University of Melbourne confers Honorary Doctorate on Uncle Paul Briggs AO
Pictured: Uncle Paul Briggs AO, conferred an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Melbourne.
The University of Melbourne has conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Yorta Yorta leader Uncle Paul Briggs AO, in recognition of his lifetime of community leadership and advocacy for Indigenous people’s rights and advancement.
The Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), the University’s highest honour, was conferred on Uncle Briggs at a graduation ceremony on Monday 16 December.
Uncle Paul has been a major proponent of the vital role sport plays in Indigenous communities, using sport as a mechanism to break down racial barriers and engage with the wider community. He is renowned for his role as the founding President of the Rumbalara Football Netball Club (RFNC), where he led a 15-year campaign for the club to be admitted into the wider Central Goulburn Football League.
The RFNC is one of several pivotal institutions Uncle Paul was involved in throughout his career. He was also the Founding Chairman of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and established the First Nations Australian Credit Union, the first Indigenous credit union offering national access to financial services.
Uncle Paul instigated the Academy of Sport Health and Education (ASHE) in 2004, through a collaboration with former University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Glyn Davis. This joint initiative between the RFNC and the University supports young Indigenous people through their transition to employment or further education.
In 2005 Uncle Paul became the first Indigenous man to join the Council of the University of Melbourne in its 150-year history.
Most recently, Uncle Paul was instrumental in founding the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence, a partnership between the University of Melbourne, Munarra Limited, RFNC, and the Kaiela Institute.
Earlier this year, Uncle Paul received an Order of Australia for his distinguished service to the Indigenous community, to social welfare through economic inclusion and reconciliation, and to sporting organisations.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Professor Barry Judd said: "Through his lifelong dedication to Indigenous self-determination and commitment to education, and his long-term working relationship with The University of Melbourne, Uncle Paul Briggs has challenged his community to pursue excellence and raised community expectations”.
“I have been honoured to work alongside him in creating pathways that uplift and empower future generations in Goulburn Valley and beyond. His work to make the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence a reality is an exceptional achievement that will be a key legacy of his lifetime commitment to Yorta Yorta excellence.”