TRIBUTE TO UNCLE IVAN WELLINGTON – A TRULY GREAT LEADER AN ELDER OF THE WANDI WANDIAN PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH COAST
Uncle Ivan passed away in Campbelltown Hospital on the 29th August 2026, at the age of 80 years, a truly great age for an Aboriginal man. He had not been well for a long time but still gave himself to us all unstintingly.
I have long considered him to be a National Treasure, for that is what he was, one of a kind. The likes of whom we will not see again in my lifetime. His passing has left a huge hole in our community at Campbelltown. I first met Uncle Ivan when Sr. Patricia Murphy and I moved to Minto in 1984. We came to work with the poor and disadvantaged people of the Campbelltown area. We were fortunate to rent a Department of Housing town house at Minto for 27 years until we were all moved far and wide as they wanted to redevelop the area where we were. We were given a house to rent at Macquarie Fields by the Department for 13 years until I had to move back to our mother house at Coogee because of health reasons.
Uncle Ivan was someone we could talk to about the needs of the area. I have been privileged to work with him for all of those 40 years. We worked alongside him at many community events and together with other Aboriginal Elders, Aunty Muriel Brandy and Aunty Beryl AhSam and Uncle Stan Mitchell, Brenda McDonald and Trevor Guthrie, Coral Sadler and Judy Madsen and her daughter Ann Madsen, Marcia Majarich, Sr Mary Gregory SGS we formed Winga Myamly Reconciliation Group to foster better understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in our area and work for justice for Aboriginal people. As a result of this the Appin Massacre Memorial Ceremony was created and has continued to this day with the event been held as close as possible to the 17th April each year at Appin where the massacre of the Dharawal people took place in 1816.
Uncle Ivan will be greatly missed. They don’t make men like him anymore, he was one of a special mould, generous, kind, gave everything to his community and his family. He gave his time, his energy, his cultural wisdom. His belief in working alongside others for the benefit of all. His loving outgoing presence touched us all deeply. His love of the young men mentoring them continually, always happy and positive. He enriched us with his presence.
Our Aboriginal Catholic Ministry always invited him to our little Church, fondly known as the Minto Cathedral, to all our gatherings, especially to Sorry Day, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday, he conducted Smoking Ceremonies, Acknowledgement of Country and was our Master of Ceremonies at times. We had many cups of tea with Uncle Stan in our Church house, Uncle Ivan, our Reconciliation group and myself over many years. We always asked Uncle Ivan to share with us at our Church services. He always did and before he left, he would say with a big smile on his face “I love yuz all”. How could you forget a man like that. I will hear his words forever and can’t stop smiling whenever I think of him. That is the effect he had on you. He has left us an incredible example to follow. Always there, reaching out with his warmth and love, urging us to follow in his footsteps.
My heart goes out to his family, his grandchildren, his partner Leonie and all his close friends and all those whose lives he touched. He will be forever in our hearts, and I thank God, the great Creator Spirit and his Ancestors for giving us such a wonderful man to treasure.
May you rest in peace in your Heavenly Home in the Dreamtime dear friend until we meet again.
Sr Kerry Macdermott oln