Aunty Zeta Thomson is a respected Elder and descendant of the Yarra Yarra Clan of the Wurundjeri people through her father and grandfather, Alexander Briggs, and is a descendant of the Ulupna Clan of the Yorta Yorta people on her mother and grandmother, Teresa (Yarmuk) Clements’ side. She is a renowned artist, culture teacher and advocate for the rights of Aboriginal prisoners in Victoria.Â
Aunty Zeta was born in 1946 to Geraldine Briggs and Selwyn Briggs. She is one of 13 children and grew up with her large family in Shepparton, Victoria. Aunty Zeta retains strong connections to her ancestral homelands.
Her parents participated in the historic Cummeragunja Walk-Off, relocating to the Shepparton-Mooroopna. Her family maintains links with Cummeragunja through the continuing use of ancestral burial grounds. Her knowledge of culture has been passed down by her mother and father and maternal grandmother. Aunty Zeta and her husband, Edward have been proudly for married 54 years. She is a mother of three children and a grandmother of ten.
She has had a lifetime involvement in Aboriginal affairs, working at a community level, like many of her family members. She has supported land rights and Aboriginal rights with her family.
Aunty Zeta was a cultural advisor on the internationally renowned movie, The Sapphires. She has also recorded traditional stories for Swinburne University of Technology that feature her artwork on the CD cover. Over the years, Aunty Zeta has also been involved in various projects and committees within the Aboriginal community. She volunteers with the Independent Prison Visitor (IPV) Scheme to conduct assessments and report back any issues to the Victorian Minister for Corrections. Aunty Zeta has been involved with the IPV Scheme as a volunteer since 2006, when it was formerly known as the Official Prison Visitor. She has given up her time to visit prisons on a monthly basis. As an IPV volunteer she has gone above and beyond to improve the experience for Aboriginal people within a prison setting.
She continues to campaign for the rights of Aboriginal prisoners and currently sits on both the Koori Justice Forum as the IPV representative and the Aboriginal Advisory Committee for the IPV Scheme. During her time volunteering for the IPV Scheme, Zeta has earned the respect of prisoners and staff. Her efforts have contributed to positive outcomes for the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement.