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We’re excited to extend a special opportunity for you to join us at the AbSec Annual Conference, taking place this November in Sydney. As integral members of the support network for Aboriginal children and families, your insights and experiences are vital to the conversations shaping our sector’s future.
As a carer, you’ll gain access to essential resources, networking opportunities, and expert sessions designed to support your invaluable role.
In recognition of your vital role in advancing the interests of Aboriginal communities, we’re pleased to offer you a special registration rate.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to hear from inspiring keynote speakers, connect with industry leaders, and be part of the conversation driving change in Aboriginal child protection.
This year’s conference promises a multidimensional experience for its attendees, combining educational sessions, practical workshops, cultural performances and ample opportunities for networking and celebration, all aimed at advancing the cause of Aboriginal children, young people and their families in a supportive community environment.
We’re aiming to bring Aboriginal people together so we can speak freely about the various challenges we face and discuss possible solutions. We will only reach a favourable outcome when Aboriginal communities are empowered to design, deliver and oversee the various services that are required by our children and families.
Each day of the conference offers a series of sessions, led by experts and thought leaders, focusing on themes central to the welfare and growth of Aboriginal children and families. These sessions will provide insights into cultural safety, family empowerment and community-led initiatives.
Workshops will be an integral part of the conference, offering hands-on experiences and practical learning opportunities for professionals, caregivers and community leaders. These interactive sessions are aimed at enhancing skills and knowledge in areas crucial for supporting Aboriginal families and children.
Cultural performances will punctuate the event, showcasing the rich heritage and diversity of Aboriginal communities. These performances are not only entertaining but also serve as a powerful medium for cultural expression and storytelling.
Starting with welcome drinks on the first day, attendees to connect and share experiences in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The highlight of the conference is the gala dinner and awards ceremony, a celebratory evening honouring achievements and contributions in the field of Aboriginal child and family welfare.
2024 Conference
The Western Sydney Conference Centre adjoins the Pullman Sydney Penrith, a new luxury five-star hotel that opened last year.
Heavily inspired by Aboriginal themes, the fluid shape of the building reflects the nearby Nepean River, while the polished metal ceiling panels across the underside of the roof represent the way sunlight reflects upon the water’s surface. The garden is filled with mostly native plant species. A prominent First Nations sculpture tells the story of the river’s importance as a food source to the local Dharug people.
Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency
Administrative Chairperson of Queensland First Nations Treaty Institute
Chancellors Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Principal, Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research
Actor, Author, Teenager, Young Advocate for First Nations Justice and Education Reform
Deputy Chair, Commissioner Yoorrook Justice Commission
Judicial Registrar Native Title, Federal Court of Australia
Chief Executive Officer, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
Chief Executive Officer, AbSec
Scientia Senior Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
Author, Founder, Director
NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services
Managing Director, Indigenous Psychological Services
First Nations Performance Audit Team Leader, Audit Office of NSW
Secretary, NSW Department of Communities and Justice
Aboriginal Carer Support
Aboriginal Carer Support
Child Protection Helpline
Child Protection Helpline
AbSec would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we will meet to discuss important matters, the Mulgoa clan of the Dharug Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
AbSec acknowledges the Stolen Generations who never came home and the ongoing impact of government policy and practice on Aboriginal children, young people and families.
CEO, Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency.
Aunty Muriel Bamblett is proud a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung woman who has been employed as the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency since 1999. Aunty Muriel is active on many boards and committees concerning children, families and the Indigenous community, including Chairperson of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC), the peak Australian agency for Indigenous child and family services; the Aboriginal Children’s Forum; the Aboriginal Justice Forum; the Coalition of Peaks Joint Council on Closing the Gap and is on the Elders Group for the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria.
Aunty Muriel’s contribution to her community and to Victoria has been recognised in many awards and she was recently bestowed the 2024 National NAIDOC Award for Person of the Year.
Managing Director, Deshong Consulting and Turnstone Collective.
Michelle Deshong is a Kuku Yalanji woman and lives in Townsville. She has extensive experience in the public and private sector. Michelle has held senior executive positions across the Public Service and the Not-for-profit sector. From 2016 to 2021 she was the CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and in 2023 was Interim CEO of Supply Nation. She has a strong interest in developing the Indigenous business sector and supporting intergenerational prosperity and creating pathways for economic development and trade opportunities.
Michelle is involved in several professional networks, including being a Fellow with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF), a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (MAIATSIS). She is also the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Business Sector Group for the Australia, New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) and a member of the Ministerial Trade Taskforce 2040. Michelle has recently been appointed as the Chairperson, Queensland’s First Nations Treaty Institute.
Michelle has a consultancy business that she has been running since 2008. Her work draws on her in-depth knowledge of Indigenous affairs and more broadly in the machinery of government, advocacy and political change. She is an accredited trainer and facilitator in Leadership, Governance and Gender equality. Michelle is well regarded for her work in facilitation and has emceed and hosted large events domestically and internationally.
Chancellors Postdoctoral Indigenous Research Principal, Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research.
Deputy Chair, Commissioner Yoorrook Justice Commission.
Sue-Anne Hunter is a proud Wurundjeri and Ngu rai Illum Wurrung woman and the Deputy Chair and Commissioner of Australia’s first truth telling process – the Yoorrook Justice Commission. She is an Adjunct Professor of Global Engagement at Federation University and a member of the National
Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice Advisory Board.
A child and family services practitioner by trade, Sue-Anne has over 20 years of experience in child and family services, and is recognised for developing rights-based, transformative practices that empower Aboriginal people to heal from the impacts of colonisation.
Sue-Anne has extensive experience in the governance and the leadership of ACCOs, and her expertise is regularly sought for government inquiries, parliamentary and ministerial advisory committees, academic research projects and media interviews.
Judicial Registrar Native Title, Federal Court of Australia
Chief Executive Officer, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children.
An Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia, Catherine has been a leading advocate in upholding the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on a national, regional and local level. Catherine has held senior management positions in First Nations organisations including First Nations Media and Jawun Indigenous Corporate Partnerships, as well as within the Northern Territory Education Department, the ABC and NITV/SBS.
A journalist by trade, Catherine’s motivation has always been to drive change that leads to positive outcomes and options for First Nations people. Over the past 10 years she has led multidisciplinary teams, overseen workplace transformations, and advocated for policy reform. Catherine is the CEO for SNAICC – National Voice for our Children, the national non-governmental peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children that works for the fulfilment of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, in particular to ensure their safety, development and wellbeing.
Chief Executive Officer, AbSec
Scientia Senior Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW Sydney.
Dr BJ Newton is a proud Wiradjuri woman and mother to three young children. BJ’s research focuses on working in partnership with Aboriginal organisations to build evidence and support Aboriginal families interfacing with child protection systems. Her current research, Bring them home, keep them home investigates the rates, outcomes and experiences of successful and sustainable restoration for Aboriginal children in out-of-home care. This research is making significant impact across the child protection sector, facilitating truth telling, advocacy, and Aboriginal community-determined initiatives including the Aboriginal Authority for Restoring Children (AARC).
Author, Founder, Director.
Brenda Matthews is a proud Wiradjuri woman living with her husband, Mark, in Bundjalung country, Queensland.
Brenda co-directed the feature documentary The Last Daughter, which was released in Australian cinemas and on Netflix in mid-2023 to excellent reviews and critical acclaim. The film is based on her beautifully penned book of the same title, and was also released in 2023 to excellent reviews.
Brenda’s journey from being part of the stolen generation to becoming a Mother, Grandmother, Author, Speaker, Film Director, Storyteller and Co-Founder/Director of Learning Circle is an inspiring testament to the power of healing and reconciliation.
Her remarkable story, as eloquently portrayed in her debut book and Netflix documentary feature film, “The Last Daughter,” encapsulates heartbreak, love, forgiveness, hope and bringing the Country together.
NSW Minister for Families and Communities.
Kate Washington is the newly appointed Minister for Families and Communities, and Minister for Disability Inclusion in the Minns Labor Government.
Since 2015, Kate has proudly represented the people of Port Stephens in the Parliament of NSW. Prior to entering Parliament, Kate was a partner in a law firm in Newcastle, specialising in health law.
As a parent, parliamentarian and lawyer, Kate has a strong track record of giving voice to the voiceless and looking after the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Managing Director, Indigenous Psychological Services
Dr Westerman AM, a Nyamal woman from Pilbara, WA, is a trailblazer in Aboriginal mental health, cultural competency, and suicide prevention. She has won numerous awards for her groundbreaking work. She was the first Aboriginal person to attain a master’s and PhD in Clinical Psychology.
She founded Indigenous Psychological Services in 1998 in the absence of government funding.
Delivered over 100 keynotes nationally/internationally in Canada, the USA, and New Zealand
Trained 50,000 plus practitioners, making her arguably the most in demand trainer in Australia.
She has developed numerous Australian firsts, including the only culturally & clinically valid tools for at-risk Indigenous people. The first national Indigenous youth mental health prevalence database
In 2019, she funded the Dr Tracy Westerman Indigenous Psychology Scholarship Program to ensure that our highest risk families and communities have access to a psychologist. In 2020, launched the charity, The Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health to drive Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention best practice. Jilya has supported 55 Indigenous psychology students, many of whom have now graduated.
She launched her memoir Jilya on September 3rd , which has already achieved best seller status
First Nations Performance Audit Team Leader, Audit Office of NSW.
Carla Ware is a Mualgal woman who currently resides on Darkinjung country, and has worked in the public sector for the last 20 years. Having
spent 16 years at the NSW Ombudsman’s office working in and then managing the Aboriginal Unit, Carla was involved in several audits that
inquired into and made recommendations supporting Aboriginal people’s rights to self-determination and how the public sector can practically and meaningfully support this.
During her time auditing the Interagency Plan to tackle child sexual assault in Aboriginal communities, she wrote the ‘healing’ chapter of the report. Following the release of this report, the NSW government included healing in their Aboriginal Affairs strategy: OCHRE, a first for any state in Australia. Carla acted as the Deputy Ombudsman, Aboriginal Programs before moving to AbSec as the Operations Manager and then on to creating the First Nations Performance Auditing Program at the NSW Audit Office.
Secretary, NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Prior to joining DCJ, Mr Tidball had been the Chief Executive Officer of the Law Council of Australia (LCA) and the Secretary-General of LAWASIA. He also served as the CEO of the Law Society of NSW for 14 years.
During his 35-year career, Mr Tidball has worked with Government leaders and ministers, agency heads, industry leaders, the judiciary, non-government organisations and the community.
Mr Tidball began his career in child protection working for the South Australian public service, before moving to the Commonwealth to
develop community corrections and juvenile justice programs in the lead-up to self-government in the Australian Capital Territory.
AbSec would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we will meet to discuss important matters, the Mulgoa clan of the Dharug Nation. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
AbSec acknowledges the Stolen Generations who never came home and the ongoing impact of government policy and practice on Aboriginal children, young people and families.
