A week after Australia’s first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry handed down its final report, one of its commissioners took the stage in Melbourne. 

At this year’s FW NAIDOC Week lunch, Adjunct Professor Sue-Anne Hunter, a Yoorrook Justice Commissioner and proud Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman, paid tribute to the transformative healing being done by the next generation – one that refuses to accept the status quo. 

“I have the privilege of working with the next generation of First Nations leaders every day. They’re not just inheriting our legacy – they’re shaping it,” she told a sold-out room.“They’re saying, ‘we appreciate the work you’ve done to get us here, but we’re going to take it further’.” 

Hunter, who has spent the last four years recording evidence about the ongoing impact of colonisation in Victoria for the commission, reflected on the importance of truth-telling while speaking about this year’s NAIDOC Week’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.

“Truth-telling – naming what happened, acknowledging the systems that caused harm – becomes the foundation for healing,” she said. “Every truth told, every recommendation made is laying the groundwork for change that our children will inherit.”

Hunter was the first of four unforgettable First Nations women to speak at the FW lunch.

Presenter Shelley Ware reflected on the legacies of her dad and her papa in her speech.

She was joined on stage by Shelley Ware, a sports presenter and education consultant who also reflected on justice – or, perhaps more accurately, the lack of it and how this has shaped her life.

“[Racist systems] tried to hold me back, but I didn’t let their legacy be a part of my legacy. I drew on the vision, strength and legacy of those people before me. A legacy that gave me my sense of worth, passion and drive,” said Ware, a proud Yankunytjatjara, Kokatha and Wirangu woman.

“That’s what I try to do: carry a fire that doesn’t consume but creates space for others to thrive.”

Abbey Wright, a proud Kamilaroi woman who centres young Aboriginal voices in her governance work shared how, like Ware, her grandfather’s strength drives her forward. 

“[My pop] taught me that strength isn’t always about being outspoken. Strength for me is about quiet, constant resilience. The kind our old people carry without recognition. It’s showing up again and again because our communities deserve better,” she said.  

The project officer told the audience how her work ‘lit a fire’ in her – and the pressure she feels from those following in her footsteps. 

“The next generation is watching all of us. They’re measuring our actions against our words. They’re asking: what kind of world are you building?,” she said.

For Renee Wootton Tomlin, that was a question with a literal answer. Wootton Tomlin is a proud Tharawal woman and a pioneering aerospace engineer with Lanzajet, the first company in the world to produce sustainable aviation fuel. 

Like Wright, she shared the fire she carries – one that gives her the courage to demand change. 

“Courage for me is like a campfire. It doesn’t need to be blaze to be powerful. It warms others. It brings people together. That’s what I try to do: carry a fire that doesn’t consume but creates space for others to thrive,” she said.

The Lanzajet director finished with a rallying cry for the room: to not just demand a seat at the table, but to pull up extra chairs for women around them. To not just open the door, but hold it open for other women too. 

“Progress is only as permanent as our willingness to defend it. Let’s honour those who came before us, lead with vision and build a legacy that lets the next generation start further ahead than we could have ever imagined.”  

THANKS TO OUR PRESENTING PARTNER