For the past four decades, Noelene Lever has provided a haven for children in need, giving them the most important thing in life - love.

The 78-year-old selfless widow from the NSW north coast has opened her home to more than 50 foster children since the late 1970s, while working two jobs and caring for five of her own kids.

Ms Lever, who normally avoids too much fuss, was named the Barnardos NSW Mother of the Year on Tuesday, honouring her lifelong commitment to caring for children.

"I like to sit in the background and make a cup of tea while everyone else talks," she said after winning the gong.

Noelene lost her husband in a car accident and moved to Sydney to find work to support her five children in the late 70s.

She remembers clearly the first foster child she helped just after losing her husband. She was living in Sydney when a 12-year-old local boy asked if he could live with her family.


"I didn't question the parents but their attitude was like 'Well, if you think you can handle him, then fine he can stay with you'," Ms Lever said on Tuesday.

"He was good with me and I just gave him love."


Ms Lever never opted to adopt any of the 50 children because at the time it would have meant severing all ties with the foster children's families.

"To me it was important for them to know their family," she said.

Ms Lever was also heavily involved with the Aboriginal community in Redfern and worked with the Aboriginal Legal Service before she retired to live in Forster some eight years ago.
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Pauline Hanson has blasted the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony as “disgusting” for focusing on Australia’s indigenous heritage.

In an interview with Sky News, the One Nation leader said she considers herself indigenous because she was born in Australia and that she’s tired of “feeling like a second-class citizen in her own country”.

“I thought it was disgusting, absolutely disgusting,” she said of the ceremony.

“The indigenous Australians are part of the culture, the heritage of this country.

“They are not what Australia is about.”

Hanson blasted the 20-minute performance that featured Mau Power, the first hip-hop artist to emerge out of the Torres Straight, and didgeridoo player William Barton.


“I’m not used to seeing aboriginals singing rap,” she said. “I have got nothing against the Aboriginal people but I’m sick and tired of being made to feel as if I’m a second-class citizen in my own country.

“I’m indigenous as far as I’m concerned. I was born here. This is my country as much as anyone else.

“I’m sick and tired of people having a go at me because ‘it’s racism’. “Our country is what it is being of the migrants that are here.”

Aboriginal teen Sarafina Elliott has climbed to Mount Everest base camp and left a little piece of her heritage.

 The 16-year-old Yawuru/Ngarluma girl planted the Aboriginal flag on the world’s tallest mountain to honour her culture.

“I thought everyone knows Australians go there and I don’t think the Aboriginal flag has been up there,” she told NITV News.

“I don’t know how many Aboriginal people had been up there before, so I thought it was important that she take an Aboriginal flag and take some pictures and maybe inspire some other Aboriginal people or young women to do the same sort of trek,” Mr Elliott told NITV News.

The pair, who’ve just returned to Australia following their Nepalese adventure, spent a year planning for the 60km climb. Sarafina, who has just started year 12, said reaching base camp was surreal.

“It was like walking on top of a rocky iceberg and there was just snow on the floor and rocks everywhere and flags everywhere,” she said.


“Once you get there everyone’s like ‘congratulations, we made it’. It’s like a very friendly attitude and atmosphere up there.”

Sarafina’s mother, June ‘Moonie’ Djiagween, said she raised her daughter to be proud of her indigenous heritage. Ms Djiagween said her daughter wanted to “represent our people” by planting the Aboriginal flag on Everest.


“People get confused that it’s the land rights’ flag, but it’s not the land rights flag, people like to fly that flag to say ‘we are Aboriginal people,” she said.

“She flew that to say ‘I’m an Aboriginal person and I’m on Mt Everest’.”
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Western Australia's Tourism Minister has called for harsher punishment for those who harm Rottnest Island's beloved quokkas.

 Paul Papalia has called for a lifetime ban from the Island for those found guilty of harming a quokka, if they declined to do extensive volunteer work with the animals.

'A person who is charged and found guilty of harming a quokka should never be allowed to step foot on Rottnest Island again,' Mr Papalia told Perth Now.

'In the past few years, these incidents have gained notoriety because the cowardly act has been filmed and shared on social media.

'A fine doesn't seem to be enough of a deterrent. We want them banned from the island for life.'

The Minister said though he wanted to see harsher punishments brought in for offenders, there should be a chance for them to atone for their mistakes.


He offered up an alternative in the way of significant voluntary work with rangers on Rottnest Island in the hopes of helping offenders develop an appreciation for the cute creatures.


But if the voluntary work was refused, Mr Papalia said the offender should be banned. Quokkas are a vulnerable species and are exclusive to Western Australia and its surrounding islands.
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“These men are Wiradjuri men and they didn’t worry about any sort of race or colour or anything when they were doing their bravery act,”

 A new sculpture pays tribute to local Indigenous people who risked their lives to save their European neighbours in one of the most devastating floods in Australia’s history.

The New South Wales town of Gundagai could have been wiped out during the Great Flood of 1852, if it wasn’t for the efforts of two Wiradjuri men.

Over the weekend, on the 165th anniversary of the Great Flood, Gundagai unveiled a sculpture honouring Yarri and Jacky Jacky who risked their lives to rescue a third of the town’s population.

“They just do what they need to do, just did what they thought was necessary to save the people and didn’t think twice about it.”

In 1852, Gundagai was a budding village with 250 residents but when flood waters rose along the Murrumbidgee River the town was totally unprepared.


It’s estimated 89 people died in the flood, making it one of the most deadly natural disasters ever recorded in Australia. Yet the death toll could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the actions of Yarri, Jacky Jacky and other Wiradjuri people who saved an estimated 69 people from drowning in the flood.


Aunty Sony Piper, is also a member of the ‘Yarri and Jacky Jacky Sculpture Committee’ and said she was very proud of the sculpture.


“To be Aboriginal men, there's not many statues around and we wanted that to be in Gundagai,” she said.

“For a lot of the tourists to come through and see about these heroes - these two Aboriginal heroes.”
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An online campaign to have the Aboriginal flag permanently flying above Sydney Harbour Bridge is gaining momentum.

 An online campaign signed up to by thousands is calling for the NSW Legislative Assembly and NSW Government to consider a third flag be flown alongside the Australian and NSW flags on a permanent basis.

Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka created the petition and wrote: "as Australians, we are proud of our Aboriginal heritage and we want to recognise and celebrate this heritage every day."

Ms Toka said the Aboriginal flag should be flown every day.

"It needs to be flown 24/7, seven days a week to recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal people," she told NITV. "I don’t want any flag replaced. We have a flag to represent Australia and the Aboriginal flag is to represent the First Peoples of Australia, which is an acknowledgement to them."

Ms Toka said she wants to see a change in Australia.


"Everyone is all for unity and reconciliation and I feel the perfect way to get that is to have the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Sydney Harbour Bridge is Australia’s iconic landmark and everyone from each and every country come to Australia, and to recognize that flag is recognizing the old culture that was here a long time ago," she said.


The change.org petition has already garnered thousands of signatures from across the country.

"The response I've been getting and the support, it's just amazing how many people are actually on board, and non-Aboriginal. I really do appreciate everyone’s support wholeheartedly," she said.

Ms Toka says this small step to unity can make a big difference.

Support this petition to fly the Aboriginal flag on Sydney Harbour Bridge! https://t.co/pzd846bZEm @amnestyOz

— Roxy Moore (@RoxyAmnestyOz) February 22, 2017

"I feel like it’s a small step for something greater for Aboriginal people. I would feel greatly respected and I’m already proud of my culture but I’d be even more prouder," she says. "At the end of the day I just want these decision makers or the Legislative Assembly to come to a decision and raise that flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. What an amazing day it will be for all Aboriginal people to see that happen."
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