ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR NANA ZONA MARTIN
REACHING 90 is just another in a long line of achievements for Nana Zona Martin.
Not only has Zona easily passed the life expectancy of the average Australian Aboriginal woman at 75, but she and her late husband Jack Martin produced a family of 11 children, 36 grandchildren, 77 greatgrandchildren and to date eight great-greatgrandchildren.
However, there is nothing average about his much loved over achiever.
Along with raising a large family, Zona somehow found time to be a commissioner with the Aboriginal Development Commission from 1985 to 1989, founder and commissioner of the Downs Housing Company, an inaugural board member of the Queensland Trachoma (eye disease) organisation, sports organiser and administrator and the instigator of the “My Gunya” youth shelter.
For her outstanding a services to the Aboriginal and wider community Zona was in 1990 awarded Australia’s Elder of the Year.
Born the youngest of four children on May 17, 1931, Zona Lesley spent her early years on the Moree Mission in Kamilaroi Country.
Zona met Jack Martin, a Kooma man, when she moved to the Cunnamulla Yumba, a camp outside the town.
Mr Martin took a job with Queensland Rail and the family eventually moved to Cambooya and then to Toowoomba.
Zona tragically lost her husband, a daughter and grandson in a car crash in 1983 and she carried on her husband’s work in helping numerous Aboriginal families by setting up health, housing and legal services.
Zona today lives in Oakey and 170 family members and friends joined her in Toowoomba at the weekend to celebrate her 90th birthday.