On behalf of the team at Yungkurrinthi, we honour and pay tribute to revered and beloved Yankunytjatjara woman, Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG DUniv, whose incredible legacy will continue to influence generations to come.

Dr O’Donoghue is amongst the most respected and inspiring Aboriginal leaders in our lifetime and was a pioneer for the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, legal rights, health, political representation and Reconciliation.

The unwavering commitment of Dr O’Donoghue to Aboriginal education is exemplified through the establishment of the ‘Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue Indigenous Student Postgraduate Research Scholarship.’ Since its inception in 2005, this scholarship has become a powerful tool in empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander higher degree research students to pursue postgraduate education and contribute to research initiatives. With a total of 21 deserving recipients to date, the scholarship stands as a testament to Dr O’Donoghue’s enduring legacy in advancing Indigenous education.

The 2023 edition of the Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration was a milestone in its history, as the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, Australia’s Prime Minister, took the stage to address the audience on the national referendum for a Voice to Parliament. Post-referendum, Dr O’Donoghue’s lifelong work for justice will continue to resonate for generations to come. Dr O’Donoghue’s ongoing call to reignite and maintain ‘the fire in our belly’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, reflected by Professor Simone Tur in her speech at Flinders’ Come Together event in 2023, remains a message of hope and vision for a better Australia.

Come and join us at Yungkurrinthi Inparrila on Wednesday 7 February, from 12pm to 1pm, as we gather in honor of Aunty Lowitja’s memory. We extend a warm invitation to community members to join us in a special time of connecting to Country and Spirit, while reflecting on the remarkable legacy left by Dr O’Donoghue.