Murdoch University has awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Vivienne Hansen.

The Honorary Doctorate is the highest award bestowed at Murdoch University and is given to individuals who have served prominently in public life or significantly contributed to the application of knowledge in society.  

Dr Hansen is a Practitioner of Noongar Medicine, author and renowned speaker.

She has dedicated her life to sharing, teaching, and advocating for Noongar culture, language and knowledge.

A Balladong Wadjuk Yorga woman from the Bibbulmun Nation, or Noongar people, of the south-west of Western Australia, Dr Hansen spent her early years learning from family members about traditional medicine.

Their teachings instilled in Dr Hansen a passion for bush medicine and healing, as well as for sharing and preserving Noongar culture.

“I was surrounded by family, my nans, pops, aunties, uncles and cousins who taught me the importance of culture. To appreciate it, to respect it, and to make sure that I know my Noongar identity, culture and language. This close connection to boodjar enabled me to explore the local bushland and knowledge of traditional bush medicine, remedies and practices,” Dr Hansen said in her acceptance speech.

Dr Hansen later undertook further training at the Marr Moorditj Foundation where she completed Certificate IV in Bush and Western Herbal Medicine and was the first Indigenous member of the National Herbalist Association of Australia.

She is the co-author of two books, Noongar Bush Medicine and Noongar Bush Tucker, which are intended as both practical guides and historical records.

“Much of the published material I had studied was not written by Indigenous people, and I believed it was time to change that. The knowledge passed down to me, combined with documented sources, became the foundation of these books,” Dr Hansen said.

Following in the footsteps of her grandfather and great-grandfather, who were both healers, Dr Hansen is a leader in the field of bush medicine and recognised for her ongoing efforts to preserve Indigenous knowledge for future generations.

“I have spent much of my life sharing, teaching, and advocating for Noongar culture, language, and knowledge. And I continue to share these teachings with my grandchildren, ensuring the next generations carry our culture forward with pride,” she said.