Edwards was a strong advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families, later dubbed the Stolen Generations.
[5] Edwards spent 11 years at the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls in NSW,[2] where she was taken after being removed from her family.
The reunification with her mother made Edwards decide to move back to Australia and find out more about her family and lost culture.
[4] Edwards was then asked to be a member of the Indigenous Advisory Council for the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families, led by former Human Rights Commissioner and Commission President, Sir Ronald Wilson, and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Dodson.
The award recognises individuals with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in the Australian community on a not-for-profit basis.
Bill Pritchard, her husband, who accepted the award, said: “This is a true acknowledgement of Lola’s lifetime passion of seeking social justice for Aboriginal people and especially for those members of the Stolen Generations who continue to be disadvantaged.” In 1995–96, together with the late Carol Kendall, Lola was appointed to the specialist team for Link-up (NSW) which travelled extensively throughout NSW conducting 30 preparatory forums to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including members of the Stolen Generations, to give evidence to the Australian Human Rights Commission's Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal People from Their Families.