsteps of her father and her aunty. Bulger's has worked with the local community, particularly with First Nations members of the public.[8]

Bulger has been an active member of the Tumut community, contributing to various school community as well as First Nations communities.[9] She has worked at various schools including St Judes, in Canberra, St Brigid's in Tumut, St Patrick's in Gundagai, from 1981 to 1994, as well as other schools in regional NSW and ACT including Cootamundra, Boorowa, and Tumut.[10]

Bulger has been on various committees, on first the Tumut Shire Council, and then the Snowy Valleys Council, including:

  • the sports committee,
  • Climate Change committee,
  • Public Arts advisory committee and numerous others.[2]

Bulger was also on the board change the Australian National anthem, to make the lyrics more inclusive to First Nations people.

"[The change last year] was a very small first step for us," she said. "[The new verses] would mean that we could truly celebrate our anthem because it would include us, the First Nations people, and the special places that are around Australia."[11]

Awards and recognition

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References

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  1. ^ Staff (22 September 2015). "Sue Bulger elected Tumut mayor". Tumut and Adelong Times. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division" (PDF). The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. p. 38.
  3. ^ a b "Land Council leader elected Mayor of Tumut". NSW Aboriginal Land Council. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Aunty Sue honoured with OAM for service to the community". Tumut and Adelong Times. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  5. ^ Rowley, Jarryd (10 June 2024). "A trip down 'nostalgia lane': Four Riverina residents receive King's Birthday Honours". Region Riverina. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Suzanne Bulger". Charity Register. Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Brungle/Tumut Local Aboriginal Land Council". Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Sue Bulger". ABC listen. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Finding the corroboree frog's place in ancient stories and modern conservation". ABC News. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Principals Message from my desk" (PDF). Brungle Public Schools Newsletter. 20 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Calls Grow To Change The Lyrics Of Australia's National Anthem". LADbible. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Miss Suzanne Bulger". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 16 June 2024.