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15 July 2020 // Kwementyaye Tilmouth
Kwementyaye (Leigh Bruce ‘Tracker’) Tilmouth (1954 – 28 February 2015) was a Arrente activist. Born in the Alice Springs region. He was part of the stolen generation, being taken from his family at the age of three to
Retta Dixon Home in Darwin and later raised on Croker Island.
He spent his early working life as a stockman on Angas Downs station near Alice Springs, earning a reputation as an exceptional cameleer and went on to become the inaugural chairman of the Central Australian Aboriginal Cattlemen's Association.
Kwementyaye Tilmouth spent time as a stock inspector around Alice Springs for the Department of Primary Industry. He studied arid-zone agriculture in Israel for six months and had a degree in natural resource management.
Tilmouth helped establish the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service and the Aboriginal health service in the south of the Northern Territory. He also served as director of the Central Land Council.
He was a real believer that for people to have dignity and good health they had to have a decent job. His commitment to community development was all about creating employment for people all over the NT. He was part of the early meetings that established The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and was also one of the earliest employees and a formidable leader.
He knew from his own experience that getting your first job was a springboard for subsequent development.
He was a lifetime member of the Australian Labor Party and was, before pulling out, in the running to be the party's senator for the Northern Territory.
Tilmouth died on Saturday 28 February 2015 after suffering with cancer and heart complications. He was given a state funeral in Darwin on 12 March 2015.