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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-29 Daily Xml
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WANGANEEN, MR A.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:46): I rise today to talk about the passing of perhaps one of the great unsung South Australian heroes. Recently I was saddened to hear about the passing of Allan Wanganeen Sr. I knew Allan very well from my younger sporting days in Whyalla, playing with him both football and quite a bit of basketball. I fondly recall his key role in South Whyalla Football Club's 1981 premiership, sadly one I watched from the sidelines as a result of injury. He was the most amazing fellow and quite inspirational. Not only was Allan a talented sportsman but he was highly skilled and generally a great fellow to top it off, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Allan's obituary in the Advertiser of 11 April gave a great insight into his life and work as a much adored Aboriginal community elder, and I will share it with honourable members. It stated:

Allan Wanganeen Sr was a respected and recognised community elder, whose death at 57 from a stroke has shocked the Aboriginal community. He had been a vigorous advocate for the rights of the Aboriginal people for more than 30 years.

For the past two decades he worked for the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement, mostly within the legal justice system working with troubled Aboriginal people. He was the ALRMs field operations manager, liaising with communities and South Australian police, and he educated youth in schools. Affectionately known as Allan Wanganeen Sr, 'Big Al' or 'Uncle Allan' to the many indigenous Australians in the justice system, he tried to help them all.

He was born of Aboriginal parents Mona Darcy and Malcolm Sansbury, but it was his mother's partner, stepfather 'Uncle Banjo' Wanganeen (Mona's cousin) who brought him up.

A humble and tireless Aboriginal community member, he played an integral role in youth mentoring and provided leadership to the community.

Allan joined ALRM in 1987 as a trainee field officer, and by the late 1990s was manager and on the senior management team. More recently, his son Allan Wanganeen Jr worked happily for his father, assisting him in his field operation roles.

As well as important work in the justice system, Allan Sr played a much wider mentoring role in the world of footy.

Great AFL Aboriginal players, including Gavin Wanganeen (Power), Michael Long (Essendon), Allan's son-in-law Michael O'Loughlin (Sydney Swans) and Troy Bond (Crows) and many significant Aboriginal players all benefited from his mentorship over many years.

Allan was quite a sportsman in his youth, playing for the South Whyalla and North Whyalla football clubs; and he played basketball for the Aztecs.

He also played for the Magpies and the Demons basketball club. It continues:

He created an Aboriginal football club based at Mawson Lakes, which folded after his five year stint as president.

Allan Sr had three major relationships: the first was a relationship with Norveen Turner; he married Kerry Green in Whyalla in 1976 before divorcing; and he married Sue Johnston on 5 March 1994.

Allan was a strong family man. He kept his children from his different relationships linked and he was a dedicated husband and father.

The board, management and staff of ALRM have said that 'our dear Allan Wanganeen' and 'much adored community elder' fell sick and had a severe attack on the afternoon of Friday 20 February.

Allan is survived by his wife Sue and their children, Natasha and Jessica; children from his first marriage, Allan Jr and Fabian; and children from his first...relationship, Michael (Chooky) and Tania; stepchildren Jodie, Mathew, Lesley, Mark, Leslie and Michael; in-laws; four grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and his mother, Mona.

I pay tribute to Allan Wanganeen Sr. He was an absolute gentleman. He was an inspirational team mate and friend. I was so pleased to see that, as an Aboriginal man, he went on to play quite a significant mentoring role within the Aboriginal community. May his family and friends find some peace and may Allan himself rest in peace.

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