Geoffrey Winters, AIATSIS Council member
The theme for this year’s National Youth Week It starts with us, resonates with the newly appointed AIATSIS Council member, Geoffrey Winters. At 26, Geoffrey, a Kamilaroi and Wiradjuri man, is the youngest ever member and is looking forward to making a difference and contributing to the valuable work of the Council.
“I reflected after my first Council meeting on how proud everyone in the room was of their Indigenous heritage. It made me think of the awkwardness I sometimes felt at school, the gibes and the way it made me feel self-conscious,” said Geoffrey.
“For reconciliation and constitutional recognition to really happen, we need to stir up Australia’s passion for its Indigenous heritage. The AIATSIS Collection stirs that passion in people; it has the potential to make the next step in reconciliation, such as constitutional recognition, easier.
“I am very keen to find ways to help the Institute look outside of the box to find new ways to fulfil its extraordinary potential. It’s well established as a research and collections institute and is now placed to take the collections and research out into the community. Not just Indigenous communities but the Australian and international community more broadly.”
Geoffrey’s drive for community change was inspired by working as judicial associate to the Hon. Justice Basten of the NSW Court of Appeal, one of the original architects of the Native Title Act 1993 and a central figure in the establishment of the Redfern Legal Centre. Geoffrey points to a program he helped develop while President of the Sydney University Law Society as a particular source of encouragement to continue to pursue change.
“In 2010 the university was looking at ways to extend opportunities to Indigenous students. So we organised a Social Inclusion Road Trip involving approximately 40 students from Sydney Law School, travelling to country NSW, to speak to high school students about university and options after school.
“There were two issues we wanted to address; firstly we wanted the kids to be aware of university as a legitimate expectation they could aspire to beyond school; to have that dinner table discussion the kids in city ordinarily have with their parents about university as an option.
“Secondly, we needed to address the practical aspects of attending university away from home, for many Indigenous kids that is a real barrier. We wanted to raise awareness and normalise the idea of scholarships and other practical support available to them to make this a possibility.
“Recently, I attended a conference and was speaking to a young girl who looked really familiar. It turned out she was someone who attended our Social Inclusion talks at Wellington High School, she was the first person in her family to finish year 12 and was now in the later years of law at UNSW.
“I wasn’t the brightest kid at school, but I was determined. I wouldn’t take 'no' for an answer; I would say why shouldn’t I be up for that graduate role? Why can’t I get that position with the judge? As a young Indigenous guy from the bush there might be extra barriers but I am going to make it happen.
“And I say to other young Indigenous people, particularly in this National Youth Week, be excited about your culture, get involved in your community, and seek out and say 'yes' to opportunities!”
More information
AIATSIS Collections
Council
Council charter
National Youth Week 2015