DR CHARLES PERKINS AO 2013 MEMORIAL ORATION AND MEMORIAL PRIZE 2 PROGRAM THURSDAY 17 OCTOBER 2013

6.00pm Event commences The Great Hall

6.30pm Official proceedings Master of Ceremonies: Professor Shane Houston Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services) The University of Sydney

Welcome to Country Mr Charles Madden Director, Aboriginal Medical Service

6.40pm Vice-Chancellor’s address Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor and Principal The University of Sydney

6.50pm Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Oration Mr Shane Phillips: “Youth in our community”

7.10pm Vote of thanks and introduction to the Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Prize Professor Shane Houston

Presentation of the Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Prize Prize presented by Dr Michael Spence and Mr Adam Perkins

8.00pm Close of official proceedings Professor Shane Houston

Refreshments served The Great Hall

8.30pm Event concludes

Cover image: The University of Sydney appreciates the generous permission of the Perkins family and the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children & Students, for the use of this photograph. © Robert McFarlane. Image (left): Reconcilation Week 2013, photograph by Camille Nuttall Photography. 2 DR CHARLES PERKINS AO 3 ANNUAL MEMORIAL ORATION

In 2001, the University of Sydney, in collaboration SPEAKER MASTER OF CEREMONIES WELCOME TO COUNTRY with the Koori Centre, launched the Dr Charles Mr Shane Phillips Professor Shane Houston Mr Charles ‘Chicka’ Madden Perkins AO Annual Memorial Oration. CEO, Tribal Warrior Association Deputy Vice-Chancellor A respected Elder, Mr Charles Madden has Topic: “Youth in our community” (Indigenous Strategy and Services) The establishment of the Oration began as a lived in Cadigal country in the Sydney region for recommendation of the Committee to Review Shane’s past work with young people in child With a strong background in education and most of his life. Aboriginal Education at the University of protection, juvenile justice, and with the Royal health, Professor Shane Houston leads the For over 35 years he has served as a Director of Sydney, of which Dr Perkins was a member. Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody University’s institution-wide strategy to the Aboriginal Medical Service, Redfern, and is has made him an outstanding community advance Indigenous participation, engagement, The University, in consultation with the Koori a Life Member of the Redfern All Blacks Junior leader. He is a highly influential member of the education and research. Centre, adopted in principle that the University Rugby League Football Club. Redfern Aboriginal community, where he is establish an Annual Oration, “to be given by He was previously executive director of regarded as their voice on a range of youth and Charles is also a board member of the an internationally high-profile race relations systems performance and Aboriginal policy with justice issues. Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. leader … as a demonstration of its continuing the NT Department of Health and Families. commitment to fostering excellence in Shane is a strong believer in proactively He has been actively engaged in Aboriginal education and leadership among its Indigenous empowering Indigenous people to overcome advancement issues for more than 30 years at PERFORMERS staff and graduates.”1 disadvantage through education and a community level, working in government and Mrs Megan Hanlon and Ms Morag Ayres training, and is respected by Indigenous and in a number of international settings, including The University, in consultation with the Koori Megan Hanlon and Morag Ayres are graduates of non‑Indigenous people alike for his integrity various United Nations‑related activities. He has Centre, believed it would be fitting to name the Conservatorium of Music at the University and hard work. He is the full time CEO of the a long-standing interest in the development of the Oration in honour of the University’s first of Sydney. They are originally from Cairns, Tribal Warrior Association, and was named culturally secure health services and systems, Indigenous graduate, Dr Charles Perkins AO. Queensland and have a Island as ’s Local Hero 2013 in this year’s and in health economics – especially in finding (Ugar) and Aboriginal (Yalandji) background. The Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Awards. greater equity in how health systems allocate Morag is currently studying to become a high Oration was established with the full support of and use resources. the Perkins family and in acknowledgement of school music teacher and Megan is studying In April 2011, he was appointed Deputy Dr Perkins’ tireless dedication to human rights special education. At the same time, both Vice‑Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and and social justice for . women are raising families of their own and Services) at the University of Sydney. pursuing their love of music. Previously he had been a board member of the 1 Vice-Chancellor’s Preliminary Response to the Report of the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Committee established to review Aboriginal education at the University of Sydney, 2000. Health and the Lowitja Institute. 4 DR CHARLES PERKINS AO 5 ANNUAL MEMORIAL PRIZE

Established by the Koori Centre PREVIOUS WINNERS in 2000, the Dr Charles Perkins AO Annual Memorial Prize 2012 2006 commemorates the lifelong Mr Luke Hart Mr Dylan Hughes achievements of Charles Perkins, Mr Robert Grant Mr John Henderson the first Indigenous Australian Mr Timothy Gilbey Ms Stephanie Walton graduate of the University of Sydney. 2011 2005 Ms Lauren Booker Ms Kate Makin The prize is awarded annually to Mr Jacob Munro Mr Percival Knight Indigenous Australian students Ms Janette Saunders Mr Victor Wood who have completed a bachelor’s or honour’s degree and have 2010 2004 achieved outstanding results Ms Amanda Porter Ms Cheryl Davis during their studies. Ms Rebecca O’Brien Ms Simone Nelson The single prize was increased Ms Yvonne Payne Ms Yvette Balla-Gow to a maximum of three recipients in 2003, with the support of all 2009 2003 faculties of the university and Mr Adam Ridgeway Mr Christopher Davis the Charlie Perkins Trust for Mr Chad Todhunter Ms Jodie Wellington Children & Students. Ms Sarah Callan 2002 2008 Ms Llewellyn Williams THE 2013 DR CHARLES PERKINS Ms Alana Moffett AO ANNUAL MEMORIAL Ms Naomi May Cook 2001 PRIZE WINNERS Mr Paul Gray Ms Tracey Sharon Kickett Mr Todd Rowling Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) 2007 Ms Jade Swan Ms Janelle Evans Ms Kerry Wallace-Massone Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) Mr Nicholas Beeton Ms Emma Hicks Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) 6 DR CHARLES NELSON PERRURLE 7 PERKINS AO (BA ’66) ARRERNTE AND KALKADOON, 1936 TO 2000

HIS STORY In Sydney, Ted Noffs was to influence and Charles Perkins’ grandmother, Nellie Errerreke support Charles in his endeavours. Charles Perkins, and his mother Hetti, were Eastern joined the University of Sydney in 1963 and Arrernte women, born at Arltunga. Hetti’s young graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1966. He life was spent around the mines and working on was the first Aboriginal man to graduate from pastoral stations. During this time she had eight university. At this time, he was instrumental in children: Percival, Bill, George, Nita, Margaret, establishing the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs Alec, Don and May. Nita and Margaret were in Sydney and forged a lasting connection with taken away from her at a young age and sent to the Sydney Aboriginal community. Adelaide. She never saw them again. In the summer of 1965, Charles organised a In 1935, Hetti met Martin Connelly while living group of 30 students to travel to Walgett, at the Bungalow near Alice Springs. Martin’s Moree, Bowraville and Kempsey to protest mother was a Kalkadoon woman from the Mt against discrimination and poor living conditions. Isa region and his father was Irish. Hetti had two In his autobiography, Charles said “The Freedom children to Martin. They named their first child, Ride was probably the greatest and most who was born in 1936, Charles Nelson Perkins, exciting event that I have ever been involved and his young brother, Ernest. Charles did not in with Aboriginal affairs.” This unprecedented meet his father until he was 33 years old. protest exposed the apartheid of rural Australia and gave him a national profile in the media. He In 1945, Father Percy Smith, an Anglican priest, recognised that the media was a valuable tool took Charles and a number of other boys to to inform Australians of the plight of Indigenous Adelaide, with the permission of their mothers, Australians and he used it adeptly. In Canberra to further their education. While Charles tried in 1972, he joined other young Aboriginal men to make the most of the opportunity offered to at the Tent Embassy and defiantly called for him, he recalled the harsh discipline of the boy’s compensation and recognition of Aboriginal land home, particularly after the departure of Father and human rights. It was also in this year that Smith. At St Francis House, the boys formed a Charles received a life-saving kidney transplant. strong, lifelong bond with Father and Mrs Smith and each other. It was during his years in Adelaide Charles dedicated his life to achieving justice that Charles began to understand the extent of for Indigenous Australians. His extraordinary discrimination against Aboriginal people. achievements included appointments as Secretary, Department of Aboriginal Affairs; Charles’s outstanding skills as a soccer player Chairman, Aboriginal Development Commission led him to England in 1957 to play for Everton. and Aboriginal Hostels Ltd. He was actively On his return to Australia, he married Eileen involved in Indigenous organisations wherever in 1961 and they moved to Sydney. His soccer he lived. He was elected Commissioner of the career culminated in him playing as captain/ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission coach for Pan-Hellenic in Sydney. He was in both Alice Springs and Sydney. In 1987 he passionate about soccer and it helped finance was awarded the Order of Australia. his way through university.

Image: Charles Perkins attending a lecture on the introduction of the Pill, at the University of Sydney in 1963. Photograph © Robert McFarlane. 8 9

But it was at the community level that he ON THE FREEDOM RIDE was a household name. He was a renowned “That’s the beginning. The eyes. The meaning of activist and a fearless spokesperson. The last the eyes. The relationship, the eye conversation 30 years of his life were made possible by the between people. The incident outside the kidney donation. This miraculous gift made him RSL club, that was the most dramatic part of determined to make a difference to Indigenous everything. A lot of things fell in place after Australians and he did. that. We knew what we had to do. It set the pattern, the template. The eye conversation I Later in his life, Charles proudly fulfilled his had with hundreds of Aboriginal people. In the cultural obligations with his passage through semi darkness, the fading afternoon and in the law with his people, the Eastern Arrernte. heat of the day. Just looking. Just looking. At Charles loved his family. He and Eileen have something. And I was looking back at them. We three children, Hetti, Adam and Rachel and were wondering what it was all about. One day seven grandchildren, Tyson, Thea, Lille, I’ll be able to explain it all I suppose. That was the Madeleine, Charles, Remy and Arnhem. His magic message I got from the Freedom Ride.” spirit is with us all. ON HIS LIFE “I am a descendant of a once proud tribe from MEMORABLE QUOTES Central Australia – the Arrernte people. Today ON ABORIGINAL CULTURE we number very few and own nothing. We “It’s just another world. There’s another world cringe like dogs at the prospect of the ‘White out there and I didn’t really understand it, but backlash’. We pray eternally that the White I do now. It’s the same as when my friend, authority structure will not turn on us and who came from up Derby way, saw his first impede what little progress we have made. white man. He was about eighteen and he We ask for land rights with tongue in cheek saw the first white man he’d ever seen coming knowing full well in our hearts that the land towards him on the first horse he’d ever seen. belonged to us in the first instance. We stagger Imagine that. Everything changes straight away and stumble into each other in confusion when doesn’t it … you sit there at night, with the fires our identity … is contested and thus allow burning and maybe 200 people dancing: it was ourselves to be moulded by others. Our land, awe‑inspiring … you’re going back 50,000 years our pride and our future has been taken away in time. It writes new chapters in your brain.” from us and our people buried in unmarked ON BEING A BUREAUCRAT graves. We wander through Australian society “Tread new fields. Break new ground. Make as beggars. We live off the crumbs of the white mistakes in achieving objectives. That’s Australian table and are told to be grateful. what it’s all about. You’ve gotta do things This is what Australia Day means to Aboriginal in the space of one year that takes normal Australians. We celebrate with you but there bureaucratic mechanisms to do in five to ten is much sadness in our joy. It is like dancing on years. So you’ve gotta break a lotta rules – not your mother’s grave.” deliberately so, but the best way you possibly can – so you achieve that objective in the Many thanks to the Perkins family for permission to include quickest possible time … You’ve got people out this extract from ‘State Funeral’ program, Sydney Town Hall, there you’ve probably never met sleeping under 25 October 2000. trees, bad health, no chance of employment and probably need a feed and a decent drink of water. So what are you doing about it?” Image: Sea of Hands at the Reconcilation Week 2013, photograph by Camille Nuttall Photography. Alumni and Events Office T +61 2 9036 9278 F +61 2 9351 6868 E [email protected] sydney.edu.au/alumni

Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services) T +61 2 9351 5221 E [email protected] sydney.edu.au/indigenous

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