The Meaning of Violet and Retta

Violet and Retta is named in honour of two women whose lives, values, and strength continue to shape my work, my leadership, and the way this consultancy walks alongside others.

Violet is named after my Nana, my father’s mother, a Gomeroi woman and Elder. Nana was born at Terry Hie Hie, near Moree in North West New South Wales, on Gomeroi Country. She was a significant Aboriginal matriarch who was deeply loved and respected by her family and community. Nana Violet was fierce and loving, unwavering in her protection of family and culture, generous in spirit, and strong in her responsibilities to community. She carried significant cultural authority and used her voice with strength, care, and conviction.

Retta is named after my mother, Loretta, a non-Aboriginal woman of Irish ancestry. Often she was named Ret or Retta for short. My mother was also a strong matriarch, a historian and a passionate advocate for Aboriginal peoples. She believed deeply in truth-telling, justice, and the importance of honouring Aboriginal histories and voices. My parents met as young people in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, and their shared values of respect, solidarity, and care shaped the family and community life I grew up within.

Together, Violet and Retta represents the coming together of Aboriginal cultural authority and non-Aboriginal allyship, of lived experience and advocacy, of strength held with care, integrity, and responsibility. The name reflects the foundations of this work: relationships, accountability, and respect and honours the women whose legacies continue to guide how I lead, teach, advise, and support others.

Violet and Retta is, at its heart, about walking alongside people and organisations in ways that honour culture, history, and community, and about carrying forward the values of the matriarchs who came before me.