Walking the Talk Together to Build a Better Future
Date: Friday, 5 June 2026
Venue: Oorala Aboriginal Centre
The focus of this year’s Symposium is harnessing the energies of both First Nations’ people and non-Indigenous allies. Everyone can play a role in moving beyond mere talk to real action. This year’s symposium features a stunning line-up of contributors including a keynote address by eminent barrister Tony McAvoy SC, a Wirdi man from Central Queensland and Australia’s first Indigenous Senior Counsel. His career spans more than 40 years and includes native title, land rights, treaty, truth telling, inquests, inquiries, human rights, and environmental and criminal law. Other contributors include:
- Professor Emerita Judy Atkinson AM – a groundbreaking scholar in the understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ trauma and mental health.
- Aassociate Professor Peter Smith, Indigenous Australian Health at UNE’s Faculty of Medicine & Health
- Traci Travers, Lecturer in Nursing, UNE School of Health
- Fiona Lovelock, Aboriginal Client & Community Support Officer, Armidale Local Court
- Karen Conte, Lecturer in Children’s Law, UNE Law School and barrister practising in children’s matters.
The Symposium will be one of the premier events of UNE’s Oorala Aboriginal Centre in its 40th anniversary year.
The event is free but please register your attendance for catering purposes
The Days Program
8:30-9:00 | Tea and coffee |
9:00-9:25 | Welcome to Country Larissa Ahoy - Oorala Cultural officer Overview Dr Ann Daly – Co-Chair, National Committee, Friends of the Myall Creek Memorial |
9:30-10:45 | Session 1: Walking the Talk Together: Interacting with the Health System Contributors: Em. Prof. Judy Atkinson AM (Founder / Patron / Elder and Lead Facilitator of the We Al-li organisation dedicated to the Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Approach), A/Prof. Peter Smith (UNE Faculty of Medicine & Health), Dr Sujata Allen (Armajun Aboriginal Health Service, Armidale). Sponsored by the UNE Faculty of Medicine & Health. Moderator: Traci Travers, Lecturer in Nursing, UNE School of Health. |
10:50-11:20 | Morning tea |
11:25-12:25 | Session 2: Keynote Address – Sponsored by the School of Law. Dr Tony McAvoy SC – Wirdi man from Central Queensland and Australia’s first Indigenous Senior Counsel. His career spans more than 40 years and includes native title, land rights, treaty, truth telling, inquests, inquiries, human rights, and environmental and criminal law. Introduction by Professor Chris Moran, UNE Vice-Chancellor & CEO Moderator: Dr Andrew Lawson (UNE Law School & Armidale Friends of Myall Creek Memorial). |
12:30-13:30 | Lunch – with special guest performance by Mad Proppa Deadly |
13:35-14:50 | Session 3: Data Sovereignty: The Right to Own & Access Research – Past, Present & Emerging Contributors: A/Prof. Lorina Barker (Associate Professor History, UNE; Director, Taragara Research). Julie McCarthy, Manager, Library and Archive Collections, UNE. Harrison Catania (First Nations student studying history at UNE). Sponsored by the UNE Faculty of the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences & Education (HASSE). Moderator: Dr Julie Collins (Project Coordinator, Community Engagement. Lecturer, HASSE. Armidale Friends of Myall Creek Memorial). |
)14:50-15:20 | Afternoon tea |
15:25-16:40 | Session 4: Walking the Talk Together: Interacting with the Legal System. Contributors: Fiona Lovelock, Aboriginal Client & Community Support Officer, Armidale Local Court. Karen Conte, Lecturer in Children’s Law, UNE Law School and barrister practising in children’s matters. Sponsored by the School of Law. Moderator: Catherine Armitage, Armidale Friends of Myall Creek Memorial. |
16:45-17:00 | Wrap-up, thanks and close |
The Youth Koori Court - 2025
A collection of videos from Yarnings of Truth Telling and Myall Creek Symposiums.
Thomas Mayo - What next? - 2025
The Myall Creek Massacre and Indigenous Laws of War - 2024
Yarning with Richard Trudgen - 2023
Yarning with Henry Reynolds and Marcelle Burns 2021
Background Information
This Symposium is part of the weekend of memorial activities commemorating the Wirrayaraaypeople who were murdered in the Myall Creek Massacre of 1838.
The Symposium is a precursor to the annual gathering at the Myall Creek Memorial near Bingara, on Sunday, 7 June 2026, which commemorates the 28 Wirrayaraay people killed in the 1838 massacre at Myall Creek Station. More at: https://myallcreek.org/
The Myall Creek Massacre is a pivotal event in NSW criminal legal history, as it was the first time massacre perpetrators were tried, convicted and ultimately executed by hanging in the colonial court system. The detailed record of the incident in the court proceedings provides an uncontested account of the brutality of the frontier conflict in our region of NSW. Given its importance to NSW legal history and being the nearest university law school to the site, UNE’s School of Law has taken a special interest in supporting the Memorial.
This symposium is proudly supported by Friends of Myall Creek Armidale, UNE School of Law, Oorala Aboriginal Centre, UNE HASSE and UNE Medicine & Health
