Ash Barty crowned World No 1

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System will hold hearings at the Aborigines Advancement League, at 2 Watt Street, Thornbury, on Tuesday, 16 July.

This dedicated day of hearings will allow the Commissioners to consider issues specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. Hearings will run from 10am – 4pm, and will be open to the public. The venue has limited capacity, but hearings will also be live streamed at www.rcvmhs.vic.gov.au

The venue is accessible, but anyone with specific access needs is encouraged to contact us on 1800 00 11 34 or contact@rcvmhs.vic.gov.au.

Australia’s first world No 1 Evonne Goolagong says as a fellow Indigenous woman she is proud of the success of Ash Barty.

Barty became the first Australian woman to take the top tennis mantle in almost half a century by claiming her third title of 2019.

The 23-year-old joined mentor and Indigenous idol Goolagong Cawley as only the second Australian woman to reach No 1 since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1973.

A seven times grand slam champion, Goolagong Cawley reached No 1 in 1976.

ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar launched the Hear Us, See Us exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland at the United Nations Human Rights Council last month.

The exhibition showcases images and videos taken during the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls. The images were taken by renowned Aboriginal photographer Wayne Quilliam.

The exhibition also includes a 13 minute video about the project, and a series of interviews with women who took part in the sessions with June.

PIONEERING Wiradjuri activist Bill (William) Ferguson is back in town and standing tall upon his iconic soapbox, proudly exuding his spirit for all eternity, and all Australians.

Along with other Aboriginal activists of the time, Ferguson was a protector of his Country and people. He lobbied relentlessly for national Aboriginal policy and rights reformation and in June 1937, fed up with the lack of progress of Aboriginal rights recognition by the government, Ferguson launched the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA) in Dubbo, NSW. 

Objectives of the APA aimed to secure full citizenship rights for Aboriginal people and repeal any applicable restrictive legislation imposed on them. Ferguson examined and studied government proposals, policy and legislation concerning Aboriginal people with the hope of coming together with the government to formulate policies for the betterment of Aboriginal people. 

While some white people spent Australia Day in 1938 celebrating the sesquicentenary of colonisation, Ferguson and other Aboriginal activists, including William Cooper, spent this day mourning the invasion of, and destruction to their culture, community and Country. To many Aboriginal people, ‘Australia Day’ became known as the Day of Mourning.

A BUSH skills pentathlon that aims to help people from remote far north Queensland Indigenous communities to gain employment will be held in Aurukun from July 11 to 13.

The Kapani Cup will feature participants from Aurukun, Kowanyama, Pormpuraaw, Doomadgee, Wujal Wujal and Yarrabah and will be a brutal test of strength.

It will include a spear throwing competition, bush mechanics, bush tucker, pit carrying (where contestants will have to haul jerry cans fill of fuel), an obstacle course, mud crawling and other tasks.

Kapani, the company organising the event, has a motto of “Developing Indigenous Workforces for the Future” and spokesman Tim White told the Koori Mail that the skills participants learn during the competition are designed to help them gain jobs.

SHIRLEY Smith, better known as Mum Shirl, was a Wiradjuri woman brought up by her grandparents in Cowra, NSW. 

Despite epilepsy hampering her ability to participate in western education, she learned 16 Aboriginal languages and became a hugely influential social worker, humanitarian and community leader for Indigenous people in Redfern, across Sydney and beyond.

It is now 21 years since Mum Shirl died, and to celebrate her extraordinary life Cooee Gallery in Paddington, Sydney, is holding an exhibition featuring historical paintings and photographs from the Keeping Place Museum of Gordon and Elaine Syron.

The exhibition includes paintings by Gordon Syron and photographs by Elaine Pelot-Syron, a social documentary photographer.