Courageous and fearless
A true trailblazer
Our grand lady
These are some of the words that have been used to describe a magnificent woman.
Someone I’ve known for more than 30 years
It is with great sadness that I too pay tribute to Lowitja O’Donoghue
Lowitja dedicated her life to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
And deserves Australia’s deepest respect, gratitude and love.
Lowitja's story
Lowitja’s story is the truth of this country
Her life was shaped by her experiences as a young child.
At just two years old she was taken to a mission home in South Australia.
She said that the seeds of her commitment to human rights and social justice were sown in a childhood –
Where she felt powerless and deprived of love.
She didn’t see her mother again until she was in her 30s
After a chance meeting in a Coober Pedy supermarket -
of an aunt and uncle who recognised her family resemblance.
Lowitja’s mother Lily waited in the dust by the side of the road for days in anticipation –
From sun up - to sun down
Waiting for her daughter to come home.
But they discovered they did not share a common language
They could not speak with each other – except through our eyes.
Many years later, Lowitja played such an instrumental role in the National Apology to the Stolen Generations
Lowitja was a woman of many firsts
The first Aboriginal trainee nurse at Royal Adelaide Hospital.
The founding Chairperson of the National Aboriginal Conference.
The first Aboriginal woman to be made a member of the Order of Australia in 1977.
The inaugural Chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission in 1990.
It was in that role that she led the complex negotiations over native title with the then Prime Minister Paul Keating.
She was a strong advocate for constitutional recognition - which she said would be good for the nation’s soul.
(Pause)
For me personally, it was an absolute privilege to work alongside Lowitja at the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in the late 90s
In her presence, you felt her graciousness
You felt her kindness.
But she could also be stern and you would always watch your p’s and q’s
Lowitja always led with grace and courage
And she’s been an inspiration for generations of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians – including myself.
Today I wear this precious necklace in her honour
Lowitja loved owls and she gave this to me when I had the great privilege of delivering the Lowitja O’Donoghue oration in 2022
My thoughts are with Lowitja’s family who said this on Sunday
“Aunty Lowitja dedicated her entire lifetime of work to the rights, health, and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“We thank and honour her for all that she has done – for all the pathways she created, for all the doors she opened, for all the issues she tackled head-on, for all the tables she sat at and for all the arguments she fought and won.”
Lowitja O’Donoghue’s legacy is one that is impossible to quantify.
History will be a witness to that legacy and to Lowitja’s greatness.