Dr Charles Perkins Oration
2024 Orator: Joshua Creamer
Joshua Creamer - Keynote Speaker
Joshua is Waanyi and Kalkadoon with connections to Northwest Queensland. He is a barrister specialising in native title, human rights and class actions.
Joshua is a former Commissioner in the Queensland Law Reform Commission, Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland, Indigenous Affairs Committee, Chair of the Griffith University Elders and First Peoples Knowledge Holders Advisory Board, and member of the Griffith University Council.
He has appeared in a number of landmark class actions and is ranked in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific and Doyle’s Guide for his work in the native title jurisdiction.
Joshua was previously named National Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year. He has also been a member of the Board of Legal Aid Queensland and past President of the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland and is currently the Chairperson of the Queensland Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry.
Why is the Charles Perkins Oration important?
In 1965, as a student at the University of Sydney, Charles Perkins organised a student bus tour around New South Wales. This was called the Freedom Ride, and it highlighted the state of race relations in Australia. It is recognised as one of Australia's most significant civil rights events.
Named in honour of Dr Charles Nelson Perkins AO, who was the first Aboriginal man to graduate from the University of Sydney in 1966, the Dr Charles Perkins AO Memorial Oration and Prize was established in 2001 to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions made by Charles and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our community, country and society.
22 years on, the theme of race relations is still current. This event helps to build an understanding of race relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and empower individuals and the wider community to contribute to this important conversation.
Charles Perkins Memorial Prize Winners
Celebrating the University’s deep history and connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the Oration includes a recognition of academically gifted students through the Charles Perkins Memorial Prize.
Awarded to the top four Indigenous students at the University based on the highest academic results in their field, each winner is awarded $4000.
The 2024 recipients of the Charles Perkins Memorial Prize are:
- Eitan Harris
- Nicholas Astill
- Mahlia Garay
- Rae Anderson