Indigenous Australians Minister to deliver Lingiari lecture

The Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM, will deliver the 19th Annual Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture at CDU’s Casuarina campus on 15 August.

Mr Wyatt was appointed this year as the Minister for Indigenous Australians, making him the first Aboriginal person to hold the federal ministry, and the first Aboriginal person to sit in Cabinet. In 2010 he was the first Indigenous person elected to the House of Representatives

Mr Wyatt is a Noongar man, and as the son of a Stolen Generations member, he has worn his culture proudly throughout his time in Parliament, delivering his maiden speech in a traditional kangaroo-hide cloak of the Noongar people. He used the speech to pay tribute to his mother, who died before the National Apology to the Stolen Generations.

CDU’s Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Sue Carthew said the university was proud to host the Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture, which had become a tradition for the university and for Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

“We are delighted that Minister Wyatt will present the lecture. He has achieved many “firsts” as an Indigenous Australian and is held in high esteem across the wider community,” Professor Carthew said.  

One of CDU’s uppermost priorities as an education provider is improving Indigenous education outcomes.

“We also want to see CDU become an employer and provider of choice to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, because of our dedication to embracing Indigenous knowledges and perspectives into all aspects of the university,” Professor Carthew said.

Mr Wyatt has had an extensive career in health and education and has made an enormous contribution to the wider community in training and mentoring young people.

This was recognised in 1996 when he was awarded the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. In 2000, he was awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal for his efforts and contribution to improving the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and mainstream Australian society in education and health.

The Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture commemorates the anniversary of the “Wave Hill Walk-Off” in 1966 when Gurindji people withdrew their labour in protest against poor pay and conditions. Their strike continued for eight years. The lecture is part of the Gurindji Freedom Day Festival events.

The 19th Annual Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture will be held at the CDU Amphitheatre,  Thursday 15 August starting at 6:00pm.

The lecture is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to E: rsvp.opvcil@cdu.edu.au