28/11/2025
We were honoured to attend the inaugural Yardhura Walani Annual Oration delivered by our Co-Patron Pat Anderson AO at the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre at ANU.
Pat’s powerful oration spoke of the journey of Aboriginal-led research from the 1980s to today, the establishment of the CRCs that eventually became Lowitja Institute – and the leadership of the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG for being ‘tough but fair’ in the fight to recognise and support community-driven research.
Pat urged scholars today to tell our story, and to transfer knowledge into practice. ‘Don’t do research for the sake of doing research – you’ve got to do something with it.’
Pat was introduced by Lowitja Institute former CEO and Productivity Commissioner, Romlie Mokak, following presentations by research fellows Tamara Butler and Louise Mitchell on community-led initiatives to eliminate cervical cancer; and researchers Chris McKay and Koorinya Moreton on Indigenous sovereign data infrastructure. Associate Professor Raglan Maddox also honoured Professor Ray Lovett for his phenomenal work in working with communities to improve health outcomes.
Photos: Pat Anderson AO with Paul Stewart, Craig Ritchie (Lowitja Institute), Dr Ali Drummond (CATSINaM); A/Prof Raglan Maddox; Romlie Mokak.
