Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to congratulate the inspirational Marcia Ella-Duncan on her recent induction into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame. A proud Aboriginal woman and descendant of the Yuin nation, Marcia began her netball career as a nine-year-old at the La Perouse Netball Club in our community. She went on to become the first Aboriginal netballer to represent Australia at a senior level, the first Indigenous scholarship holder at the Australian Institute of Sport and a recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia. Marcia played 18 tests for Australia in 1985 to 1987 and won a silver medal at the 1987 Netball World Cup in Glasgow.

Currently Marcia is coaching coordinator for the Randwick Netball Association and chair of La Perouse Aboriginal Land Council. Marcia is also a member of Netball Australia's Indigenous working group. It is fitting that on the day that she was inducted into the Netball Hall of Fame she presented Netball Australia's Reconciliation Action Plan, aimed at increasing the participation of young Indigenous netballers at a grassroots level. A true blue product of our local community, Marcia is an inspiration and continues to work and provide inspiration for young Indigenous people in our community. On the behalf of our community, Marcia, congratulations and thank you for the work that you do in our community.