Our 2025 David Hunter Memorial Lecture had the theme: Time for Truth-telling. The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for Voice, Treaty and Truth – this year our theme was Truth.
Speaking were Blake Cansdale, ANTAR’s National Director, talking about truth-telling and truth-listening, and Prof Chris Cunneen and Dr James Beaufils from the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney, talking about the truths revealed in their report into the over-representation of First Nations People in the criminal justice system in the ACT.
Unfortunately this year there is no recording of the lecture. However, we have updated this page with notes and links for more information about the lecture.
Welcome to Country: Selina Walker
We were pleased to have Selina Walker welcome us to Ngunnawal country, as her grandmother, Aunty Agnes Shea had welcomed attendees to lectures in many previous years.
Selina is a respected emerging Ngunnawal elder and leader who continues her grandmother Aunty Agnes Shea’s legacy of influencing and driving change with her unwavering efforts. Since 2018, Selina has promoted reconciliation as co-chair of the ACT Reconciliation Council. She is a founding member of Yerrabi Yurwang Child and Family Aboriginal Corporation, helping to improve outcomes for Aboriginal families and children, especially those in out-of-home care. Selina also advocates for Indigenous people within the justice system as a member of the ACT Victims of Crime and Justice Committee, and has held roles to improve all children’s educational outcomes in the Catholic school system. She is also a kinship carer, and was awarded Barnardos’ 2017 ACT Mother of the Year.
Chair/MC: Paula McGrady
Paula is from the lands of the Kamilaroi peoples of Moree and Toomelah. She has lived on Ngunnawal country for over 25 years. She is a community leader who is very well known and respected in the ACT for all the work she does for the most disadvantaged in the Community. Paula stays connected to her community by her continued involvement and support she shows her community in the work she does.
Keynote speaker: Blake Cansdale, ANTAR’s National Director (Our People — ANTAR)
Blake is a proud Anaiwan man and the National Director of ANTAR. Dedicated to empowering First Nations Communities, Blake has a background in legal practice with experience in public policy, lecturing, Aboriginal affairs, business management, Aboriginal land planning and development, land acquisition and land management.
In his talk, Blake explored truth-telling and truth-listening and how important it is to find and value truth when seeking justice.
With: Prof Chris Cunneen and Dr James Beaufils from the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney.
Professor Chris Cunneen has a national and international reputation as a leading criminologist specialising in Indigenous people and the law, juvenile justice, restorative justice, policing, prison issues and human rights.
Dr James Beaufils is a Senior Research Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute, a Gundungurra man from the Pejar area and Kanak from New Caledonia. James has researched in the fields of child protection, justice, criminology and education in Australia and the UK.
Together they talked about their Jumbunna Institute report Review into the Over-representation of First Nations People in the Criminal Justice System , presented to the ACT Government earlier this year, and released by the ACT Government on 31 July 2025.
As noted by Janet Hunt in her blog Exposing flaws in the ACT’s progressive image, this report is a piece of truth-telling about the neglect and poor accountability of the ACT Government in relation to so many of the drivers of the high rates of First Nations incarceration, and their failure to provide structural and systemic arrangements to enable First Nations self-determination.
You can watch a webinar on their final report (from 4 September 2025) at: https://youtu.be/Y_E-BtjPneI. You can also download the slides here.
Details
Date: Thursday 23 October
In person attendance: 6pm nibbles, 6:30pm start
Location: St Mark’s National Theological College – Durie Room, Charles Sturt University Campus
Address: 15 Blackall Street, Barton, ACT
Online attendance: commences at 6:30pm
Register now: https://bit.ly/4naj7po (required for either in person or online attendance).
Queries: info@antaract.org.au
Background: David Hunter was one of the founding members of ANTaR, and an inspiring activist on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. David died in December 2003 and this will be the 21st annual lecture held in memory of his contributions to reconciliation and Indigenous rights.
More information about the David Hunter Memorial Lecture and a list of all past lectures is available at: David Hunter Memorial Lecture – ANTaR ACT.
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