In her Aboriginal community of Nauiyu, which sits along a river bank south of Darwin, Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann is preparing for her first trip to Europe.
"I've never gone that far before in my life," Dr Ungunmerr-Baumann, 72, said.
"It's for my community and my family and people here, and hopefully it's for all of Australia."
The respected elder, teacher, artist and 2021 Senior Australian of the Year – who has an honorary doctorate in education from Charles Darwin University – is among 10 "everyday" Australians hand-picked to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
The group will travel to London on Thursday, along with the Prime Minister, Governor-General, the acting High Commissioner and their partners, before returning early next week for a national memorial service in Australia.
But accepting the "surprise" invite wasn't an easy decision, Dr Ungunmerr-Baumann said.
"I was unsure whether to say yes or no," she said.
"I told my husband that I was going — eventually — and he said 'You just want to go and see the corgis'."
Dr Ungunmerr-Baumann is widely respected in the Northern Territory and beyond for her advocacy on behalf of members of the Stolen Generation.
She was just a child when her two-year-old sister, Pilawuk White, was forcibly removed from her family under the Australian government's assimilationist policies.
Since reconnecting with her sister 14 years later, Dr Ungunmerr-Baumann has called for the Commonwealth to pay compensation for victims in the NT.
She has also dedicated her life to giving Aboriginal children the skills to navigate Western and traditional culture.
Despite all her achievements, Dr Ungunmerr-Baumann said the invite from the Prime Minister still left her wondering, "Why me?"
"It had just come out of the blue so that knocked me," she said.
"But I guess I've been chosen by the [Head of State] in Australia and now I feel comfortable, and I'm looking forward to this trip."
