Submissions Library

This submission discusses moving from their ancestral country seeking acceptance but facing racism. Despite efforts to assimilate, they endured discrimination from people who hated their existence. They now work at a university, fighting to have people handling big projects achieve their social procurement targets. They advocate for investigating social procurement numbers provided by universities.

The submission describes an Aboriginal woman disconnected from her heritage due to her father being adopted into a white Irish family. It discusses the effects of inter-generational trauma on the father, leading to alcoholism, depression and loss of identity.

Lionel Edward Dixon Bamblett is a proud Wiradjuri, Dja Dja Wurung, and Yorta Yorta man. He is a genealogist specialising in Aboriginal family histories with over fifteen years of experience and is currently employed at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency as Lead Aboriginal Genealogist.

In this submission, Lionel details issues that occur for Aboriginal people wanting to research their family history and makes recommendations for change. He sends this submission in the hopes that Aboriginal family history, the research processes, and under-resourcing in the area are discussed.

Owen Butler is a proud Wiradjuri man. In this submission, he tells his story of discovering his Aboriginal heritage later in life. He discusses changes in the education system, systemic racism, his work, and his life.

This submission is a transcript where they discuss being removed at birth, colonisation, experiences of racism, and their life.

Dean Lusher is a Wamba Wemba man.

In this submission, Dean expresses profound sadness for his great-grandfather, Frederick (Fred) Moore (1865-1952) who he says must have felt it would be better to deny he was Aboriginal in order to protect his family and himself’. The submission details Dean’s sense of loss for the culture and connections he missed out on, and how lucky he felt when he learned of his Aboriginal heritage when he turned 50.

Owen Butler is a 72 year old Wiradjuri man.

This submission describes Owen’s journey discovering his family’s history and reuniting with newly discovered relatives. The submission speaks to Owen’s efforts to give back to community, experiences of feeling lost and detached from family, land country and language, and the collective struggle of First Peoples living in urban areas to reclaim their culture.

Wilfred Carter (Willow) is a Gunaikurnai and Wotjobaluk man.

This submission is a transcript of Willow discussing his upbringing at Lake Tyers Mission. It outlines the difficulties and trauma Willow experienced growing up as an Aboriginal man in the 1960s, including a loss of language and culture.

Aletha Penrith is a Tunerong, Yorta Yorta and Thaua woman.

In this submission, Aletha reflects on her unique identity as a woman of African American and Tunerong descent and what she describes as being a ‘minority within a minority’. She makes a range of recommendations including policies to prevent institutionalisation of Indigenous peoples, better resourced housing programs and the return of land.