In celebration of the culture and achievements of Indigenous Australians, the Carinity Hilltop aged care community at Kelvin Grove recognises the achievements of Uncle Nurdon Serico from The Gap.
Read: 4 Interesting Facts About Aboriginal History In Keperra
Before becoming a resident of the aged care community, Uncle Nurdon was a proud Gubbi Gubbi-Kabi Kabi man who lived in Bardon and The Gap.
Family Life & Achievements
Born on 21 May 1933 as Nurdon Horace Serico, Uncle Nurdon is the second child of Maurice and Evelyn Reen. His father Maurice was a member of the Fungallu people of the Taroom district whilst his mother Evelyn Reen was a member of the Gubbi Gubbi people.
In 1939, the Sericos moved to Bardon where Uncle Nurdon and his sister became the first aboriginal children to study at the Ashgrove State School. He was into all sorts of sports -from athletics and dancing to cricket and football.
During his time at the State Industrial High School in Edward Street, Uncle Nurdon won the 100 yard State Secondary School title and set the new record for 200 yards.
He married a Goondiwindi local named Pat Thrower in 1959 and had three children together – Maurice, Michael and Melinda who all attended primary and secondary state schools in The Gap.
In 2014 and after 58 years of marriage, Nurdon’s wife Pat passed away. His eldest Maurice, like his dad, became keenly involved in Aboriginal affairs. He was the Chair of Balaangala Community Group.
Career in Radiography
Did you know that he became the first Aboriginal person in Australia to become a fully qualified radiographer? Uncle Nurdon had a long career in radiography, which he completed at the Queensland University in 1954.
He was appointed as a Senior Radiographer for the hospital and in 1970, became the Technical Officer who was responsible for the establishment of all units throughout the state. After 49 years of serving for the Royal Brisbane Hospital, he retired in 1999 and in his honour, an x-ray facility in the Orthopaedic Department was named after him.
A Champion of the Indigenous People
Uncle Nurdon is a Life Member of the Aboriginal Health Service in Brisbane. He also became part of designing aspects of the National Museum Canberra, as a member of the Advisory Council on Aboriginal Life.
He became part of the committee of both the Ashgrove and The Gap Historical Societies and became the Vice President and later on, president of The Gap Historical Society.
He is a patron of the Balaangala Community Group, whose goal is to bring together indigenous and nonindigenous Australians through sharing creative practices. As a patron of the said community, Uncle Nurdon spent time sharing about the culture, like teaching about possum skin cloak making and providing insights on resourcefulness and sustainability.
Learn more about Uncle Nurdon Serico in his interview with the State Library of Queensland: