Sam Drummond

Author, Education Consultant, Social Issues

Sam Drummond is a powerful speaker who gets to the heart of some of society’s most pressing issues such as disability education inclusion and equity

He uses his experience as a media presenter and speech writer to weave personal stories through the headlines, to show the people behind the statistics.

His memoir ‘Broke’ explores themes of rural disadvantage, disability, non-traditional families, intergenerational trauma and class in Australia.

Sam has worked in radio, politics and law, specialising in the area of discrimination and human rights law.

When he is not parenting, writing or working, he can be found swimming laps of Melbourne’s outdoor pools, tending to his native garden or discovering parts of the world he didn’t get to experience as a child.

TOPICS SAM SPEAKS TO:

• Disability (eg. what are we afraid to say?)
• Education (eg. towards full inclusion)
• Employment (eg. the journey to equity, pathways for young people)
• Government (eg. who are the real forgotten people?)
• Human rights (eg. what does the future hold? What are we missing?
• Media making (eg. how to tell stories that wouldn’t otherwise be heard)

Where were you born?

I was born in the same hospital as my daughter – the Royal Women’s in Melbourne. Yet somehow we have different suburbs listed as our ‘place of birth’ on our passports. 

What other jobs have you had?

I was reading a Dr Seuss story recently called ‘The Great Henry McBride’ and saw a little bit of myself in the multi-employed “Broadcaster-Rabbit-Man-Doctor McBride”. I’ve worked as a radio journalist, music festival staffer, political adviser, anti-discrimination and human rights lawyer, author and even a security guard rosterer. Not sure about the title ‘great’ but the list is probably indicative of my tendency to ask myself ‘what’s next?’

What themes are recurring in your work?

Tea. All my workplaces involve ritualistic tea drinking. And tea is my gateway drug to sugar. 

What have been the highlights of your career?

Just those simple moments when someone says “thank you, you’ve made my life just a little bit easier”.