Averil Dean was from the South West region of Western Australia. One of eleven children, Averil was born and raised on Gnowangerup mission until her father went to work on farms. Tambellup became the family's main base town where the children attended school. Sometimes the family set up their home in a tent on the farming properties where Averil's father worked. Averil attended Girdlestone High School in Perth and completed her nursing aide training at Royal Perth Hospital for two years. Following this she went to Broome because there was a shortage of nurses and it was here she met her husband, Ken.
Averil, her husband and two children returned to the southwest and set up base between Gnowangerup and Tambellup in tents and worked as a team on farming properties with Averil's family, shearing, fencing and land clearing. Averil and her family moved to Cranbrook and lived for 12 years before settling in Albany. Together with her brother Leonard (Jack) Williams (q.v.), Averil has worked with primary and high school students, educating them about Noongar culture.
She has been a regional representative on the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee, served on the Board of Management of the Albany Aboriginal Corporation, has been a member of the Catholic Education Committee (South West), worked in the Aboriginal Visitors Scheme in Prisons and has been a member for the University of Western Australia's Sustainability Trust Fund.
