Wyemando Bequest was established as a charitable trust by the Harper sisters, Nan, Cecilie and Sue Harper, in 1994 to preserve and maintain Aboriginal languages and culture in Western Australia.
About Wyemando
Historically, Wyemando collaborated directly with Aboriginal language speakers to create educational resources. However, we’ve changed our approach to offer financial support through our grants program to groups and organisations undertaking language and cultural work.
We are governed by a dedicated voluntary Committee. The same Committee also manages the Jimmy Pike Trust, which provides annual scholarships for two or three artists from the Kimberley region to attend printmaking workshops at Edith Cowan University in Perth.
Wyemando's history
Nan, Cecilie and Sue Harper were granddaughters of Charles Harper of Woodbridge, Western Australia. MLC, pastoralist, naturalist and farmer, Charles was one of the founders of the co-operative movement in WA and also the Founder of Guildford Grammar School. Nan, Cecilie and Sue inherited the family love of the bush and its people. They all trained as nurses and worked for many years in rural areas as community nurses.
Through this service and the resultant contact with Aboriginal people, they developed an appreciation of the centrality of first languages and cultures for Aboriginal people. They strongly affirmed the principle that all people should be able to maintain their culture, language and traditions and recognised the growing challenges Aboriginal people faced in this area.
Consequently, the sisters established the Wyemando Bequest to encourage the preservation and ongoing transmission of Aboriginal language, traditions and culture to future generations. The trust’s name derived from Nan and Sue’s home, Wyemando, in turn named after a lake on the Harper family’s Murchison property.
Sue Harper, the last of the founding sisters, passed away in June 2011. On her passing, Professor Kingsley Dickson, Director of Science from the Kings Park Botanical Gardens commented that​
“Nan, Cecilie & Sue were three remarkable women, well ahead of their times in their ideas, and their achievements at a time when it was very difficult for women to be achievers…”
Since its inception, Wyemando has created a number of language resources in partnership with language speakers in the Goldfields and the Pilbara. More recently, the focus has shifted to providing financial support, offering grants to support language and cultural work being undertaken within communities.
Our people
Our Committee manages both the Wyemando Bequest and the Jimmy Pike Trust, and the day-to-day operations are overseen by a Project Officer.
Coleen Sherratt
Co-Chairperson
Coleen Sherratt is a proud Noongar Wadjak person. She currently works for the Department of Education as Principal Education Officer for Aboriginal Languages. In this role, Coleen also co-presents the Aboriginal Languages Teacher Training Course for speakers of Aboriginal traditional languages who work in schools. She is one of the officers within the Department to support Aboriginal Languages in Western Australian public schools. This course provides the participants with the skills necessary to teach their languages in classrooms.
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Previously, Coleen worked in schools for 12 years, firstly as an Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer, then Noongar language teacher before completing a Bachelor of Education at Curtin University.
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In 2016, Coleen completed a Master of Indigenous Languages Educuation at University of Sydney.
Hiroko Shioji
Committee Member
Hiroko, a proud Yawuru-Karajarri woman with Japanese heritage, hails from Broome, WA. With over two decades of experience in education, she is an experienced teacher who has spent more than ten years teaching an Aboriginal language. For eight years, she has also worked as a facilitator at the Mabu Yawuru Ngan-ga Language Centre in Broome.
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Currently, Hiroko works in dual roles: teaching an Aboriginal language and contributing to the Aboriginal Languages Teacher Training course. Her passion lies in revitalising Aboriginal languages, and she is deeply committed to strengthening both language and culture within her community.
Cameron Tero
Co-Chairperson
Cam grew up in country Western Australia - Kondinin and Kalgoorlie - and now lives in Perth with his family. Cam has worked for over thirty years in schools, universities, and community organisations, including as a teacher in Tjukurla in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in Central Australia.
He is now based at Murdoch University in Perth where he coordinates the Community Development course, learning from and with students who are seeking to prepare themselves to be involved in thoughtful and practical and creative ways in the challenges they see around them in Australia and further afield.
He also loves dogs, the ocean, forests, footy, politics podcasts, and supporting the work of Wyemando in assisting community-based organisations that seek to preserve and reinvigorate Aboriginal languages across Western Australia.
Brian Read
Secretary
Brian is a Consultant Accountant to the Charity Sector, a member of CPA Australia and a board member of several charities. Prior to joining the board of Wyemando Bequest Inc, he was involved in advising the board for several years.
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He retired from full time work as an accountant in the commercial sector in 2013 with over 30 years of experience handling reporting, financial control and taxation matters. He has a sound knowledge of BAS, GST, FBT matters.
Brian has had significant involvement in the Charity Sector before retiring, including Church Treasurer, former Chairman and Board Member of Baptist Churches Finance Board. He has also been involved in other denominational activities.
Finn Pedersen
Deputy Chairperson
Finn is an Architect and co-founder of IPH Architects, and seeks to work alongside communities to help overcome the impact of Colonisation. He has been working across the Lands of many First Nations People in Western Australia since 1992. He lived in Broome for five years and is passionate about contributing to the improvement of conditions for Aboriginal families in Australia.
Finn is a committed environmentalist and was the co-founder and current Board member of Environs Kimberley - a Broome based conservation group that works to protect the nature of the Kimberley.
John Mogridge
Committee Member
Kaya. I am John Mogridge. I am from Bibbulmun Boodja. I have 4 Daughters and I have connection thru family links in Yamatji, Yaru and I am proud of my heritage as my knowledge keeps me positive and grounded. I have lived all thru Western Australia from Carnarvon, Port Headland Kununurra and Wyndham the later where I met more family. I have gotten to know my Culture from the South West and I am passionate about our young people needing to know who they are and where they are from thru culture.
I have my four beautiful daughters and now two beautiful grandsons that will be learning all I know and more. I currently work for the City of Swan as a A.E.W and I am here to help people open their eyes to the richness of the Culture of the First People’s of this Boodja thanks for the inclusion to be a part of this group.
Dr Matt Byrne
Treasurer
Dr Matt Byrne is an Associate Dean (Primary) for the School of Education at Edith Cowan University. Matt is an experienced teacher, teacher educator and researcher. He is involved in Aboriginal education and research and the development of cultural competency within the university, public and private sector. Matt is currently leading a number of research projects with Foodbank WA investigating the impact of Foodbank’s Healthy ‘Food For All’ Strategy on schooling which includes the School Breakfast Program. In collaboration with Monash and Charles Sturt University Matt in 2016 was a part of a successful Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Innovation and Development Grant ‘Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and community to improve student outcomes’.
Matt is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute (WA) working with Professor Donna Cross and the Health Promotion and Education Research group.
Zora
Project Officer
Zora helps to bring language and culture projects to life by working alongside First Nations led organisations and communities across Western Australia. Zora supports Wyemando's partners through every step of the journey, from the early planning to final outcomes, with a goal to ensure each initiative runs smoothly and Wyemando's partners receive the assistance and guidance needed for successful project outcomes.
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She also manages the annual Jimmy Pike Trust Aboriginal artist-in-residence scholarship, which offers artists from the Kimberley region of Western Australia the chance to participate in printmaking workshops at Edith Cowan University.
Through her work, Zora aims to strengthen connections, nurture ideas, and encourage the preservation and reinvigoration of Aboriginal languages and culture across Western Australia. ​
In Memorium
It is with great sadness that we honour the passing of Katrina Drayton, whose dedication to the preservation of Aboriginal culture and language has left an enduring legacy at Wyemando Bequest. Her tireless work and passionate advocacy have significantly impacted our mission and the Communities we support.
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Katrina’s commitment to cultural preservation will continue to inspire us all, and her contributions will be remembered. We are deeply grateful for her time with us and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.