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Speaker Type: First Nations
Ron Murray
Curriculum Specialist, Education Consultant, Entertainer, First Nations, Social Issues, Storyteller/Performer
Ron is a much loved and highly respected Victorian Indigenous educator, storyteller and musician. He is in demand as a speaker, sharing his knowledge of Indigenous culture with passion, honesty and humour.
» Read more about Ron Murray
Jared Thomas
Author, Education Consultant, First Nations, New Speakers, Online - Virtual Visits, Social Issues
Dr Jared Thomas is a Nukunu person of the Southern Flinders Ranges and the Research Fellow, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Material Culture and Art at the South Australian Museum, and an internationally recognised author.
» Read more about Jared Thomas
Thomas Mayo
Author, First Nations, Social Issues
» Read more about Thomas MayoThomas Mayo is a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man.
He was a wharf labourer for sixteen years and is an official of the Maritime Union of Australia and is the author of four books as well as essays and articles published in the Griffith Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian. His present works cover both historical and contemporary First Nations struggles, biographical narratives, fatherhood, masculinity, love and race.
Thomas was inspired to write his first book: Finding the Heart of the Nation – the Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, after being entrusted to carry the sacred Uluru Statement from the Heart canvas to Australians from all walks of life, soon after its creation in the heart of the country in 2017.
Thomas traveled throughout the nation for eighteen months with the Uluru Statement, taking it to the smallest of communities to the largest of city gatherings, playing a key role in building the peoples movement for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice to what it is today. His first childrens book: Finding Our Heart, is a childrens book about the Uluru Statement. It has been a roaring success because of its contemporary art and powerful truth telling with a uniquely clear call to action.
Thomas’ most recent works are a childrens book about the Gurindji Wave Hill Walk Off, Freedom Day – Vincent Lingiari and the story of the Wave Hill Walk-off; and Dear Son – Letters and reflections from First Nations fathers and sons.
In Dear Son, Thomas invites twelve other First Nations men to join him, writing about life, love, masculinity and racism. Thomas writes that Dear Son is a celebration of First Nations men – an act of defiance against everything they were taught about themselves, and the stereotype taught to all Australians.
Tyson Yunkaporta
Academic, Author, First Nations, New Speakers
Tyson Yunkaporta is an academic, an arts critic, and a researcher who belongs to the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland. He carves traditional tools and weapons and also works as a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne.
» Read more about Tyson Yunkaporta
Gary Lonesborough
Author, First Nations
Gary Lonesborough is a writer of young adult fiction, with experience working in the Aboriginal health, the disability sector and the film industry.
» Read more about Gary Lonesborough
Jane Harrison
Author, First Nations
Jane Harrison is descended from the Muruwari people of NSW and is an award-winning playwright and author. Her play The Visitors premiered at Sydney Festival in 2020 in a sold-out season and won the 2022 Sydney Critics Award for Best New Australian Work. Her first play Stolen played across Australia and internationally for seven years, Rainbow’s End was on the NSW English curriculum 2016 – 2021 and won the 2012 Drover Award. Jane’s YA novel Becoming Kirrali Lewis won the 2014 Black & Write! Prize and was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and the Victorian Premier’s Awards. Jane writes about belonging and identity.
» Read more about Jane Harrison
Dub Leffler
Author, First Nations, Illustrator
Dub is Australia’s Premier Indigenous Illustrator of children’s books and has taught Illustration workshops in over 200 schools across Australia and abroad. Having won numerous awards in his career spanning over 22yrs, Dub’s work is held in private & public collections around the world including The Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
Frog Finds a Place
Sorry Day
Black Cockatoo
Rocky & Louie
Strangers on Country
Bindi
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
First Nations, Illustrator
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is a proud Bundjalung woman, artist and illustrator, living on Dharug & Gundungurra Country in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Through guidance and demonstration, Charmaine shares her passion and enthusiasm for creativity and visual literacy, and encourages all those she meets to transcend inhibition and engage in artistic expression. Charmaine also takes pride in fostering conversation exploring First Nations perspective, inclusivity and diversity.
Found by Bruce Pascoe (author)
Born to Run by Cathy Freeman (author)
Charlie’s Swim by Edith Wright (author)
Growing Up Wiradjuri by Dr Anita Heiss (author)
» Read more about Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
Graham Akhurst
Academic, Author, First Nations
Graham Akhurst is an Indigenous writer and academic from the Kokomini of northern Queensland. He is an expert in the critical study of Indigenous Australian literature and is a teacher of Creative Writing and Indigenous Australian Studies at University level.
» Read more about Graham Akhurst
Melanie Saward
Author, First Nations
Melanie Saward is a proud Bigambul and Wakka Wakka woman based in Tulmur (Ipswich), Queensland, a city west of Brisbane. An experienced university lecturer, Melanie loves to talk about her books and writing, and run practical writing workshops.
» Read more about Melanie Saward
Cheryl Leavy
Author, First Nations, Inspirational Speaker, Social Issues, Storyteller
Cheryl is an award-winning First Nations writer who is passionate about language revitalisation and truth telling through story.
She has led some of Australia’s most successful social justice initiatives across health, education and environment.
» Read more about Cheryl Leavy
Melissa-Jane Fogarty
Author, First Nations, Illustrator, Inspirational Speaker
Mununjali woman Melissa-Jane Fogarty is the author of the non-fiction series Our Lands, including the first title Tubowgule: A Sydney Opera House History. Melissa’s books explore the history of places throughout Australia that start before colonisation and capture the ongoing Aboriginal significance of these places.
» Read more about Melissa-Jane Fogarty