Carol Martin (politician)
| Carol Martin | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia |
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In office 10 February 2001 – 11 March 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Ernie Bridge |
| Succeeded by | Josie Farrer |
| Constituency | Kimberley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Carol Anne Pilkington 13 October 1957 Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse(s) | Brian Martin |
| Alma mater | Curtin University |
| Profession | Social worker, politician and artist |
| Cultural background | Yamatji – Noongar |
Carol Anne Martin (born 13 October 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia between 2001 and 2013, representing the seat of Kimberley. She was the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to any Australian parliament.
Born as Carol Anne Pilkington in Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia, Martin grew up in Perth, Carnarvon and Mukinbudin. Her mother, Rose Pilkington, was a Yamatji, while her father Bernard was Noongar, and she had six siblings. Her father taught her car maintenance, traditional painting in his people's style, singing and hunting.
At the age of 12, she was removed from her family and became a ward of the state, moving across several foster homes.Patrick Dodson, a Yawuru elder, later wrote: "Removal had a profound impact on her. Albeit a painful and lonely time in her life, it was a period that required her to develop the constructive skills necessary to deal with her extraction and isolation." At age 15, she made the decision to follow her mother to Broome after her parents' divorce, and the local community protected her from the authorities. She completed a Business Management course in spite of not having completed formal schooling. In 1982, she moved to Derby, where she worked as a social worker and counsellor, and in 1984 married Brian Martin. Amongst other things, she worked alongside others to help return Aboriginal children who were missing in the system to their families, and help Aboriginal families deal with the consequences of the Stolen Generations. She said in 2001, "Sometimes I could help, other times my heart went out to them — for many of them their children are still lost."
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