Matthew Stewart (born February 1960), age 53, died unexpectedly yesterday, July 13, 2013, after experiencing a heart attack, at the closure of a special family gathering in honour of his mother, Aunty Rae Solomon-Stewart. The family was celebrating Aunty Rae’s 80th birthday at La Perouse in Sydney.
Matthew was a descendant of the Ngarigo, the traditional custodians of the Monaro lands and the Snowy Mountains. Kosciuszko Heritage has been collaborating with members of the Ngarigo for a number of years, especially on the Kosciuszko festivals, which took place annually from 2007 – 2013 in the Snowy Mountains region.
Kosciusko Heritage and the entire Polish Community feel the loss of Matthew very deeply.
“Matthew will live on in our memories as a participant of the Kosciuszko Festivals in Jindabyne, as an admirer of the music of the great Polish composer Chopin, but mostly as our friend and contact, keeping us in touch with our other Ngarigo friends whenever invitations needed to be conveyed or consultation was needed,” said Ernestyna Skrujat-Kozek, the President of Kosciuszko Heritage.
“Over the years we were fortunate to get to know him well, and his memory will stay with us forever!”
Matthew, in the final hours of his life, talking to a cousin 
A photograph held by Ernestyna Skurjat-Kozek, the President of Kosciuszko Heritage, featuring Matthew as a child, on the right 
Matthew presents a gift to Ernestyna and one of the participants of the 2012 Over the Moonbah festival