Senator McCarthy tribute to Kwementyaye Shaw

By Senator MALARNDIRRI McCARTHY

Alice Springs, January 30, 2026

I extend that acknowledgement and respect to the many family members, friends and colleagues of Kwementyaye Shaw here today.

This gathering clearly demonstrates the impact, the influence and high regard he holds in his community and across the country.

I hope this is some comfort to his family, friends and loved ones as we farewell a man who leaves an enormous legacy.

To Kwementyaye’s family, thank you for sharing him with us as he worked tirelessly for his people and for this region.

Loved to tell a story

Today we stand with you, honouring his remarkable life and the contribution he made.

His story began here in Central Australia, right here in Mparntwe, born on the banks of the river on Christmas Eve.

A proud Kaytete and Arrernte man, his life’s journey took him to many different and far flung places. But this was the place that shaped him and the place he always returned to.

I know he loved nothing better than kicking back on his verandah there in Mount Nancy, showing off his plants and surrounded by his pets and family, all the kids and grandkids, telling stories and sharing his wisdom.

And didn’t he love telling a cheeky story. Sometimes about his school days at Hartley Street and then Anzac High School, or when he was a young ringer working on stations around the Territory.

Often he shared stories with his Army mates, remembering the years from when he stepped forward to serve our nation at the age of 18.

He joined the Australian Army, served 18 months in Malaya with the 4th Battalion, and went on to two tours in Vietnam with the 2nd RAR.

After a battlefield injury he transferred to the 9th Battalion, where he led as a Section Commander and later as Acting Platoon Sergeant.

When he returned home in 1970, Kwementyaye found himself looking for work.

“Whenever I come back from the Army, I realised I was coming back to the same places, where there was one tap for 60 people, living in humpies and makeshift shelters”  he said.

Landmark meetings

It fired an unwavering commitment to improve the circumstances of Aboriginal people in Central Australia, especially those living in what were called the fringe camps around Alice Springs.

Kwementyaye Shaw was there at the beginning of much of what now defines Aboriginal community control in Central Australia.

In the early 1970s he became involved with a group of respected Arrernte elders and custodians, assisting them to establish organisations such as Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and Central Australian Legal Aid.

He worked with Congress from its earliest days and as President of the Congress Cabinet.

He participated in landmark meetings that followed the Woodward inquiries and led to the establishment of the Central Land Council.

He then served the CLC from its inception until 2006, later as deputy chair, always focused on the rights of Traditional Owners and the responsibilities that come with them.

Kwementyaye served as the first Central Australian Commissioner for the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, carrying the voice of this region into national forums where it had too often been ignored.

Fierce and principled champion

During most of this time he was living at Mount Nancy, then one of the unofficial town camps, observing how residents had great difficulty accessing services and navigating systems.

“Us Town Campers never had a voice. We weren’t recognised” he said. So, he and other Town Camp leaders formed their own organisation – Tangentyere.

Under the leadership of these proud Town Campers, Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation went on to acquire special purpose leases, secure housing, deliver services and supports for the thousands of Territorians who live on the Camps today.

Before phrases such as self-determination and community-control became a part of our language, Kwementyaye was showing us what they meant by how he lived and conducted himself.

He was a fierce and principled champion who always stood up for what was right and never wavered in his commitment to his people.

In 1993, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his advocacy for Aboriginal people, an honour he never sought but deeply deserved.

Even as the years passed, his advocacy and voice never wavered.

In 2018, it was Kwementyaye Shaw who carried the Aboriginal flag up Anzac Hill during NAIDOC for its first raising there.

Woven into the lives of Territorians

It was an incredibly moving moment – a proud Kaytetye and Arrernte man, a veteran, a community leader, uniting service, sacrifice, pride and truth in raising the Aboriginal flag to fly high over this country.

During Covid, he stepped up to become one of the first Aboriginal leaders to be vaccinated, doing it publicly and encouraging others to do the same.

He continued to fight for his beloved Town Camp residents, for fairness and for dignity, right up until his health finally slowed him down at the very end.

When I reflect on Kwementyaye’s very full life and contributions I’m reminded of a quote from an ancient Greek philosopher (Pericles), “what you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Kwementyaye Shaw will remain woven into the lives of Territorians, into the lives of his families, through his commitment to advancing the lives and rights of Aboriginal people, especially his beloved Town Campers.

And he will remain woven into the fabric of the Northern Territory and indeed Australia through his family and loved ones, as we all carry on his work.

I will miss his wise counsel.

I will miss his stories and the cheeky glint in his eyes.

Rest in power now my friend and thank you.

Who was Kwementyaye Shaw

Kwementyaye Shaw (born Geoffrey Shaw OAM in 1945) was a highly respected Kaytetye and Arrernte leader, Vietnam War veteran, and tireless advocate for Aboriginal rights in Central Australia.
He passed away at the age of 79 on 18 December 2025 in Alice Springs.

• Tangentyere Council: A founding member and long-standing President/CEO of the Tangentyere Council Aboriginal Corporation, he was instrumental in securing land leases, housing, and essential services for Town Campers in Alice Springs.
• National Representation: He served as the first ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission) Commissioner for Central Australia, bringing the region’s voice to national forums.
• Central Land Council (CLC): A founding member of the CLC, he served the organisation from its inception until 2006, including a period as Deputy Chair. 

• Veteran: He served in the Australian Army for nearly a decade, including the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and two tours in Vietnam as a section commander with the Royal Australian Regiment.
• Recognition: He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his significant service to the Indigenous community. 

SENATOR MALARNDIRRI MCCARTHY

MINISTER FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS