Photo by Rosie Steggles on Unsplash
COVID-19 has made mess of live events across Australia and the world, and it has become harder to coordinate visits from authors and guest speakers resident in other cities.
Unexpected outbreaks, sudden border closures, and practical advice to stay home if feeling unwell, means that we are turning a closer eye on our capital, little city in a new ‘Canberrans’ series of talks, where we’ll highlight some of the amazing faces and minds that make up Canberra.
Our literary program at Muse has always had a strong Canberra flavour, as well as being one for contemporary ideas. This series doubles down to look at some of the most interesting and influential people around us. There'll be names you know, and others you don't, but all reflect our fabulous city.
Hosted by ABC's Dan Bourchier ‘Canberrans’ will take a deeper look at our guests' work, their relationship to Canberra and, naturally, the books that have influenced them.
The Custodians
Working for land and country, language, voice and treaty, meet some of the Indigenous leaders paving a new way. Talking state, sovereignty, statements and meaningful change for Australia's First Nations peoples, Muse is delighted to welcome Ngunnawal Elder Caroline Hughes, Magistrate Louise Taylor and Euahlayi man Bhiamie Williamson.
Muse acknowledges the Ngunnawal People as the traditional custodians of the land we live and work on. We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded. It always was, and always will be Aboriginal land.
Tickets: $10
Caroline Hughes
A proud Ngunnawal woman dedicated to uniting people from all nations and walks of life. As a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body, Caroline generously gives of her time to improving the lives of others and provides a shining example of what can be achieved in the community.
As Director of Yurauna, CIT's dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educational Centre of Excellence, Caroline has enhanced and grown the capacity of the centre to have some of the best outcomes nationally in the training sector for First Nations peoples.
Louise Taylor
A Kamilaroi woman born and raised in Sydney before moving to Ngunnawal country to study law at the ANU. After senior roles at the ACT and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions Louise took up the role of Deputy CEO of the ACT Legal Aid Commission in 2014. In 2018 Louise was appointed the eighth permanent Magistrate of the ACT Magistrates Court making her the first Aboriginal judicial officer for the territory.
Throughout her career Louise contributed to the community sector with over a decade of service on the board of the Women’s Legal Centre as well as appointments to the Domestic Violence Prevention Council, the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council for Women and the Law Council of Australia.
Bhiamie Williamson
A Euahlayi man from north-west NSW and south-west Queensland with family ties to north-west Qld, a member of the ACT Bushfire Council and the NSW Forest Monitoring and Improvement Program Steering Committee.
Host - Dan Bourchier
A multi-award winning, multi-platform journalist with the ABC, where he anchors ABC Canberra’s flagship 7pm news. He has reported across the country and around the world for more than 20 years. Dan grew up in the remote Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek, where he was mentored by elders from around the region, while coming to understand his own Indigenous heritage from his mum’s side of the family in coastal and inland parts of Victoria. He was driven to news and reporting from an early age, and began a traineeship at the Tennant and District Times as a teenager still at school.
Dan has worked as a radio broadcaster, newspaper reporter, video journalist, foreign correspondent, political reporter, anchor and host, and social commentator.