Telka Williams MBE, Member at Large from Alice Springs, Northern Territory, has received the prestigious Margarette Golding Award. The award was presented by International Inner Wheel
Telka with IIW President Dr Kapila Gupta
President Dr Kapila Gupta at the Inner Wheel Australia Conference in Lismore in October 2017. The award is recognition for many years of community service –
- Long term commitment to the citizens of Alice Springs, white, indigenous and disabled.
- Long serving member and volunteer of Red Cross from her junior days, serving as President for 13 years.
- Started the Meals on Wheels unit and worked tirelessly for this programme and now a recipient of this service.
- Telka worked and lobbied for the establishment of a special school for children with disabilities and later started the Bindi Centre to provide opportunities for older people with disabilities within the community. The Bindi Incorporated website now proudly states “In the heartland of Central Australia lies Bindi Inc a cross cultural organisation providing opportunities for all people with disabilities for over 32 years”.
- In her position of matron of the Alice Springs gaol, she enhanced the lives of the indigenous women prisoners by teaching them to cook and sew.
- In 1977 Telka was made Member of the Order of the British Empire
- Telka continues her support of these organisations to this day and still manages to travel from Central Australia to most IWA functions.