Walcha remembers a very special soul

On Friday morning more than sixty people gathered on the road at the start of the bridge formerly known as Middle Street Bridge to acknowledge the new memorial to a much loved local elder.

The late Shirley Norma Davison (Aunty Shirley) was an integral member of the Walcha community, and she was also usually the first one contacted to officiate the Welcome to Country part of important local ceremonies.

At the official opening of the renamed bridge, members from Aunty Shirl's extended family started proceedings and her grandson Taine Davison performed a smoking ceremony while her great-granddaughter Shanice Boney welcomed everyone.

"Thank you all for being here on this special day to rename this bridge in honour of our extraordinary mother, grandmother and great grandmother who many of you knew as Aunty Shirley," Ms Boney said.

"We are so honoured that you have given this legacy to her and to see her name on this bridge is such an amazing gift, and we thank you for recognising her in this way."

Ms Boney said Shirley was involved in many committees, pitching in her time any way she could.

"She would work with the Land Council here, and interstate, the Walcha Council, the hospital and NSW Health, school committees and education boards as well as volunteering with the local St Vincent de Paul," Ms Boney said.

Walcha Mayor Eric Noakes said 257 residents voted for the Shirley Davison Bridge in memory of the much loved local Aboriginal elder and Order of Australia recipient.

Several people who Aunty Shirley worked alongside in the community then spoke of her achievements.

Former Walcha Council community services manager Gerry Moran said he thanked the council and community for keeping her name alive for now, and forever.

"I believe it's appropriate that this bridge is named after Shirl, a person who had troubled waters in her life ( as we all do) and spent all of her life building bridges and commitment between our communities," he said.

"As a member of the Home and Community Care Advisory committee, she advised council on policy and direction for support to those less fortunate and her commitment to that was unwavering and continued until the very end. I think the fact that the community voted to name this bridge after her is a reflection of what Aunty Shirl meant to the community."

Anthea Macpherson spent time with Shirley on the Local Health Advisory Committee, and in her address, she described Aunty Shirley as a quiet achiever who always had her finger on the pulse.

"One of the main programs Shirley was proud of was the outreach services provided to the small communities of Summervale, Nowendoc, Niangala and Kentucky where a nurse would travel monthly taking the services to residents rather than them having to travel into town," Ms Macpherson said.

Fellow St Vincent's de Paul volunteer ( where Shirley worked for more than 20 years) Pat Laurie, said Shirley was a dedicated and honest volunteer who was always there on her day.

"She was also a very proud grandmother, who often spoke of her family," she said.

Lou Beaumont spoke on behalf of Walcha Central School, and also as a former neighbour of Aunty Shirley, relaying some of the examples of the injustices many Aboriginal face which Shirley had shared with her over their hedge fence.

"Her stories made me so sad, but Aunty Shirl was all about reconciliation," she said.

"She was about removing barriers, and she built bridges everywhere she went. Her gentle presence in our school was treasured."

Amaroo Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive officer Mark Davies asked everyone to stop and be silent for a moment to think about Aunty Shirley.

"It's pretty hard for me to stand here and acknowledge and put into words what a matriarch and elder as important as Aunty Shirley meant to us in the Aboriginal context," he said.

"What I remember most was her compassion - she had a gentle voice, and she always listened and wasn't biased in her voice.

"Everyone here has their own memories of her, and I ask that we pause and think of those memories."