5th Annual Hawke Lecture

Indigenous Australia: the Social and Cultural Predicament

With Noel Pearson

A Bama Bagaarrmugu of the Guuguwarra Nation from Kalpowar and Jeanie River area, Cape York 

Sunday 3 November 2002

Published copies of the Annual Hawke Lecture series are available from the Hawke Centre.

Biography

Noel Pearson is Founder and Director of Strategy of the Cape York Partnership and one of Australia’s leading thinkers. He comes from the Guugu Yimidhirr community of Hope Vale on south eastern Cape York Peninsula, and is the primary architect of the Cape York Agenda.

Noel is a history and law graduate from the University of Sydney. In 1990, Noel co-founded the Cape York Land Council. Three years later, following the Mabo decision of the High Court of Australia, he played a key part in negotiating the Native Title Act 1993 with the Federal Government.

Noel was pivotal in helping establish sister organisations Apunipima Health Council, Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation, Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships, the Cape York Institute, and Cape York Partnerships.

Noel’s goal is to enable Cape York’s Indigenous people to have the capacity to choose the life they have reason to value by reinstating the rights of Aboriginal people to take responsibility for their lives. Noel is a sought-after speaker, influences public policy debate and Government deliberations, and has dedicated his life to the cause of Indigenous empowerment.

More information on the Cape York Partnership

While the views presented by speakers within the Hawke Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either the University of South Australia or The Hawke Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: strengthening our democracy - valuing our diversity - and building our future.

The copying and reproduction of any transcripts within the Hawke Centre public program is strictly forbidden without prior arrangements.