Established in 2011 in recognition of the Centenary of International Women’s Day, the purpose of the Hall of Fame is to acknowledge the enormous contributions and achievements women have made to Western Australia.
The Hall of Fame represents is an incredible record of the diversity in life for women around our State. It celebrates the social; economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, reflecting on how far we have come, and how far we still must go to realise gender equality.
Through a nomination process each year, inductees are selected from one of eight categories: Arts, Business, Community, Culture, Education, Health, Sport, and STEM.
On Tuesday 7 March, on the eve of International Women’s Day, a special Ceremony was held in Government House Ballroom to announce the 2023 Inductees.
Following a Welcome to Country which was performed by Respected Elder Glenda Kickett, also a WA Women’s Hall of Fame inductee (2016), the new Minister for Women’s Interest The Hon. Sue Ellery MLC gave an address.
The address was followed by the announcement of sixteen ‘inspiring’ Western Australian women who were inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame, and a further four women in the ‘Roll of Honour’, acknowledging their contribution to this great State.
One of the 2023 ‘inspiring’ inductees is a woman from the City of Greater Geraldton, Dr. Charmaine Papertalk Green (PhD).Born in Eradu, Charmaine is a proud Wajarri, Badimaya and Wilunyu woman of the Yamaji Nation.
A visual artist, author, poet, photographer, storyteller, social science researcher, and academic, she shares her cultural knowledge in many different spheres. Charmaine has written five books, won several awards including the prestigious Australian Literary Society Gold Medal, and her poetry is studied as part of primary & school curriculum.
Involved with the Yamaji Art Centre in Geraldton for over 22 years, she is currently their Chairperson. She was also a speaker at the first Indigenous Astronomy Symposium in Canberra and facilitated Yamaji Astro-Tourism in WA. The ongoing Ilgarijiri (‘things belonging to the sky’) project and Aboriginal Murchison Widefield Array collaboration with South Africa is a significant endeavour for WA.
Charmaine is devoted to serving the community and does this creatively through an evidence-based lens, with honesty, humility, courage, and deep strength.
To find out more about the 2023 WA Women’s Hall of Fame Inductees journey, check out the Photographic Exhibition at the Geraldton Regional Library. View the Commemorative Booklet HERE.