Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I commend the previous speakers on this condolence motion because, collectively, they have started to paint a picture of the life of a truly extraordinary Australian. On Sunday 4 February our nation lost a national treasure with the passing of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue. I don't know of any other Australian who lived such an extraordinary life and achieved so much, who distinguished herself on the national and international stage and who was recognised with so many awards and titles. I won't go through them all but will touch on some of the more notable titles: for example, the Order of the British Empire, Companion of the Order of Australia, Australian of the Year, Australian National Living Treasure and then the papal order of Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great—an honour bestowed on her by Pope John Paul II. Even for those alone, I can't think of anybody else who has achieved a similar level of recognition throughout the world. Without trying to in any way put her in a stature that others would say are equally deserving, the only other person I can think of in the Indigenous community that I have come across that perhaps I would put on the same platform in many respects would be Dr Evelyn Scott, who lived through the same era and who I also had the privilege to meet, to host and to listen to. Between her and Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, the Indigenous community have had two incredible leaders through a very, very difficult period.

I had the privilege of knowing Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue, having met her at several community events in Adelaide, including events in the City of Salisbury, which I hosted and which she attended as a guest speaker. It was always a privilege to have her in the city. As I reflect on my encounters with her and I read the tributes that have flowed since her passing, there is nothing that has been said about her that I would disagree with.

When Lowitja walked into a room, there was an aura and a calmness about her that distinguished her from everyone else. Her presence was noted and felt throughout the room, and she was highly respected. Her views and responses were always measured and insightful; indeed, she was a person of great wisdom. Not surprisingly, it is because of that great wisdom, because of that very persona, that led to her taking on so many leadership roles that she held throughout her life.

Dr O'Donoghue devoted her life to her people and to lifting them out of poverty and disadvantage but she always did that in a spirit of goodwill and reconciliation. Lowitja O'Donoghue cared deeply for her people. I believe that the injustice and the disadvantage that she herself had experienced motivated her to. I suppose, if you don't walk in the shoes of someone, it is hard to understand what motivates them and why they do things but, when you have walked in their shoes, particularly of those who are disadvantaged, I suspect it changes your own outlook on life and I have no doubt that is partly what led her to being the person she was. However, her mannerisms reflected not a person filled with anger, albeit she had lived the life she did and bitterness, but rather a person who displayed reason and compassion.

In no small way was Lowitja supported, and perhaps even motivated, at the time by the reconciliation initiatives led by both the Dunstan and the Whitlam governments of the sixties and seventies. I believe that both of those governments not only listened to the likes of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue but also encouraged and inspired them to campaign even more. So it was a combination of both the attitude of governments of that era and leaders like Lowitja—and there were many others who, I believe, were responsible for the changes that we started to see in that period.

Change is a constant, and every era is unique. For Australia, the 20th century was a critical period which significantly shaped the identity and the future of our country. It did so in so many ways. If people look back at the history of this country, the mid-19th century was an era that transformed the direction of Australia, whether it was through immigration or policy changes that occurred at the time. Many of those policy changes were the policy changes relating to the way we looked at the Indigenous people of this land.

For the Indigenous people, however, the 1950s was still an era of struggle, recognition, truth-telling and reconciliation. There are many stories about that, and many historical books have been written about that period. But, without people like Lowitja O'Donoghue, we may not have achieved what we have since. Whilst I accept that there is still much to do—and that was made clear in the annual Closing the gap report to parliament only last month—Australia is indeed a much better place because of people like Lowitja and because of her specifically.

I don't believe that we will see another Lowitja O'Donoghue again, perhaps because we live through different times, where there are different kinds of demands on people. We live through a different era, but her legacy and her name will live on with affection, admiration and respect. Her funeral service will be held on Friday 8 March at St Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide. I'm hoping to be there. I have no doubt it will be a fitting farewell to a great Australian to whom we owe so much.

The country we live in has been shaped over the years by different individuals. Lowitja will be amongst those that have both changed the country we live in today and changed the periods of the greatest disadvantage for her people. At the time when Lowitja was very prominent in public affairs, I worked for a period of time for Senator Jim Cavanagh. Senator Jim Cavanagh had been a minister for Indigenous affairs, or Aboriginal affairs, as I think it was termed in the Whitlam government for a period, and he was also caught up very much in the debate on land rights when the Fraser government was elected. I can very much recall the concerns that were raised in respect of Aboriginal land rights and the like in the years that followed. It was a period where there was a great deal of unease throughout the community. It was a real power struggle for many, and it was a real struggle for the Indigenous people of this land. It was a time when the likes of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue shone the brightest. It was a period when, without people like her, we may not have achieved what we did.

The list of her achievements is there on public record for all to see. She was truly a great Australian. I say to her family: thank you, Lowitja O'Donoghue, for what you did to make Australia the place it is today. Vale, Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue.

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