UNE hosts Myall Creek symposium to drive practical action
The University of New England will host the Myall Creek Memorial Symposium on June 5, at the Oorala Aboriginal Centre to focus on concrete actions that support truth-telling and reconciliation.
This year’s theme, “Walking the talk together to build a better future“, brings together First Nations’ people and non-Indigenous allies to address the legacy of the 1838 Myall Creek massacre. The symposium also serves as a precursor to the annual memorial service held at the Myall Creek site near Bingara on June 7.
Dr Andrew Lawson, Director of UNE’s AgLaw Research Hub, and a member of the Armidale Friends of Myall Creek, said the program focuses on the tangible influence of history on modern systems.
Pivotal moment in Australian legal history
“We are pleased to welcome barrister Tony McAvoy SC, a Wirdi man and Australia’s first Indigenous Senior Counsel, to deliver the keynote address,” Dr Lawson said.
“With a career spanning 40 years in native title, human rights, and treaty, Tony will discuss how the Myall Creek legacy continues to shape Australian law. His insights provide a bridge between historical justice and the legal challenges we face today.”
The Myall Creek massacre remains a pivotal moment in Australian legal history. It was the first time perpetrators of a frontier massacre were successfully prosecuted and executed in a colonial court.
Lecturer in HASSE, community engagement project coordinator, and member of Armidale Friends of Myall Creek Memorial, Dr Julie Collins, said the symposium has evolved into a comprehensive university-wide effort that is also a formative reconciliation event.
Long-standing partnership with the Oorala Aboriginal Centre
“The symposium is more than a commemorative event; it is an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to get ‘all in’ and find collaborative ways to work together,” Dr Collins said.
“This year, we are exploring how we can walk the talk together across community, health, justice, education, and research.”
UNE’s Oorala Aboriginal Centre.
Other contributors include Professor Emerita Judy Atkinson AM, recognised for her work in Indigenous trauma and mental health; UNE Associate Professor Peter Smit; UNE lecturer Traci Travers; Aboriginal Client and Community Support Officer Fiona Lovelock; and UNE Law School lecturer and barrister Karen Conte.
In addition to the academic program, Indigenous-led creative powerhouse Mad Proppa Deadly will provide the entertainment during the lunch break.
The Myall Creek symposium continues a long-standing partnership between UNE’s Oorala Aboriginal Centre, the Armidale Friends of Myall Creek, School of Law, Faculty of HASSE, Faculty of Medicine & Health, and other community and academic partners committed to supporting truth-telling, education, and reconciliation.
UNE has hosted Myall Creek symposiums for many years, bringing together diverse perspectives on the historical, legal, cultural and contemporary significance of the massacre and its legacy.
The event is free but please register your attendance for catering purposes: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/myall-creek-memorial-symposium-2026-tickets-1988598396335?aff=oddtdtcreator
