13 January 2010
STATEMENT FROM THE COLBUNG FAMILY ON THE PASSING OF NYOONGAR
LEADER, KEN COLBUNG MBE JP OAM
Internationally respected Nyoongar Leader, Ken Colbung MBE, JP, OAM (78) has passed
away peacefully after a short illness surrounded by his family.
Mr Colbung is survived by his wife and family including numerous grandchildren to whom he
was devoted.
Spokesperson for the Colbung family and niece, Irene Stainton, said Mr Colbung lived a very
rich and active life devoted to the service of Aboriginal people and he died with his closest
family around him, having earned the love and respect of a much wider community.
“Ken Colbung was totally committed to preserving and promoting Aboriginal cultural values
to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike,” said Ms Stainton.
“In his hey-day, Ken was a force to be reckoned with – and he worked around the world,
using that influence for the benefit of Aboriginal people.”
During his very active life, Mr Colbung took on many leadership roles in the Aboriginal cause
from land rights, conservation, education and the preservation of cultural identity and
spirituality.
In particular Mr Colbung was instrumental in the development of the Aboriginal Heritage
Act 1972 for the protection and preservation of material of cultural significance.
He will also be particularly well remembered for his lead role in the return of Yagan’s
remains to Perth. (Yagan was a Nyuoongar leader and Aboriginal warrior who was killed and
decapitated during original white settlement, with the head being transported to a Liverpool
cemetery.)
Mr Colbung was most recently appointed as a Fellow of the Western Australian Museum,
acknowledging his long-standing commitment to Aboriginal heritage values, and the
assistance he has provided to the Western Australian Museum as a founding member of the
WA Museum Aboriginal Advisory Committee.
Please note: The Colbung Family is in mourning and would ask all media representatives
and others to respect their privacy at this time.
For cultural reasons the family asks that no pictures of Mr Colbung appear at this stage.
Funeral arrangements have not been resolved, and that information will be made
available when arrangements are finalised.
It’s requested that media inquiries are directed through Marie Mills on 9228 1999 or 0418
919 202.
BACKGROUND
Ken Colbung MBE, JP, OAM, is a respected Nyungar Elder, who was an active campaigner for
the recognition of cultural and human rights for Aboriginal people nationally and involved in
the Black Power Movement of the 1960s in Australia.
He was awarded an Order of the British Empire and an Order of Australia for services to the
Aboriginal Australian community.
Mr Colbung was born at Moore River settlement in 1931. His mother died when he was six
years old, at which point he was taken to Sister Kate’s Home for Children.
At 19, Ken enlisted in the army and served in Japan and the Korean War. He left the army in
1965, when he became more deeply involved in Aboriginal Affairs. He settled in Sydney,
working as a welfare officer with the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs.
He returned to Perth in 1970, becoming heavily involved in the Aboriginal Advancement
Council and other political organisations including NEAF “New Era Aboriginal Fellowship”.
He was the first Indigenous AIATSIS chairperson and has held many council and board
positions. In 1982, he was awarded an Order of Australia.
After travelling the world for around 25 years in search of Yagan’s remains, Mr Colbung was
able to use his profile to lobby the Prime Minister in 1997 in London, bringing the issue to
the international stage. After enlisting the Prime Minister in his campaign, he was able to
see the successful recovery of Yagan's remains in September 1997.
NEWS 
