‘Carry her strength forward’: What legacies ignite

There was a moment during this year’s FW NAIDOC Week lunch when Renee Wootton Tomlin’s voice broke. 

For a split second, emotions overcame the proud Tharawal woman. She was thinking of her nan and how she shaped the woman Renee is today. 

“Growing up, she was the one that made me feel big, although, in her whole life, she was made to feel small,” she said. 

Renee Wooton-Tomlin is dressed by Witchery in their Button Detail Dress, Rosie Kitten Mules and Gold Eloise Earrings.

“She never got to step into the room she deserved to be in. Her biggest regret was never using her voice. So now I use mine for both of us.”

Renee continued: “[My nan is] still here, still fighting, still teaching me what strength looks like. That’s legacy: not just what’s passed down, but what’s reignited in the next generation. 

“In 2025, as we celebrate 50 years of NAIDOC, I carry [my nan’s] strength forward.”

“The legacy we’re creating is one where truth and justice walk hand in hand.”

Renee was just one of the powerful First Nations women who spoke before the sold-out lunch that was guided by MC Gabrielle Ebsworth, a proud Wangkumara and Barkindji woman. 

Each one drew on this year’s theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’ and shared their reflections on legacy, how it shapes who we are and what we become. 

Sue-Anne Hunter wears Witchery’s Textured Jersey Long-Sleeve Dress and Tessa Ankle Boots.

Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman Sue-Anne Hunter spoke about her role in Australia’s first formal Indigenous-led truth-telling body, the Yoorrook Justice Commission. 

“Through this sacred work, I’ve witnessed something profound,” she said. “When we centre First Nations voices in telling our own stories, we don’t just hear the past. We create a movement for a better future.”

“Legacy isn’t something that happens after we’re gone,” she added. “Legacy is what we’re building right now together, and the legacy we’re creating is one where truth and justice walk hand in hand.”

Shelley Ware is dressed by Witchery in Espresso Waist Tab Pants, Waist Tab Blazer and Mesh Drape Long Sleeve Top in Sky Print, complete with Whitney Stretch Boots and Gold Eloise Earrings.

When proud Yankunytjatjara, Kokatha and Wirangu woman Shelley Ware thinks about legacy, she thinks of two men: her dad and her papa. 

“These beautiful gentlemen who I never heard raise their voice left a legacy in me to build upon for my people and for my family,” she told the Naarm audience. 

“My papa pushed back gently against systems that were designed for him not to thrive in. He had a vision for our family, which was driven by the importance of education before others even knew what reconciliation was. 

“[And,] my dad was an extraordinary man who accomplished more than his short 51 years of life than most do in the life that brings old age.”

Abbey Wright wears Witchery’s Denim Seam Dress with Imogen and Juliet bangles and Whitney Stretch Boots.

Kamilaroi woman Abbey Wright views her work centring Aboriginal voices in governance as part of her own legacy.  

“[This] work isn’t always easy. It can be slow, it can be frustrating,” says Wright, who works in the NSW Department of Planning’s Aboriginal Strategy, Policy and Engagement team.  

“There are days when I question whether I’m making any real difference at all,” she continued. 

“But that’s part of legacy too, doing the hard work now so our next generation and my future babies inherit strength, not just struggle.”

Gabrielle Ebsworth is dressed by Witchery in their Sky Print Crew Mesh Long Sleeve Dress, complete with Cocoa Sophie Kitten Mules and Brushed Marina Earrings.

She also spoke of how we should view ourselves as “the next chapter in a story that started long before us”. 

“The next generation is watching all of us,” she said. 

“They’re measuring our actions against our lives. They’re asking: What kind of world are you building?”

THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING PARTNER