Past events are archived for future reference.
The orations have rolling themes that have examined culture, climate change, economics and regional development, legal issues, health and society.
Co-hosted by Paul Briggs, Kaiela Institute Executive Director and Duncan Maskell, the University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor. and held in the hallowed halls of the Rumbalara Football Netball Club, this year our keynote speaker is Yawuru leader Senator Pat Dodson, Australian Labor Party, Western Australia. He will speak to our nation’s successes, failures and ongoing needs, in the areas of reconciliation, land, recognition and public policy. Senator Dodson will share his vision for the future, and the opportunities for regional leaders of the Goulburn Murray to be at the forefront of change.
We are also honoured to have esteemed Aboriginal leaders Lois Peeler AM, Yorta Yorta Elder, and Sean Gordon, Wangkumarra man, sharing the podium with Senator Dodson and we look forward to hearing the Dungala Children’s Choir with Deborah Cheetham and Toni Lalich.
A member of the famous Sapphires, Lois is also a political activist, passionate educator and principal at Australia’s only Aboriginal girls’ boarding school. Sean is a strong advocate for empowerment and self-determination for Indigenous communities, with a focus on social, cultural and economic equity.
The aim of the annual oration is to inspire our region to be a region of excellence, investing and building the wealth and prosperity of Yorta Yorta and other peoples within the Goulburn Murray. It promotes and celebrates the culture of Yorta Yorta peoples including the notion of a shared regional identity, promoting a shared vision for the people of the greater Goulburn Murray region,
