Australian Citizens' Parliament

We are proud to have Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE DSG as Co-Chairperson of the Australian Citizens' Parliament. She was Australian of the Year in 1984 and in 1990 became the inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

Born at Granite Downs Station in what is now known as Indulkana, South Australia, on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in north western South Australia, her mother was Lily (no surname) a Yankunytjatjara woman and her father was Tom O'Donoghue, a white (Irish) station manager. At the age of two, she became part of what us now known as the Stolen Generations, when she was taken away from her mother, whom she was not to see for another 33 years, during which time, she spent a great deal of time searching for her family.

After a long struggle to win admission to The Royal Adelaide Hospital, she became the first Aboriginal nurse in South Australia. Later, she become more involved in activism for Aboriginal rights. In 1976, she was the first Aboriginal woman to be inducted into the Order of Australia. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983 and in 1984 was named Australian of the Year for her work to improve the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 1999 she was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). In 2005 she was awarded a Papal Award, Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great (DSG)

On February 13, 2008 Lowitja O'Donoghue stood with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as he made what has become recognised as the formal Sorry Day apology to indigenous Australians.