Remembering Aunty Yvonne Clayton

Traders In Purple was honoured to witness the commemoration of a cherished member of the Bonnyrigg Community

Aunty Yvonne Clayton was a Wiradjuri woman and a respected elder in the Bonnyrigg community. A member of the Stolen Generations and a survivor of Cootamundra Girls’ Home, Yvonne was fiercely proud of her Aboriginal heritage. She was a vocal advocate for the Bonnyrigg Housing Estate, where she lived for over 30 years, and fought to preserve a towering gumtree on Bradfield Crescent.

Yvonne passed in 2013 but her legacy lives on. The gum has been preserved and St George Community Housing (SGCH) has constructed a seating area in her name, creating a beautiful spot where her family can gather to remember her. In June SGCH officially opened the seating area with a commemoration of Aunty Yvonne’s life. Surrounded by Yvonne’s family and friends, students from Bonnyrigg Public School conducted a Welcome to Country. A smoking ceremony followed, designed to help Aunty Yvonne on her journey to the dreaming.

Traders In Purple’s Louisa Power attended this event. It was an honour to attend this ceremony and to acknowledge the deep community connections that survive in Bonnyrigg.

We hope to attend more events throughout our time on this project and learn more about this amazing community.