Medical leader Bill Glasson says the Queensland government is breaking state law by leaving mandatory Indigenous positions unfilled on two Brisbane hospital boards. The seats at Metro North and Metro South have been vacant since March 31. Glasson has called on Health Minister Tim Nicholls to make urgent temporary appointments. Nicholls said recruitment is underway to fill the First Nations vacancies in South East Queensland. Professor Tom Calma said the roles are critical given the large Indigenous population in the region.
Seventeen people from the Northern Territory have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. Nominees were recognised in four categories: Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero. Their work covers youth mentorship, education, First Nations culture, volunteering, community advocacy and healthcare. National Australia Day Council CEO Carrie Leeson said the nominees share a commitment to caring for others. The Northern Territory award recipients will be announced on November 9 in Darwin, with the ceremony livestreamed online.
Creative Australia has opened nominations for a new award named after the late Rhoda Roberts AO, a First Nations cultural leader, broadcaster and festival director. The Rhoda Roberts Trailblazer Award is valued at $80,000 and will be presented for the first time in 2027. It recognises leadership and lasting contribution to the First Nations arts and culture sector. Eligible nominees must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, be at least 18, be based in Australia and have worked in the sector for at least 25 years. Nominations close on December 1 at 3pm AEDT.
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Screenwest has renamed its First Nations fund the First Nations Practitioner Equity Fund. The fund supports professional skills development and travel costs for Western Australian First Nations screen practitioners who are ineligible for other Screenwest programs. National travel contributions have risen from $1,500 to $2,000, and regional applicants can receive up to $500 towards non-direct flight costs. Documentary project funding now reaches $25,000, and scripted projects can receive up to $35,000. Because the fund had minimal uptake in recent years, its money is being redirected to a new First Nations Special Initiatives Fund.
Cox Inall Ridgeway, a social change agency that is majority First Nations-owned, has appointed Tanya Hosch AM as a non-executive director and its first independent chairperson. Tiernan Campbell-O’Brien, a CIR director, said the appointment embeds national First Nations leadership in the company’s governance. Ms Hosch will serve an initial two-year term on the board. She said she hopes to open new opportunities for the business and share more stories of impact.
Two mobile training units will bring practical courses to First Nations learners in Gippsland and north-west Victoria. A $2.46 million federal investment is funding the project, which is expected to support 600 learners each year. The units will be fitted with training simulators, computers and off-grid power, and are expected to be operational by 2028. They will travel to at least 17 regional and remote communities, offering courses in energy, construction, agriculture and land management. Federal Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles said the units would help build local workforces without learners needing to travel to city centres.
Kanolu drag king Ur Dad Daryl has won the inaugural Mr First Nation Pageant in Brisbane, held as part of Melt Festival. Seven performers from across the country competed over five days of rehearsals, photoshoots and live heats. Craven Moorehead was first runner-up and Benny Hangslow second runner-up. Ur Dad Daryl said he felt affirmed by the win and hoped the pageant would bring more visibility to Blak drag kings. He began drag less than a year before entering and described his character as a daggy, earnest dad figure inspired by 1970s and 1980s pop culture.
More than 3.6 million Australian households went hungry in the past year, according to a new Foodbank Australia report. That is up from 3.5 million the year before. Foodbank chief executive Kylea Tink linked the rise to the cost-of-living crisis and rising interest rates. Foodbank has called on the federal government to establish a nationwide school breakfast program that reaches every child by 2030.
Award-winning Kuranda musician Djawarray will headline UMI Arts' 19th annual Big Talk One Fire festival at Munro Martin Parklands on 24 October. He will close the evening with the Koahlition band, blending rainforest reggae and rock with his language and English. Dance groups from across the region will also perform, including Babinda's Jaban Dancers, making their debut. Seven workshops will offer activities such as jewellery-making, painting and basket weaving.
Kawanji Dance Group from the Palmer River region will perform traditional dances at UMI Arts' Big Talk One Fire festival in Cairns on Saturday 24 October. The group says its dances honour ancestors and pass cultural knowledge from grandparents to grandchildren. Representative Graham Brady said the performances keep that knowledge alive for future generations. The free festival runs at Munro Martin Parklands from 3 to 9 pm, with gates opening at 2 pm. It features music, dance, workshops and art markets, including headline performer Djawarray.
First Nations artist Aunty Jeanie Mason said she was hurt that her contribution was not acknowledged at the opening ceremony of Wominjeka Plaza in Sunshine on 17 October. Her artwork is displayed at the plaza, which sits beside the Vietnamese Museum. Brimbank council later passed a motion to congratulate her at a meeting on 20 October. Mayor Virginia Tachos described her artwork, Community Together, as central to the plaza's meaning. Council also published a media release acknowledging her contributions. Council did not give a reason for the omission when asked.
Deadly Coders, Microsoft and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia will expand an AI skills program to 5,000 First Nations students in 2026 and 2027. The partnership aims to equip teachers to integrate AI into classrooms and bridge the digital divide. A hackathon at Chifley College, Mount Druitt, will teach students app prototyping and design thinking. The program, which began in 2025, has already reached 5,500 students in 32 schools across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Winners of the Telstra First Nations Business Award have been announced. Judges assessed how each business was run day to day, including its decisions, systems and ways of working. They also considered the difference each business was making, supported by examples and results, and how it would grow and adapt in future. Businesses had to confirm majority Indigenous ownership and leadership through a recognised Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander business organisation or registry.
The City of Perth and the WA Government are asking residents for feedback on plans for the 2029 bicentenary of the Swan River Colony. The city says past colonial anniversaries involved little or tokenistic Aboriginal participation, and it wants this program to advance reconciliation instead. Proposed events include truth-telling initiatives, an expanded Boorloo Heritage Festival, and river-focused experiences. Community surveys close on October 31 for the State Government and November 15 for the City of Perth. Premier Roger Cook said the commemoration should reflect shared history and the diversity of WA communities.
Ten artists from across Western Australia are in the running for the City of Joondalup's $25,000 Invitation Art Prize. Three of the shortlisted artists are First Nations, and the group includes regional artists from Kununurra to Bunbury. The works will be displayed at the Joondalup Contemporary Art Gallery from October 29 to December 12, with the winner announced on October 24. Visitors can also vote for the Popular Choice Award. Mayor Daniel Kingston said the exhibition explores place, memory, identity and the environment. Free public events include artist talks, workshops and Noongar stargazing.
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Former youth detainees across Australia describe alleged sexual abuse, often beginning with invasive strip-searches and isolation in cells. Psychiatrist Sivasankaran Balaratnasingam says most reported abuse involves guards and custodial officers, often at night. Dozens of people have joined a class action alleging abuse at Melbourne's Parkville youth justice centre, with allegations dating back 50 years. Many survivors are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and advocates say the legal process is slow and adds to their trauma.
NAISDA, a First Nations arts training organisation, has appointed Tahni Froudist as its next chief executive. Froudist was most recently Deputy CEO and Executive Producer at Flying Fruit Fly Circus. NAISDA Chairperson Mayrah Sonter said the Board was confident Froudist would keep community and First Nations creativity central to the organisation's future. The appointment follows the planned departure of outgoing CEO Kim Walker AM and COO Debra Schleger, whose executive appointments end on 30 November this year. NAISDA is based on Darkinjung Country at Kariong, NSW, and was founded in 1976.
Armidale community radio station 2ARM will honour its long-time musical patron, Uncle Cyril Green Senior, at the 15th Black Gully Festival on Saturday, 7 November. A grant from the NSW Aboriginal Land Council will fund a Welcome to Country and a Smoking Ceremony from 12 midday at Festival Stage Central. Contemporary Aboriginal dance and theatre performances follow from 12:30pm at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place. Performers include the Sharnae Smith Dance Troupe, the Lyãmbay Dance Group and the Saturday Magic Theatre Company. The festival runs from 10am to 7pm.
Up to 150 First Nations psychology students will receive support to finish their studies and build careers in mental health, backed by an $8.3 million federal investment. The program is delivered by the Westerman Jilya Institute for Indigenous Mental Health. Students will receive financial help, mentoring and professional development. Support is open to First Nations students in undergraduate or postgraduate psychology courses at accredited Australian universities, with a focus on regional communities. Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said the aim is to strengthen culturally informed mental health care.
