Annual Sir Frank Kitto Public Lecture 2019
Wednesday 18 September 2019
Presented by
The Honourable Fred Chaney AO
‘The Long Road to Uluru and Beyond’
The Honourable Fred Chaney AO
The lecture will explore the significance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its place in the post settlement Indigenous journey. It is also relevant to the nation’s journey towards reconciliation. Its initial rejection by the Government was a blow to Indigenous Australians, and an examination of the reasons for opposing a constitutional enshrined Voice to Parliament is needed. The lecture will argue that the Voice to Parliament is of value both symbolically and practically but that understanding the reasons why some sections of the Australian community find any recognition proposition difficult is a key to successfully achieving recognition.
The Hon Fred Chaney AO practised law as a solicitor and barrister in Western Australia and the Territory of Papua and New Guinea before entering the Senate in 1974. He was leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1983 to 1990. His ministerial portfolios included Aboriginal Affairs and Social Security. After leaving Parliament, he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration as a Research Fellow with the Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia. He was Chancellor of Murdoch University from 1995 until 2003. In 1994 he was appointed as a member of the National Native Title Tribunal. He served as Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Ltd from 2000 to 2005 and continues as a Director on the board. In 2007, he chaired the Consultation Committee on a Human Rights Act for Western Australia.
His distinguished career has been recognised through a number of awards, including being appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), the Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award for ‘Exceptional leadership in the fields of social justice, human rights, equality and anti racism’ and, in 2014, Senior Australian of the Year.
Wednesday 18 September 2019
Armidale Regional Council Town Hall
127 Rusden Street Armidale NSW 2350
5.00pm – 6.00pm light refreshments
6.00pm – 7.00pm Public Lecture
