It is with an extremely heavy heart and great sadness that we write this post after receiving the news that one of our own and co-chair of our Reconciliation Action Committee Cilla Preece has passed away after a long health battle.
Cilla’s people come from the Erub /Darnley Island and Itu-gul (Moa Island) on the Torres Strait and was a pioneer across many areas in life, including basketball where she represented Queensland for seven years and was one of the first Indigenous scholarship holders at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Cilla went on to play in the WNBL for the “Lady Bullets” in Brisbane.
Cilla you are highly respected and will be missed at Basketball Australia and across Australia. Your legacy will live on, and we will be forever grateful for your time, drive, and commitment towards establishing Basketball Australia’s first Reconciliation Action Plan, something we are very proud of.
You were an inspiring, smart, caring person, with a beautiful personality and we loved working with you and will be missed by all.
Our thoughts are with Peter, the family and community during this tough time.
Permission given by the family to post image and name.
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.