Media Statements - Nine-year-old Aboriginal girl wins first prize in Snapshots of Perceptions competition.

1/11/99

A nine-year-old schoolgirl from a remote Aboriginal community has won a prize in a State-wide annual photographic competition on the theme of seniors.

Seniors’ Minister Rhonda Parker presented the award in Derby today.

Sonia Numendumah, from the Wananami Remote Community School, about 320 kilometres north-east of Derby, won first prize in the

Snapshots of Perceptions

photographic competition with a photograph of her grandmother, Biddy Arinda.

Mrs Parker said the competition, organised by the senior’s newspaper

Have a Go News

, the Council on the Ageing and the Intergenerational Access Network, had as its themes the United Nations five principles of ageing - independence, participation, caring, self fulfilment and dignity.

“Sonia won the section depicting dignity with a very moving close-up picture of her grandmother in competition with adults who the competition organisers say enter every year and are ‘professional amateurs’.

“Five children from the remote school, which has 50 students, entered the competition after the organisers sent entry kits to all schools in the State.

“This competition fulfils one of the aims of this year’s International Year of Older Persons which is to promote communication and understanding between the generations.

“To this end the competition was open to two groups of entries - school children excluding pre-primary and over 45s all of whom competed against each other in the five categories.”

Sonia won a book on Australian photography, a $100 cheque and a $150 voucher from Camera Electronic Service Co.

The other winners received their prizes at a ceremony in Perth two weeks ago but Sonia was unable to attend because of distance.

The photographs from the competition will be displayed in the Bankwest foyer in William Street during Seniors’ Week.

Media contact: Owen Cole 9481 7810