Gladys Elphick Awards Categories

Perpetual Gladys Elphick Award (Lifetime Achievement)

This award recognises an Aboriginal woman for her lifetime dedication to improving the lives of others and contribution to the Aboriginal community, through her demonstrated leadership, her community spirit, and her work. This award recognises her lifetime achievements and the inspiration she brings to her community as a strong role model by empowering her community and those around her.

Shirley Peisley Award – Aboriginal woman who is leading positive change for Aboriginal people in the workplace

This award recognises a woman who is a role model in her professional life and inspires others to be the best they can be and continually strives for professional excellence, leading organisational change in the workplace. She is motivated to enhance service delivery to the community through her chosen profession and professionally conducts themselves in a manner that affords them community respect. She displays a high standard of ethics and integrity and leads by example and inspires others to do the same.

Regional Award – (actively contributing to the community and initiating positive change to the lives of others).

Awarded to a woman that inspires her community to achieve positive change through her leadership and develops and maintains community engagement by ensuring her community are valued/supported. She encourages community pride through participation, encourages teamwork, she strives for continuous improvement, leads by example, and inspires and empowers others to do the same. Through her dedication she has improved the lives of others through her service delivery to the community.

Young Sister Rising Star Award – up to 30 years

The Young Sister Rising Star displays leadership resulting in achieving meaningful outcomes through community engagement. She strives for continual improvement (personally, professionally, and academically). She initiates positive change that impacts on the wider community, and she conducts herself in a manner that leads by example and affords community respect. She is a role model to other young women and considers the valuable contribution and impact she can bring in the future to youth and community.

Quiet Achiever Award  - Aboriginal woman who contributes substantially to the empowerment of Aboriginal people.  

The Quiet Achiever is a woman who contributes to the community through leading by example, displays dignity, pride and self-determination, respect for culture and respect for others. She models the enriching contribution that Aboriginal women bring to South Australia (This may include the arts, voluntary work, health care, education, justice system or broader medium).

This category is purposely broad and is specific for those who have not been widely recognised for their quiet contribution.

Young sister dreaming award - Up to the age of 18

To be eligible for this award the Young Sister Dreaming must still be attending either primary/secondary school or university and successfully completing full time study. Please outline any current achievements and leadership potential, dreams and contributions to community and peers. What impact has the Young Sister Dreaming had on her community and participation in community activities? Confirmation of school or university attendance is required.