In Line for Honours

Local women started the group in 2006 to raise awareness about the health of Aboriginal Australians.

Dancer Kerry Welsh, an Aboriginal Health Promotions Officer for the Sydney South West Area Health Service, said the Koori Line Dance Group was still getting used to the news they had won gold.

"We are just over the moon," she told Central.

She said it all started one day. when her friends were talking about what they could do to change their lives.

They decided they wanted to go to the Tamworth Country Music Festival, which draws many Aboriginal country music fans.

"Now, fine dancing has become my life," Ms Welsh said.

She said that line dancing was a great social activity and its health benefits were amazing.

"The life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 17 years Jess than other Australians.

"We have to do something about our health situation and it gets people out, and active and having a good time."

The group meets twice a week at the Redfern Town Hall.

Picture: Phil Rogers - Redfern-based Koori Line Dance Group won a gold medal at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.

SAYING SORRY

NEWTOWN Aboriginal woman Kerry Welsh will take her father - one of the stolen generations -to Canberra to hear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd say the one word he has waited decades to hear reports Lisa Capozzi in Central 6^th February 2008.

"To hear those words in that moment will just mean so much," Welsh told Central.

I think under the new leadership it is a major step into healing our people and Australian people as a nation."

She said her elderly father had never spoken about his experiences. The Prime Minister will apologise to the stolen generations at the opening of parliament on February 13.