Smashing Serendipity: The Story of One Moorditj Yorga

About the author:

Louise K. Hansen was a Binjareb Nyoongar woman born in Pinjarra, Western Australia. She was a Traditional Owner of the Binjareb people, with strong connections to the Palyku people from the Pilbara. She was educated at Pinjarra. After having four children, she resumed her education at tertiary level completing units in Education and Indigenous Australian Studies. She was a qualified Welfare Officer and a qualified Counsellor. She was previously employed by the Commonwealth Government as the State Coordinator for Women’s Issues and later, Senior Policy Officer responsible for several portfolios. Louise was the first Aboriginal person to be appointed to the Federal Family Law Counsel of Australia. With her husband she set up the first W.A. Aboriginal Building Company with a view to train young Aboriginal people to become qualified in the building trades. Also with her husband she self-funded, wrote, performed and produced two albums of music, The Gate and Rainbow Country. As a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother family was very important to Louise. Yet she still found time to share her ancient Aboriginal culture with her family and others through the Elders Yarning program at Curtin University.