FVPLS Victoria Full Conference Program

Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention & Legal Service Victoria
(FVPLS Victoria) presents:
Standing Firm for Change:
A Journey to Justice
National Conference
Melbourne 2012
Organised by:
Sponsored by:

Welcome
The Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention
and Legal Service Victoria (FVPLS Victoria)
warmly welcomes you to Standing Firm for
Change: A Journey to Justice. This is a national
conference organised by FVPLS Victoria, an
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander*
community-controlled organisation.
FVPLS Victoria is one of fourteen services
funded by the Commonwealth Attorney-
General’s Department under the FVPLS
program. FVPLS Victoria also receives funding
from the Victorian Government, Victoria Legal
Aid, the Victorian Government’s Department
of Human Services and philanthropic trusts.
FVPLS Victoria provides legal assistance to
Aboriginal victims/survivors of family violence
and sexual assault and delivers early
intervention and prevention programs
throughout Victoria. This inaugural conference
coincides with the tenth anniversary of FVPLS
Victoria. Celebrations will be held at the
conference dinner.
Standing Firm for Change: A Journey to Justice
provides a significant opportunity for
Aboriginal community members, leaders,
workers and policy makers to confront the
complexities of family violence in Aboriginal
communities and propose resolutions for
change.
Conference delegates are encouraged to
consider new ideas, diverse perspectives and
alternative approaches to solving the complex
issues raised at the conference, whilst
developing their skills. Delegates are also
invited to take this opportunity to meet
colleagues, foster relationships and build new
partnerships as well as to share their own
experiences and views with others.
* Herein referred to as ‘Aboriginal’.
Acknowledgements
FVPLS Victoria appreciates the vital assistance
of colleagues and partner organisations to
plan a successful and informative conference.
It greatly appreciates the generous financial
support from conference sponsors and others:
the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s
Department, City of Melbourne, Government
of Western Australia’s Department of Health-
Aboriginal Health Division, Pratt Foundation,
Relationships Australia, Telstra and the
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human
Rights Commission, Victorian Government’s
Koori Justice Unit of the Department of Justice,
Department of Human Services, AIFS, Flat
Out, Freehills, Lander & Rogers Lawyers,
Melbourne Storm, Northern CASA, PILCH,
The Monday Project, Victorian Legal Aid and
NMIT.
This program has been printed thanks
to the support of Troedel-Docucopy

Index
Conference Themes and Objectives 4
About the Conference Program 5
Agenda at a Glance 6
Keynote Speakers and Special Guests 9
Concurrent Presenters 15
General Information
Venue
The Jasper Hotel is located at 489 Elizabeth Street,
Melbourne (adjacent to the Queen Victoria Market).
Registration Desk
The registration desk is the key reference point for
conference delegates to gain information and
support throughout the conference. It will be
staffed at all times by members of FVPLS Victoria’s
conference team.
The desk will be open at 4:00–6:00pm the day
before the conference, Tuesday 20 November, and
re-open at 8:00am on Day one for the duration of
the conference. Full time delegates must register
here before the conference commences at 9:30am
on Wednesday 21 November. Part time delegates
must ensure they are registered before the
commencement of the day they are attending.
They will receive their conference pack and name
badge, which should be worn at all times as proof
of registration. Badges are also used to identify part
time delegates. Delegates must sign up for Days
2–3 concurrent sessions at this time also. To ensure
that you do not miss out on your preferred sessions,
get in early.
Parking
Please note that guest parking is not available onsite
at the Jasper Hotel. However, just around the corner
in Franklin Street, there is a secure, multi-story
undercover car park operated by CBDpark, open
24 hours, seven days a week. Alternatively, street
parking is available but parking restrictions apply.
CBDpark details: 58 Franklin Street Melbourne
(near cnr Elizabeth Street); Exit via Therry Street
Melbourne (near cnr Elizabeth Street); Telephone
1300 993 920.
The Jasper Hotel does not have any commercial
arrangement with CBDpark or any exclusive rates
with CBDpark. All rates and fees charged by
CBDpark are done so at their discretion.
Email Facilities
Wireless internet is available in the conference
centre at a cost of $20 per day to delegates.
Contact the registration desk for further information.
Media
Please note that the conference proceedings may be
filmed and photographed. At the time of registering
all delegates must complete a photo release form or
indicate their objection to signing this form if they
would not like to be filmed or photographed and
the photographers will be notified. There will be a
conference media liaison person who will be
handling all inquiries.
Counselling
Due to the sensitive nature of the subjects raised at
the conference some delegates may wish to speak
with a counsellor. CASA counsellors will be on
duty throughout the hours of the conference. Please
see the registration desk.
MCLE/CPD Points for Solicitors
MCLE/CPD points can be claimed by solicitors from
Victoria, NSW, Western Australia and Queensland
attending the conference. The Victorian and NSW
systems are self-assessment based; if a concurrent
session is relevant to your professional
development one point can be claimed per hour
(excluding breaks). Contact your state/territory Law
Society or Association for more information.
Cocktail Hour
Following the first day of the conference a
complimentary cocktail hour will take place in the
lobby of the Jasper Hotel at 5:00–6:00pm. This will
be a great networking opportunity for conference
delegates and speakers.
Conference Dinner
The conference dinner will take place at the end of
Day 2 (Thursday 22 November 2012) from 7:00pm
to 11:30pm, with pre-dinner drinks from 6:30pm,
at CQ Functions, 233 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.
It will include a three-course meal, drinks,
entertainment and lucky door prizes. Drinks,
including red, white and sparkling wine, beer and
non-alcoholic drinks will be provided until 10:00pm.
After 10:00pm drinks will be available at bar prices.
There is no allocated seating.
FVPLS Victoria will celebrate its tenth anniversary
at the conference dinner by proudly launching
“A Force to be Reckoned With 2002–2012 – Still
Standing Strong”, a history of the organisation
documenting its ten-year journey, the work to
secure its establishment, its challenges and the
dedication and support of many people to
overcome them. The dinner will also feature
performances by Sean Choolburra and Lee
“Sonnyboy” Morgan.
Contact Person
Our Conference Coordinator, Sam Nixon, can be
found at the registration desk throughout the
conference, and can be contacted after hours on
mobile: 0409 411 187 for any relevant queries.
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Conference Themes
Our national conference theme – Standing Firm for
Change: A Journey to Justice – represents the
journey of our communities confronting the issues
of family violence and advocating for improved
access to justice and systemic change. The conference
frames this matter as a national concern that
demands community owned and driven solutions.
FVPLS Victoria is funded under the Commonwealth
Family Violence Prevention Legal Service Program
to provide family violence and associated legal
services. FVPLS Victoria also delivers early
intervention and prevention programs primarily to
women and children who are disproportionately
impacted by family violence, and it engages in
policy development, law reform and advocacy.
This national conference, which coincides with
FVPLS Victoria’s tenth anniversary, has been
organised to bring community members, leaders,
workers and policy makers together to give a broad
national focus to these complex issues, strengthen
connections and identify strategies for change
through community action. The absence of a national
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law and justice
body to address law and justice issues for women
and children further raises the importance of this
conference and the need to plan for future action.
Key conference themes include:
• International perspectives on justice and human
rights, with a particular focus on achieving
improved outcomes for Aboriginal women
• Implications of current national and state
government program development and funding
policies incorporating urban, regional and remote
locations
• Community driven and led solutions to family
violence through prevention programs, service
provision, education and policy development
• The importance of cultural safety in service
provision
• Identifying and overcoming the barriers Aboriginal
women and men face in accessing justice, namely
through police, legal services and the courts
• Improving crisis responses for Aboriginal women at
risk and their children
• Addressing the increasing imprisonment rates of
Aboriginal people, in particular Aboriginal
women
• Identifying and addressing the impacts of family
violence on Aboriginal children including
over-representation of Aboriginal children placed
in out of home care
• Strengthening the roles of women and men in
Aboriginal communities
• Innovative family violence early intervention and
prevention programs
FVPLS Victoria invites conference delegates to take
this opportunity to open up dialogue between
community, non-government and government
representatives, propose actions and stand firm for
change with us.
• Enhancing community led law and policy
responses to address issues impacting on
Aboriginal women and children
Conference Objectives
• To provide an informative, motivating and safe
setting for Aboriginal communities to come
together to challenge systemic failures
• To promote coordination between service sectors,
policy makers and Aboriginal communities as
fundamental to improving access to justice
• To exhibit the diverse range of services and
individuals working to address family violence in
Aboriginal communities
• To offer opportunities for workers, policy makers
and advocates to build relationships across
sectors and with Aboriginal communities
• To stimulate discussion regarding key themes and
priority action areas
• To highlight the critical need to address the
variety of systemic issues facing Aboriginal
women who are experiencing family violence or
who are at risk of experiencing family violence
• To facilitate a collective process of identifying
and prioritising areas for ongoing action
• To document conference outcomes as a platform
for advocacy
• To produce and distribute a conference paper to
participants reflecting on key themes, outcomes
and proposed actions.

About the conference Program
Day 1 – WEDNESDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2012:
Family Violence in Aboriginal & Torres Strait
Islander communities: A National Concern
Day 1 sets the scene by framing family violence in
Aboriginal communities as a national concern that
demands increased attention, guided by Aboriginal
people.
The day will feature preeminent global human and
women’s rights expert, Rashida Manjoo, the United
Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against
women. Rashida brings an international perspective
to addressing local issues and offers valuable insights
from her recent Australian study tour that focused
on violence in Aboriginal communities and
analysed government responses.
Captivating Aboriginal actor and playwright, Tammy
Anderson, will perform the acclaimed ‘I Don’t Wanna
Play House’, telling her story about growing up
witnessing and experiencing violence. Tammy’s
resilience and courage to share such personal and
confronting issues is educative and inspiring.
A host of notable Aboriginal keynote speakers will
share from their professional experiences the
critical work that they do to eliminate family
violence in Aboriginal communities. Spanning
regional, state, national and international contexts,
they will discuss the current governments
commitments and highlight the need for
community owned and driven solutions.
The day will close with remarks from FVPLS Victoria’s
longstanding chairperson, Marion Hansen, followed
by a cocktail hour to give participants and
presenters an opportunity to come together.
Day 2 – THURSDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2012:
Barriers to Accessing Justice
Day 2 will explore the barriers that Aboriginal
victims/survivors face in accessing justice in light of
historical impacts of government policy on
Aboriginal communities that perpetuate high rates
of violence. It also aims to identify solutions to
preventing and reducing violence and overcoming
barriers to access.
To illustrate the grave consequence these barriers
can have, the day will feature an edited screening
of the tragic story of Andrea, an Aboriginal woman
who, after numerous futile attempts to access
services’ help, was murdered by her estranged
husband. A panel of speakers, including Andrea’s
brother and sister, will host a discussion on the case
and related key issues of national significance.
Day 2 comprises a variety of prominent keynote
speakers to discuss the multiple barriers
experienced by Aboriginal people, encompassing
diverse expertise regarding imprisonment, human
rights and the justice sector.
Participants will have the chance to interact with
speakers to identify and propose systemic
improvements. A wide range of specialised
concurrent sessions will examine court, police,
crisis and mainstream service responses, as well as
approaches to strengthen Aboriginal communities.
Successful early intervention and prevention
programs and justice responses for men and
women will be showcased.
FVPLS Victoria will commemorate its tenth
anniversary with a dinner for conference delegates
and supporters. The night will include entertainment
from Aboriginal comedian Sean Choolburra and
artist and musician Lee Morgan with his band.
So get ready for lots of laughter and dancing!
Day 3 – FRIDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2012:
National Policy
Day 3 consists of a series of concurrent sessions
that cover focus areas of local, state and national
bearing. Participants will gain an understanding of
new South Australian legislation on intervention
orders and tri-state issues being addressed under
the recently implemented cross-border justice
scheme involving South Australia, Northern
Territory and Western Australia. The Australian Law
Reform Commission will present relevant findings
of their family violence inquiries. A paper will be
presented that explores how philanthropy can
support Aboriginal women and girls to access
education as a mechanism to realise their life and
career goals; and the Congress of Australia’s First
Peoples will deliver an overview of its National
Justice Strategy and take feedback.
We will also have an opportunity to hear from
government – the Commonwealth Attorney-
General’s Department and the Victorian
Department of Justice – about successes with the
Aboriginal Justice Agreement and commitment to
reducing victimisation and family violence in
Aboriginal communities.
The day will end with a summary of key proposed
actions, which FVPLS Victoria will compile and use
to influence systemic change through its ongoing
policy and advocacy activities.
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Agenda at a Glance
Day 1 - Wednesday, 21 November 2012
Family Violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities:
A National Concern
8:00am – 9:30am Conference Registrations and Information Desk
9:30am – 10:00am Welcome to Country – Aunty Carolyn Briggs (Boon Wurrung Elder)
and Aunty Di Kerr (Wurundjeri Elder)
Introductions and housekeeping – Kylie Belling, MC
10:00m – 10:30am Conference Opening – Antoinette Braybrook, CEO, FVPLS Victoria
Keynote Session 1
10:30am – 11:00am
11:00am – 11:30am Morning tea*
Rashida Manjoo, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
11:30am – 12:30pm Theatrical performance: ‘I Don’t Wanna Play House’ by Tammy Anderson,
Aboriginal woman, actress, writer and director
12:30pm – 1:30pm Lunch
Keynote Session 2
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Keynote Session 3
2:30pm – 3:30pm
3:30pm – 4:00pm Afternoon tea
• Megan Davis, Professor of Law and Director, Indigenous Law Centre, and an expert
member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples where she
holds the portfolios of gender and administration of justice
• Muriel Bamblett, CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency
• Dr Patricia Miller AO, Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service
• June Oscar, CEO, Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre, Fitzroy Crossing
4:00pm – 4:30pm • Marion Hansen, Chairperson, FVPLS Victoria
4:30pm – 5:00pm Plenary Session / Close
5:00pm – 6:00pm Cocktail hour
* Morning tea is proudly sponsored by Department of Human Services
Expo Room
Conference delegates are invited to visit the Expo Room, which will be open during Days 1, 2 and 3 of the
conference. The Expo Room will feature displays from FVPLS Victoria’s family violence prevention programs,
including Sisters Day Out, Dilly Bag and Sisters Retreat. Free hand massages are available to delegates,
as well as items for purchase including hand painted rocks.

Day 2 - Thursday, 22 November 2012
Barriers to Accessing Justice
9:00am - 9:10am Welcome / Housekeeping – Kylie Belling, MC
Keynote Session
9:10am – 10:30am
10:30am – 11:00am Morning tea
Concurrent Sessions
11:00am – 12:00pm
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch
DVD showcase: Andrea’s Story, ABC 4 Corners documentary
Followed by panel of keynote speakers:
• Andrea’s brother and sister, Gary and Kelly
• Antoinette Braybrook, CEO, FVPLS Victoria
• Charandev Singh, Human Rights Advocate
Improving police
responses
• Paula Stewart, FVPLS
Victoria, Koori Family
Violence Police Protocols
Officer
• Mel Peters, Leading
Senior Constable,
Victoria Police
Chair: Rudolph Kirby
Culturally strong responses
• Wanda Braybrook and
Kelly Faldon, FVPLS
Victoria – Sisters Day
Out and Dilly Bag
programs
• Shaun Braybrook,
manager, Wulgunggo
Ngalu Learning Place
Chair: Tania McKenna
Crisis responses –
innovative projects
• Janine Wilson and Kerry
Ashley, Meminar Ngangg
Gimba Women’s Crisis
Response Centre
• Monica Morgan,
chairperson, and
Kellyanne Andy,
Elizabeth Hoffman
House
Chair: Darlene Thomas
1:00pm – 2:45pm • Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner
• Judge Paul Grant, President, Children’s Court of Victoria
• Debbie Kilroy, OAM, CEO, Sisters Inside
2:45pm – 3:15pm Afternoon tea
Concurrent Sessions
3:15pm – 4:45pm
Aboriginal specific
court responses
• Sue Wakeling,
Regional
Coordinating
Magistrate,
Heidelberg
• Stephen Ralph,
Forensic
Psychologist in
private practice,
NT
• Kate Walker,
Koori Women’s
Family Violence
Support Worker,
Melbourne
Magistrates Court
Chair: Jenni Smith
4:45pm – 5:15pm Plenary Session / Close
The need for
improved justice
responses
• Jelena Popovic,
Deputy Chief
Magistrate of
Victoria
• Vickie Roach,
Advocate for
Aboriginal Women
in the Criminal
Justice System
• Karen Toohey,
Acting
Commissioner of
the Victorian Equal
Opportunity and
Human Rights
Commission
– Koori Women
in Prison project
Chair: Andrew
Jackomos
Children and family
violence
• Donna Hunt,
Mildura
Aboriginal
Cooperation
– Aboriginal
Family Decision
Making
• Joel Wickham,
Kristy Smith and
Robyn Ball,
Victorian
Aboriginal Health
Service – Koori
Kids and
Adolescent
Mental Health
Program
Chair: Karen Bryant
6:30pm – 11:00pm Pre-drinks and Conference Dinner at CQ Functions (for pre-booked guests)
Strengthening the
role of men in our
communities
• Hugh Pepper,
Cliff Wandin and
Noellen Baxter,
Latrobe
Community
Health Service –
Men’s Behaviour
Change Program
(CHOICE Group)
• Jamie Thomas
and Jo Fox,
Relationships
Australia –
Brutha’s Day Out
Chair: Damien
Goodall
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Day 3 - Thursday, 23 November 2012
State and National Policy
Conference delegates, please go straight to your concurrent session. There will be no welcome/housekeeping
Concurrent Sessions
9:30am – 10:30am
10:30am – 11:00am Morning Tea
Keynote Session
11:00am – 12:00pm
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch
Keynote Session 2
1:00pm – 1:30pm
Universal barriers and
local solutions
• Vanessa Lethlean, Carol
Smith and Shirley
Erlandson, Central
Australia Aboriginal
Family Legal Unit
• Amanda Alford,
Australian Law Reform
Commission – Family
Violence: A National
Legal Response and
Family Violence and
Commonwealth Laws
Chair: Christine Gray
State specific perspectives
• Tiffany Collins and
Johanna Boylan, Family
Violence Legal Service
Aboriginal Corporation,
South Australia
• Hannah Meredith,
Ngaanyatjarra
Pitjantjatjara
Yankunytjatjara (NPY)
Women’s Council:
Domestic and Family
Violence Service
Chair: Trish Ryans-Taylor
Special remarks from City of Melbourne - Linda Weatherson, Director,
Community Development
National policy agenda for family violence
• Kym Duggan, First Assistant Secretary, Social Inclusion Division,
Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department
• Andrew Jackomos, Director, Koori Justice Unit, Department of Justice
National justice strategy
• Tammy Solonec, Director
and Convenor of the
Justice Working Group,
National Congress of
Australia’s First Peoples
• Regina Hill and Louise
Doyle, Effective
Philanthropy – The Best
of Every Woman: An
Overview of Approaches
for Philanthropic
Investment in Aboriginal
Women and Girls
Chair: Adrian Sculthorpe
Larissa Behrendt, Professor of Law and Director of Research at Jumbunna Indigenous
House of Learning, University of Technology, Sydney
1:30pm – 2:30pm Final remarks, observations and key proposed actions
(Rashida Manjoo and Antoinette Braybrook)
2:30pm – 2:45pm Conference Closure

Keynote Speakers and
Special Guests
Tammy Anderson,
Aboriginal woman, actress,
writer and director
Tammy Anderson is a proud
Palawa woman who is an
award winning actress and
playwright. She is the
recipient of The Uncle Bob Maza Award in
2010 for her prestigious contribution to
Indigenous theatre over many years and The
Uncle Jack Charles Award for Best
Achievement as a Victorian Indigenous
Theatre Practitioner. Tammy wrote her own
story, I Don’t Wanna Play House, which has
toured Australia, Ireland, Hong Kong, Manilla,
across the United States, Canada and The
Honouring Indigenous Theatre Festival in New
Zealand and Perth.
I Don’t Wanna Play House has been able to
assist in many forums for universities, health
forums, women’s groups, hospitals, women’s
prisons, the Australian Football League,
government organizations and many
Aboriginal organizations and retreats to open
up discussions regarding violence and abuse
and the welfare of Aboriginal and non-
Aboriginal communities. Tammy was
nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role,
for the Green Room Awards for two
consecutive years for her work in I Don’t
Wanna Play House.
Day 2 panel looking at the compelling story of
the late Andrea Pickett, with Gary Bentley,
pictured centre, and sister – siblings of Andrea.
Right: Charandev Singh, human rights advocate.
Muriel Bamblett, Chief
Executive Officer, Victorian
Aboriginal Child Care
Agency
Muriel Bamblett is a Yorta
Yorta and Wotjabaluk
woman who has been employed as the Chief
Executive Officer of the Victorian Aboriginal
Child Care Agency since 1999. Muriel is
active on many boards and committees
concerning children, families and the
Aboriginal community, including the
Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander
Child Care, (the peak agency representing
Indigenous Child and Family Services
nationally), the Victorian Children’s Council,
the Australian Institute of Family Studies
Advisory Council, the First Peoples Education
Advisory Group and the Aboriginal
Community Elders Service. From 2009–2010,
Muriel was a Board Member on the Northern
Territory Board of Inquiry into the Child
Protection System.
Muriel has been the recipient of a number of
awards, including the Centenary of Federation
Medal, the Robyn Clark Memorial Award for
Inspirational Leadership in the Field of Child
and Family Welfare, and was awarded an AM
in the 2004 Australia Day Honours for her
services to the community, particularly through
leadership in the provision of services for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
and families. In 2009, Muriel was appointed
an Adjunct Professor at LaTrobe University’s
School of Social Work and Social Policy.
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Larissa Behrendt, Professor
of Law and Director of
Research at Jumbunna
Indigenous House of
Learning, University of
Technology, Sydney
10
Professor Larissa Behrendt is a
Eualeyai/Kamillaroi woman. She is the
Professor of Law and Director of Research at
the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning
at the University of Technology in Sydney.
She is admitted to the Supreme Court of the
ACT and NSW as a barrister. She graduated
with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of
Jurisprudence from the University of New
South Wales and was the first Aboriginal
Australian to graduate from Harvard Law
School when she gained her Master of Laws
and Senior Doctorate of Jurisprudence.
Larissa is the author of several books on
Indigenous legal issues, a Commissioner at the
Land and Environment Court and the Alternate
Chair of the Serious Offenders Review Board.
She is a member of the Academy of Social
Sciences of Australia and a founding member
of the Australian Academy of Law. She is
currently on the Cooperative Research Centres
Committee. Larissa was named NAIDOC
Person of the Year in 2009 and NSW
Australian of the Year in 2011.
Kylie Belling, Director,
Aboriginal Family Violence
Prevention and Legal
Service Victoria
(FVPLS Victoria)
Kylie Belling is a Yorta
Yorta/Bangarang/Wiradjurri/South Sea Islander
woman born and raised in Melbourne.
Graduating from the Victorian College of the
Arts School of Drama in 1985, Kylie’s acting
career has covered a broad range of works
across film (The Fringe Dwellers directed by
Bruce Beresford, Richard Frankland’s No Way
to Forget and most recently The Sapphires by
Wayne Blair); television (Prisoner, The Flying
Doctors) and her first love, theatre.
Kylie is a co-founder of Ilbijerri Aboriginal
Theatre Co-operative Ltd, the longest running
Aboriginal theatre group in Australia and was
its Artistic Director from 2005 to 2008. She
directed Ilbijerri’s first play Up the Road by
John Harding in 1990 and went on to direct
Maryanne Sam’s Casting Doubts (Ilbijerri/
Playbox 2002); and Oh My God I’m Black!
(Ilbijerri 2003); Natives Getting Funny (2005)
& Natives Strikin’ Blak (2006 Melbourne
International Comedy Festival); The Dirty Mile
(2006 Ilbijerri) which she also co-wrote;
Chopped Liver (2006 Ilbijerri); 7 Deadly Gins
(2007) by the Deer Park Indigenous Women’s
Collective at the Dame Phyllis Frost
Correctional Centre and Kutcha Edwards
Songlines of a Mutti Mutti Man (2008).
A qualified Secondary School Teacher and
currently studying for her Master of Public
Health while working full-time at the
Department of Health, Kylie continues to be
involved in Aboriginal performing arts,
currently working with Victorian Aboriginal
South Sea Islander performers towards a 150th
Anniversary of Sea South Islander presence in
Australia celebration in 2013.
Antoinette Braybrook,
Chief Executive Officer,
Aboriginal Family Violence
Prevention and Legal
Service Victoria
(FVPLS Victoria)
Antoinette Braybrook is an Aboriginal woman
who was born in Victoria on Wurundjeri
country. Antoinette’s grandfather and mother’s
line is through the Kuku Yalangi, North
Queensland. Antoinette graduated with a
Bachelor of Laws at Deakin University in
2000 and was admitted as a legal practitioner
in Victoria in 2004.
Antoinette is a member of the Victorian
Aboriginal Justice Forum, the peak
coordinating body responsible for overseeing
the development, implementation and
direction of Koori initiatives under the
Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement, the

Indigenous Family Violence Partnership Forum,
the Attorney-General Department’s Family
Law System Reference Group as well as other
committees and forums.
Antoinette is the recipient of an Indigenous
Community Justice Award and was a shortlisted
finalist for the 2010 Law Institute of
Victoria President’s Award in the Access to
Justice Award category. Antoinette also
currently holds the position of National
Convenor for the newly established National
Family Violence Prevention Legal Services
Forum.
Megan Davis, Professor
of Law and Director,
Indigenous Law Centre,
Commissioner of the
NSW Land and
Environment Court and
an expert member of the United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Megan Davis is a member of the Australian
Academy of Law and the Australian member
of the International Law Association’s
Indigenous Rights Committee. In 2011, Megan
was appointed by the federal government to
the Expert Panel on the Recognition of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in
the Constitution.
Megan teaches, writes and researches in the
areas of public law and international law,
especially violence against indigenous
women. Megan’s doctoral thesis, to be
published in a forthcoming book, argues that
the right to self-determination as it is
recognised in international law does not pay
adequate attention to the situation of
Aboriginal women and explores in particular
the constitutional guarantee to equality.
Kym Duggan, First Assistant Secretary, Social
Inclusion Division, Commonwealth Attorney-
General’s Department
Kym Duggan is a lawyer and was in private
practice for a number of years. He is married
with two children, one of whom is currently
living and working in
London. He has been in
the Australian Public
Service for the past 25
years and has worked in a
range of social justice
areas but particularly in
areas with responsibility for indigenous justice
programs, human rights and family law. Prior
to entering the service he worked for an
Aboriginal Land Council and a Legal Aid
Commission.
He has been a member of the Senior Executive
Service since 1996 and in 2007 was awarded
the Australian Public Service Medal for his
work in family law policy. He has had primary
carriage of major legislative reforms in antidiscrimination,
native title and family law.
Kym has lead a number of delegations from
the Australian Government to a range of
international forums particularly to the Hague
Conference on Private International Law and
in relation to Australia’s program on intercountry
adoption.
Kym currently heads up the Social Inclusion
Division in the Attorney-General’s Department
which has responsibility for Commonwealth
legal assistance and indigenous justice policy
and programs.
Mick Gooda, Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
Social Justice
Commissioner
Mick Gooda is a
descendent of the Gangulu people of central
Queensland. Mick has played a leadership
role in a range of areas, including as Acting
Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Commission and Senior
Consultant to the Aboriginal Legal Service (WA).
Immediately prior to taking up the position of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social
Justice Commissioner, Mick was the Chief
Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research
Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH) for
close to five and a half years. His work at the
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CRCAH empowered Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people to lead the research
agenda in areas including: chronic disease
management, skin infections and promoting
cultural change in hospitals to make them
more appropriate to the needs of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people.
He also has an interest in the Lateral Violence
Program in Canada and has been working
closely with the First Nation people of Canada
on the relevance of this program to Australia.
Judge Paul Grant,
President, Children’s
Court of Victoria
Judge Paul Grant is a
judge of the County Court
of Victoria and the
President of the Children’s
Court of Victoria. Judge Grant sat as a
Magistrate for 13 years, including three years
in the Children’s Court and five years as the
State Coordinating Magistrate and then
Deputy Chief Magistrate. Judge Grant was
also the first Supervising Magistrate for Koori
Courts in Victoria.
Judge Grant has been a member of the
Community Council against Violence Working
Party, the Victorian Child Death Review
Committee for four years, the Advisory Group
for Health Services for Abused Victorian
Children for three years, and the Metropolitan
Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory
Committee for five years. In 2002, Judge
Grant received an Indigenous Community
Justice Award for outstanding efforts in
working to improve social justice outcomes
for the Koori community in the Melbourne
Metropolitan region.
In 2006, Judge Grant was the recipient of a
further Award for his outstanding contribution
towards improved social justice for the Koori
Community.
Marion Hansen,
Chairperson, Aboriginal
Family Violence
Prevention and Legal
Service Victoria
(FVPLS Victoria)
Marion has worked in the Aboriginal
community for more than 25 years. She
currently works for the Department of Human
Services on Closing the Gap. Marion has
taken a lead role in advocating for the
prevention of family violence in Aboriginal
communities. Marion’s leadership in this area
is well recognised through her representation
on key state-wide forums.
Andrew Morgan
Jackomos, Director of
the Koori Justice Unit,
Victorian Department of
Justice
A Yorta Yorta man, Andrew has been the
Director of the Koori Justice Unit, Department
of Justice (Vic) since 1999. His achievements
during this time include development and
implementation of two phases (2000 & 2006)
of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement
(AJA). The AJA has grown as a strong and
lasting partnership between the Victorian
Government and the Koori community to
improve justice outcomes. Andrew is the
senior advisor to the Justice Executive and
Ministers on Aboriginal justice issues. He is a
leading member of the Aboriginal Justice Forum
and was one of 120 Indigenous persons
nationally appointed in 2011 to the National
Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, and is
one of 40 members sitting in the Individual
Chamber. Within the AJA, the jewels that
shine most proud for Andrew have been the
establishment of the Koori Court network, the
Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory
Committees, and the Aboriginal Justice Forum.
In 2006, Andrew was both awarded the Public
Service Medal and later inducted as a Fellow of
the Institute of Public Administration Australia
(Victoria). In 2010, Andrew was awarded
NAIDOC (Vic) Aboriginal Person of the Year.

Debbie Kilroy, OAM, Chief
Executive Officer, Sisters
Inside
Debbie Kilroy is a former
prisoner, qualified social
worker and practicing
lawyer. Debbie was imprisoned for drug
trafficking in 1989 for six years. She was
stabbed and witnessed the only murder inside
an Australian women’s prison, and lost almost
everything including her marriage, her home
and her children. After her release in 1992,
she established Sisters Inside, which is an
organisation that advocates for the human
rights of women in the criminal injustice
system. Sisters Inside has won international
acclaim for its work and for a unique
structure which ensures it is driven by women
inside prison.
In 2003, Debbie was awarded the OAM for
services to the community for her work with
women in prison, and in 2004 she was
awarded the National Human Rights Medal.
She has a degree in social work and is a
qualified gestalt therapist. Debbie was the first
person in Australian who has serious
convictions to be admitted by the Supreme
Court of Queensland to practice law in 2007.
Rashida Manjoo, United
Nations Special Rapporteur
on Violence against Women
Rashida Manjoo holds a
part-time post as a
Professor in the
Department of Public Law
of the University of Cape Town and is the UN
Special Rapporteur on Violence against
Women. She is the former Parliamentary
Commissioner of the Commission on Gender
Equality (CGE), a constitutional body
mandated to oversee the promotion and
protection of gender equality. Prior to being
appointed to the CGE she was involved in
social context training for judges and lawyers,
where she has designed both content and
methodology during her time in the Law,
Race, and Gender Research Unit at the
University of Cape Town and at the University
of Natal, Durban.
She has held numerous visiting professorships,
including most recently at the University of
Virginia, USA. She served as the Des Lee
Distinguished Visiting Professor at Webster
University, USA, where she taught courses in
human rights, with a particular focus on
women’s human rights and transitional justice.
She was the Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow with the
Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School
from 2006–2007 and also a clinical instructor
in the program from 2005–2006.
Dr Patricia Miller AO,
Chief Executive Officer,
Central Australian
Aboriginal Legal Service
Dr Patricia Miller AO is
a Senior Arrernte /
Alyuwarre woman from Central Australia. She
is a Traditional Owner and a Native title
holder of Alice Springs along with her strong
family ties in the Centre. Dr Miller is the Chair
of the Native title Economic arm Lhere Artepe
Enterprise and has served on numerous
Committees over many years both mainstream
and Indigenous.
Dr Miller was instrumental in setting up the
Central Australian Women’s Legal Service
(CAWLS) and also the Central Australian
Aboriginal Family Legal Unit (CAAFLU) as
well and serving on the Board of Women’s
Community House for five years in the early
80s. Dr Miller has been employed by the
Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid
Service since 1978 and has held the position
of CEO since 1982.
June Oscar, Bunuba
Community Leader and
Chief Executive Officer,
Marninwarntikura
Women’s Resource Centre
June Oscar is from the Bunuba language
group of the central Kimberley region of
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Northern Western Australia. She is a strong
advocate and activist for the recognition,
rights, preservation and promotion of
Indigenous Australian languages.
14
June chairs the Kimberley Language Resource
Centre, an Aboriginal community organisation
directed by senior speakers of the 28 surviving
languages of the Kimberley region, and a
former co-chair of the Kimberley Interpreting
Service. She is also a member of the
Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre,
comprising senior men and women who are
the custodians and teachers of Aboriginal law,
ceremonies, dance and songs.
She is a school council member of the Fitzroy
Valley District High School and is involved in
the Marulu Project focussing on research into
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Concurrent Presenters
Amanda Alford – Legal Officer, Australian Law
Reform Commission
Kellyanne Andy – Acting General Manager,
Elizabeth Hoffman House
Kerry Ashley – Program Manager, Haven (Meminar
Ngangg Gimba Women’s Crisis Response Centre)
Robyn Ball – Koori Kids and Adolescent Mental
Health Program, Victorian Aboriginal Health
Service
Noellen Baxter – Aboriginal Partner Contact
Worker, Latrobe Community Health Service
Johanna Boylan – Family Violence Legal Service
Aboriginal Corporation, South Australia
Shaun Braybrook – Manager, Wulgunggo Ngalu
Learning Place
Wanda Braybrook – Project Worker, Sisters Day
Out, Dilly Bag and Serenity Retreat, FVPLS Victoria
Tiffany Collins – Family Violence Legal Service
Aboriginal Corporation, South Australia
Louise Doyle – Effective Philanthropy
Shirley Erlandson – Client Services Officer, Central
Australian Aboriginal Family Unit
Kelly Faldon – Project Worker, Sisters Day Out,
Dilly Bag and Serenity Retreat, FVPLS Victoria
Jo Fox – Liaison Officer – Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Services, Relationships Australia
Victoria
Regina Hill – Effective Philanthropy
Donna Hunt – Manager, Mildura Aboriginal
Cooperation
Vanessa Lethlean – Principal Legal Officer, Central
Australian Aboriginal Family Unit
Hannah Meredith – Coordinator, Ngaanyatjarra
Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s
Council: Domestic and Family Violence Service
Monica Morgan – Chairperson, Elizabeth Hoffman
House
Hugh Pepper – Aboriginal Family Violence Health
Worker, Latrobe Community Health Service
Mel Peters – Leading Senior Constable, Victoria
Police
Jelena Popovic – Deputy Chief Magistrate of
Victoria
Stephen Ralph – Forensic Psychologist in private
practice
Vickie Roach – Advocate for Aboriginal women in
the criminal justice system
Carol Smith – Legal Practitioner, Central Australian
Aboriginal Family Unit
Kristy Smith – Aboriginal Health Worker, Koori
Kids and Adolescent Mental Health Program,
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service
Tammy Solonec – Director and Convenor of the
Justice Working Group, National Congress of
Australia’s First Peoples
Paula Stewart – Koori Family Violence Police
Protocols Officer, FVPLS Victoria
Jamie Thomas – Men’s Healing Worker,
Boorndawan Willam Healing Service/Mullum
Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place
Karen Toohey – Acting Commissioner of the
Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights
Commission
Sue Wakeling – Regional Coordinating Magistrate,
Heidelberg
Kate Walker – Koori Women’s Family Violence
Support Worker, Melbourne Magistrates Court
Cliff Wandin – Aboriginal Family Violence Health
Worker, Latrobe Community Health Service
Joel Wickham – Youth Justice Mental Health
Worker/Aboriginal Social Worker, Koori Kids and
Adolescent Mental Health Program , Victorian
Aboriginal Health Service
Janine Wilson – Intake Worker/Community
Development Officer, Meminar Ngangg Gimba
Women’s Crisis Response Centre
15

Standing Firm Against Family Violence
www.fvpls.org
information@fvpls.org
Legal advice • Counselling • Information & referral • Community Education
Servicing Victoria with offices in Melbourne, Warrnambool,
Bairnsdale and Mildura