“It’s never too late to achieve things in your life,
especially if you have a passion and strongly believe in what you are doing,”
Evonne said.
“It was only recently I found out that I had actually been
ranked as the number one women’s tennis player in the world all the way back in
1971 & 1976, so it’s definitely never too late!” she said with a laugh.
Evonne, from the Wiradjuri people of south-western New South Wales, is the
newest appointment to the ILC’s Board of Directors, replacing outgoing director
Norma Ingram.
“I accepted the appointment to the ILC’s Board because I
have always been a strong supporter of Indigenous people working to help themselves,
and that really is what the ILC is all about,” Evonne said.
“I am the type of person who wants to immerse myself in
meaningful actions for the benefit of Indigenous people.
“I am particularly excited about the ILC’s National
Indigenous Development Centre project, on the site of the former Redfern Public School, as it is a blend of
developing sporting excellence, leadership and building self-esteem in young
people.
“This is exactly the type of work I have been involved in
for many years now and working with young people, particularly young Indigenous
people, is what makes me happy.
“I want to continue to assist young people and help create
employment for young Indigenous people, and the appointment to the ILC’s Board just
seemed to be a natural extension of that work.
“As I travel around the country, I intend to visit ILC
properties so I can better understand the potential of these acquisitions to
deliver tangible benefits to young people through training and employment,”
Evonne said.
The new ILC Director has had a glittering international
sporting career. She has been Australian Sportsman Of The Year and Australian
Of The Year, and in 1988 was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of
Fame.
Evonne served on the National Indigenous Advisory Committee
to the Sydney Olympics.
In her tennis career, Evonne won 92 professional
tournaments, was a finalist in 18 Grand Slam events, winning Wimbledon twice,
the Australian Open four times, the French Open once and was runner up four
years in succession at the US Open. At her second Wimbledon
triumph in 1980, Evonne became the first mother to win since Dorothy Lambert
Chambers in 1914.
By 1990, she was determined to expand her knowledge of her
Indigenous heritage and this, along with the death of her mother in 1991,
prompted Evonne and her family to leave their USA
base in Florida and return to live in Australia.
During 1998–2005, Tennis Australia
appointed Evonne as a “tennis ambassador” and together they formed the national
Milo Evonne Goolagong Getting Started Programme to increase female
participation in tennis throughout Australia.
Since 2005, Evonne in partnership with the Indigenous Sports
Foundation, has run the Goolagong National Development Camp for Indigenous
youngsters who have the potential to become professional players, coaches or
administrators.
Source:
Indigenous Land Corporation’s Newsletters
‘land matters’ summer edition 2008