🐢 Mascot and colours
Jackomos Hall's official colour is red and the mascot is a long neck turtle - a totem of the Yorta Yorta people. During sporting events, intra and inter hall events we will proudly wear our colours in support of our fellow turtles.
📜 Jackomos Hall's history
Mrs Merle Jackomos OAM (nee Morgan)
1929-2019
Jackomos Hall is named in honour and recognition of Mrs Merle Jackomos OAM.
Merle Jackomos OAM has tribal connections with the Yorta Yorta Nation. She was born on 13 June 1929 and grew up at Cummeragunja Mission near Echuca in New South Wales. Her ancestral totem is the Long Neck Turtle. During the famous walk-off from Cummeragunja of Aboriginal people who crossed into Victoria in 1939, Merle and her family were amongst those who stayed to make sure that the mission was not closed and sold off by the government.
Merle married Alick Jackomos, the son of Greek immigrants, in 1951 and together they had three children, Esmai, Andrew and Michael who have all made a significant contribution to the Aboriginal community. The love of her life, Alick passed away in 1999.
Merle became very involved with the Aborigines Advancement League of Victoria and with the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders with her husband Alick. She helped found the National Aboriginal and Islander Women's Council with Aunty Geraldine Briggs, and of which she became Victorian vice-president. Merle, along with a small group of Victorian Aboriginal women, lobbied tirelessly to establish numerous services for Aboriginal people; including the Aboriginal Elders Community Services, Aboriginal Legal Service, Aboriginal Women's Refuge and Aboriginal Health Service.
In 1972 she was elected to the Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Advisory Council. She was later appointed a director of Aboriginal Hostels Ltd, and in 1981 was elected to the National Aboriginal Conference (NAC), a position she held until its abolition in 1985. In 1977, Merle represented Australia with other Aboriginal people, at the FESTAC festival in Nigeria.
Mrs Merle Jackomos was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 26 January 1987 for service to Aboriginal welfare.
Acknowledgement: This text was provided by Ms. Esmai Manahan, daughter of Mrs Merle Jackomos OAM
