Ida West was born on Aboriginal reserve on Cape Barren Island on 30 September 1919[1] and moved with her family to Flinders Island as a young child.
[1] West spent her life lobbying for better health services and land rights for the Aboriginal community in Tasmania.
[6] West was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001 for "services to social welfare, justice and reconciliation"[7] and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2002 Australia Day Honours for "service as a leader of the Aboriginal community in Tasmania".
[4] She was inducted onto the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women in 2005, its inaugural year.
[2] Speeches were made in Australian Federal Parliament on 10 September and in the Tasmanian Parliament on 23 and 30 September 2003, expressing condolences and recognising West's life and work.