Receiving an OAM came as quite a surprise for 75-year-old Pam...

‘‘It was just wonderful for me to be honoured in this way.’’

Aunty Pam is the youngest daughter of Sir Douglas and Lady Gladys Nicholls and believes it was her parents insightful teachings that enabled her to also become a leader.

‘‘From a very early age, dad took me to Coburg prison and he used to take me to court, so he was training me all the time,’’ she said.

Mrs Pedersen says a major turning point came when she was 17 and she attended her first state reception at Melbourne Town Hall.

‘‘I met the Queen and Prince Phillip and then I met all the well known politicians at the time— Sir Robert Menzies, Andrew Peacock, Harold Holt.

‘‘That was my turning point of learning and dad educating me.’’

Dedicated to social justice, Mrs Pedersen works as an Intensive Case Support Worker with Jesuit Social Services since 2014, where she assists young people and families who become involved with the criminal justice system.

She has also worked with the Victorian Department of Education, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Victorian Aboriginal Family Violence Legal Prevention Service.

Mrs Pedersen is a dedicated Elder sitting on the on the Victorian Children’s Koorie Court, County Koorie Court of Victoria, Victorian Magistrates Koorie Court and the Heidelberg Children’s Court.

She is also a member of the Koorie Court Reference Group and a community remember of the Adult Parole Board of Victoria.

A keen interest in sport and in particular AFL, Mrs Pedersen is also involved as a working committee member for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round, a member of the Dreamtime Working Group, is a board member of The Long Walk and also is involved with the Carlton Football Club and Richmond Football Club.

She was inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in 2016 and the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, in 2018.

A strong advocate and supporter of the Breast Cancer Network Australia, Mrs Pedersen was cleared of breast cancer last Tuesday.

Making her personal health and fitness a priority this year, she is currently training for the Gold Coast half marathon in July.

‘‘To receive an OAM, to be told I’m cancer free and training for my sixth half marathon, I think it’s a real achievement.’’

Mrs Pedersen has no intentions of slowing down and will continue pounding the pavement during marathons and for aboriginal rights.

She believes education is key for indigenous people to succeed and lives by the motto; “If you can dream it, you can achieve it”.