Barkindji Ngiyampaa Elder Pam Greer and Wiradjuri woman Melva Kennedy have each been admitted to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in recognition of their leadership in community-centred work that has shaped practice, policy and education both nationally and across New South Wales.
Pro‑Chancellor and Presiding Officer Professor Stephen Garton said the conferrals recognise contributions that have delivered lasting change for Aboriginal women, children and communities.
“Aunty Pam Greer and Melva Kennedy have each demonstrated extraordinary leadership, courage and dedicated many years to uplifting community,” Professor Garton said.
“Individually, they helped establish culturally safe services, strengthened trust between communities and institutions, and improved responses to violence and child protection.”
A lifetime dedicated to the prevention of domestic and sexual violence
Barkindji Ngiyampaa Elder from Far West New South Wales, Aunty Pam Greer has been a national leader in the prevention of domestic and sexual violence in Aboriginal communities for more than 40 years. Her work has focused on culturally grounded engagement and long-term relationship building to support difficult conversations in communities where violence has been historically silenced, through fear of racism or repercussions.
Her leadership includes coordinating the first Aboriginal Women United Conference in Dubbo in 1990, consulting with Aboriginal women to include their voices in the 1993 NSW Sexual Assault Phone-in, and delivering the Women Out West program, which provided legal, health and violence-prevention services to rural women, often held informally on riverbanks where some attendees would hear for the first time that domestic violence was a crime, and that they had rights.
Throughout her career Aunty Pam strengthened relationships between Aboriginal communities and her non-Aboriginal colleagues, shaping Aboriginal-led practice within the NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence (EVAC), and later developing and leading education programs, such as Strong Aboriginal Women, and Weaving the Net.
Aunty Pam Greer was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa). Photo credit: Franky Tsang / The University of Sydney
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LinkHer work contributed to the development of nationally recognised education pathways delivered through ECAV, including vocational programs and, in partnership with the University of Sydney in 2014, the Graduate Certificate in Human and Community Services (Interpersonal Trauma).
Upon admitting Aunty Pam to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Professor Garton said the initiatives led by Aunty Pam have helped reshape understandings of community outreach.
“Aunty Pam’s work prioritising culturally safe environments has supported Aboriginal women to access information, understand their rights and participate in services designed for them and informed by culture.
“Her commitment to working with non‑Aboriginal colleagues strengthened cultural capability across services supporting Aboriginal women and children.”
Aunty Pam Greer and Melva Kennedy have each demonstrated extraordinary leadership, courage and dedicated many years to uplifting community
Professor Stephen Garton
Pro‑Chancellor and Presiding Officer
Shaping a safe future for Aboriginal children
A Wiradjuri woman born on Country at Cowra in 1942, Melva Kennedy has been a pioneering figure in Aboriginal health and child protection, particularly through her work with the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern and NSW Health.
Kennedy emerged as a leading advocate in the min 1980s for culturally safe child protection services. She was appointed the first Aboriginal child sexual assault counsellor with NSW Health and later became the first Aboriginal statewide child protection education for the NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence (ECAV).
Often the sole Aboriginal participant in early training programs, Kennedy led the development of culturally safe and appropriate education materials that acknowledged the impacts of colonisation, racism and the Stolen Generations. For 25 years, she delivered child-protection education across New South Wales.
Beyond frontline work, Kennedy took child protection education to the screen, securing funding to produce the films ‘Big Shame’ and ‘Who’s the Loser?’, which continue to be widely used in Australian education, and received national and international awards including a National Child Abuse Prevention Award. She contributed to policy reform through her work with the NSW Child Death Review Team, and the NSW Aboriginal child Sexual Assault Taskforce, and as co-author of the landmark 2006 report ‘Breaking the Silence: Creating the Future’.
In admitting Kennedy to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), Professor Garton said that her work has demonstrated leadership, courage and commitment.
“At a time when child sexual assault was rarely discussed, Melva built trust with Community, to address deeply sensitive issues and guided practitioners in providing culturally safe support for Aboriginal children and families.
“Her leadership inspired other Aboriginal women, helped establish and strengthen networks, and guided and educated non-Aboriginal child protection workers in providing culturally safe service.”
Melva Kennedy was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her lifelong dedication to the safety of Aboriginal children. Photo credit: Franky Tsang / The University of Sydney
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