Image: Yvonne Weldon
For anyone new to Armidale or UNE, the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture is an annual event that brings Aboriginal voices and perspectives to the university community. Established to honour the late Frank Archibald, a respected Armidale Elder, the lecture has become a cornerstone of cultural and intellectual life at UNE. This year it returns on Thursday 11th of September, with Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon set to deliver the address and share the story and legacy that shape her work.
In Short
Wiradjuri leader Yvonne Weldon, the first Aboriginal councillor elected to the City of Sydney, will deliver UNE’s 2025 Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture. Drawing on the legacy of her great-aunt Mum Shirl and uncle Paul Coe, she will share what she has learned walking between protest lines and policy tables and reflect on the unfinished work of Closing the Gap.
Yvonne grew up amidst the Redfern revolution, where Aboriginal families and activists built services that reshaped urban Indigenous life. Guided by the strength of her great-aunt, the legendary Mum Shirl (Shirley Smith), a fearless advocate, and her uncle Paul Coe, a tireless campaigner for land rights and justice, Yvonne’s path has been shaped by a tradition of courage and responsibility.
These two pivotal figures in the struggle for justice helped create the foundations of modern Aboriginal community services and activism. Mum Shirl was a driving force behind the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Children’s Service and the Aboriginal Housing Company, as well as a tireless prison visitor and advocate for her people. Her nephew, Paul Coe (Yvonne’s uncle) who sadly passed away in July 2025, was a founding member of the Aboriginal Legal Service and one of the key figures at the 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy. He became one of the first Aboriginal lawyers in New South Wales and dedicated his life to land rights, justice and self-determination. Yvonne has described him as a “titan,” and his legacy continues to guide her own work today.
Over more than three decades, Yvonne Weldon has carried that legacy forward. She has served as Chair of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, CEO of the Stolen Generations Council NSW/ACT, and on the boards of Redfern Jarjum College and Domestic Violence NSW. In 2022 she was named NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year and appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
Her lecture, titled From Protest to Policy, will reflect on her family’s legacy, her journey from activism to government, and the stalled progress on Closing the Gap. It will be an opportunity to sit with story and reflect together on what it takes to move from protest to lasting change.
The 2025 Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture will be held at the Oorala Aboriginal Centre on Thursday 11 September. Free entry and refreshments will be available from 5:15pm, with the lecture commencing at 6pm both in person and online. If attending in person, please book by Friday 5 September to assist with catering numbers. Follow the link below for more information, including booking and ZOOM registration.
