Murray Garde receives Order of Australia medal

Every year Australia honours its people who have done good work for the community for many years. 
They give them special awards, and the most important award is the Order of Australia. In 2004 Wamud Namok (now passed away) was given this award for devoting his long life to keeping culture strong, and for his amazing art works. 
In 2007, Balang Charlie Gunabarra was given the same award for all the time he has spent in helping people keep healthy and recovering from sicknesses - something he is still doing now. They also gave an Order of Australia to Nakangila Nadjok Jeffrey Lee in 2012, for his work to protect country, especially Djok clan lands. He also continues his work to look after country. 
And a few years ago (2015) they gave one to Nakangila Namarrirn  (now passed away) for his decades spent helping people and country as a leader, elder and artist. Other Bininj and Balanda in West Arnhemland have also received this award
This year, on Australia Day just a couple of weeks ago, they gave the Order of Australia Award to Doctor Murray Garde (Bulanj Nakardbam) for helping Bininj people in West Arnhemland to protect and strengthen their heritage, by keeping culture, language and knowledge of country strong. 
The award also recognises how Murray has helped both Bininj and Balanda to understand each other and to learn about each other’s languages, cultures, values and ways of doing things. He has spent decades learning from Bininj people and living with them in the bush, becoming family to them in a way that very few Balanda have ever done.
Murray is now project manager for the Bininj Kunwok Regional Language Centre and continues to support Bininj and Balanda as we work together, and as we enjoy and appreciate the incredible heritage - country, culture, language and people – that we have in this region.