Woman Kickett, Glenda Joyce (1960 - )

Born
26 April 1960
Kellerberrin, Western Australia, Australia
Occupation
Social worker

Written by Anna Haebich, Curtin University

Dr Glenda Kickett is a leading woman in the Noongar community in Perth. In her outstanding career working with Aboriginal people in Western Australia she has played a vital leading role in developing social work practice and policy to benefit the various Aboriginal sectors with which she has worked. Her professional commitments and community activities are extensive and her work has been recognized by awards and scholarships. Her achievements also include academic success in social work and history research, undertaken alongside her work and other commitments, and she is a published author. She has been the Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee (NAIDOC Perth) since 2008 and along with the Committee has built up NAIDOC Perth as a renowned cultural festival; including reviving the Miss NAIDOC Perth presentation from 2011.

Glenda Joyce Kickett was born on 26 April 1960 at Kellerberrin in Western Australia's wheat belt. Her mother is the respected Noongar elder Leisha Doolan Eatts (nee Garlett) and her stepfather is Walter Eatts. Her father was Allen Kickett (Dec.) from Cuballing and Narrogin. She completed her Year 12 Tertiary Admissions Examinations at City Beach Senior High School in 1977. In 1978-1980 Glenda completed two years of a Diploma of Teaching at the West Australian College of Advanced Education, Mt Lawley, and then in 1990 was awarded a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Western Australia majoring in History and Anthropology. In 1992 she completed a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Western Australia, with practicums at the Princess Margaret Hospital (1991) and Department for Community Development (1992). From 1998-2004 she completed a Master of Arts: Indigenous Research and Development at Curtin University of Technology completing a thesis entitled Karla Kuliny, Return to Campfire: The Kickett Family of Cuballing, Story about Country. Then in 2008 Glenda was accepted into the Doctor of Philosophy in the School of Social Work at the University of Western Australia.

Over her career Glenda Kickett has worked continuously in Aboriginal-related areas of policy and management as well as education, health, women's interests, counseling, tertiary studies, childcare, and crisis home care. She began her working career as a public servant with the Aboriginal Development Commission in Perth (1981-1983) and then in Aboriginal Education in Commonwealth Education (1984-1989) and the Department of Employment Education and Training (1989-1993). In 1993 Glenda became the Indigenous Women's Interest Officer in the Aboriginal Affairs Planning Authority. In the following year she moved to the Health Department of WA offices in Kalgoorlie as Senior Project Officer. Between 1995-1997 Glenda was Student Counselor and Senior Coordinator at Edith Cowan University - Mt Lawley Campus in the Kurongkurl Katitjin School of Indigenous Australian Studies. She subsequently moved to the Aboriginal community organizations sector as Senior Social Worker with Yorganop Aboriginal Child Care Association (1998-2000). She was then appointed Associate Lecturer at Curtin University of Technology's Centre for Aboriginal Studies in the Aboriginal Community Management and Development Course. From 2000 to 2002 she was the Senior Social Worker with Djooraminda Out of Home Care program, establishing and supervising the crisis care component of the Out of Home Care program. From 2003 to the present she has been Executive Manager of Indigenous and Diversity Policy and Practice at Centrecare including the Djooraminda Out of Home Care Programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care; Outreach Support Programs including early intervention, preservation and reunification programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Glenda Kickett's additional professional commitments include participation in numerous government committees and panels. Beginning with present commitments these include: WA Ombudsman Child Death Review Panel, 2009; Department for Child Protection - Aboriginal Reference Group 2008 to present; Department for Child Protection - Aboriginal Advisory, Committee Summit, 2007; Ministry of Justice -Aboriginal Advisory Committee for Family Courts 2007; Sexual Assault Referral Centre Indigenous Reference Group 2007; Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey, Strengthening the Capacity of Aboriginal Children, Families and Communities Volume 4 - Reference Group 2006; Centrecare Representative on the Children Youth Families Agencies Association, from 2003; Member of the Aboriginal Reference Council for the Western Australian Law Reform Commission - Aboriginal Customary Law Project (ACLP), the Crime Research Centre at the University of Western Australia, 2002; Member of the Children and Young People in Care Advisory Committee (CYPCAC), Department for Community Development, 2002-2005; Member Care and Case Practice Sub Committee - Children and Young People in Care Advisory Committee - Department for Community Development 2002 to 2005; Centrecare representative on the Western Australian Indigenous Child Care Agencies Council (WAICACC) 2002-2004; Member of the Working With Children Record Screening Advisory Committee - Department for Community Development 2005; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, Karlkarninny Regional Council, Elected member 1994; Member of the S96 Aboriginal Women's Advisory to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, Perth Regional Council 2001-2002; Member of the Indigenous Social Workers Network - Koort, Marr, Kaart, Western Australia since 1994; Member of Create Foundation Children and Young People in care Advisory Committee research project WA 2002.

Glenda has presented numerous papers at local, national and international conferences on a range of issues reflecting her professional interests: child and family welfare, the Stolen Generations, Indigenous mental health, women's issues, housing, social justice, social work, welfare, grief and loss, Indigenous research and education. Her publications cover similar areas of expertise: family history, grief and loss, research methodology, Aboriginal children in care, and Indigenous counseling.

Community activities are also a major involvement for Glenda Kickett and these include: Committee Member - Aboriginal Urban Services, 1989-current; Committee Member - Dumbartung Aboriginal Art and Cultural Corporation, 1990-2005; Advisory Member, Kootamara Quab Healing Program 2004 to 2005; Chairperson - National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee (NAIDOC Perth), 2008-2013; Committee Member - National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee (NAIDOC Perth), 2007-2008; Committee Member - National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee (NAIDOC Perth), 1990-1992; Committee Member - National Aboriginal and Islander Observance Day Committee (NAIDOC Perth), 1996; NAIDOC Netball Carnival Organising Committee - 1989; 1990; 1993; 1996; Beelier Comets Netball Team 2007 for the Golden Oldies International Netball Festival (Perth) - Coach; West Australian State Indigenous Under 17 Netball Team, Manager - Brisbane 13-18 July 2009; Westcoasters Netball Club - Coach 1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012West Australian State Netball Team player - 1974, 1976, 1979, 1980.

Glenda Kickett's outstanding contributions have been acknowledged by numerous awards and scholarships: CEW AGSM Executive Education Scholarship to participate in the Women in Leadership program at AGSM 2013; Grace Vaughn Award 2011; WA Social Worker of the Year 2010; Richmond Fellowship Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Worker of the Year 2010; NAIDOC Scholar of the Year, NAIDOC Awards, 1993; Aboriginal Undergraduate Study Award Scholarship, Commonwealth Public Service, 1989-1992; Lillian Harris Scholarship, Mount Lawley Teacher's College, 1978.

Glenda' son Sam Pilot is an actor and renowned didgeridoo player. He has acted in a number of plays for Aboriginal Theatre at WAAPA, and movies such as Two Fists One Heart. Sam's father's family, the Pilot family is from Erub, Darnley Island in the Torres Strait. Her sister Selina, with her husband Robert Eggington, runs the Dumbartung Aboriginal Art and Cultural Corporation. Her brother Mark lives in Broken Hill and works with the Department of Education and Training. She has two other sisters, Tanya who lives in Merredin and Maggie who lives in Girrawheen.

Published Resources

Programs

See also