Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities
Library and Archives NT is proud to announce the 2020 Eric Johnston Lecture.
The Eric Johnston Lecture has been running since 1986, during Commodore Eric Johnston’s time as the Administrator of the Northern Territory. The lecture invites a prominent Territorian to reflect on an aspect of development in the Northern Territory.
This year’s event will be presented by Thomas Mayor, author of Finding the Heart of the Nation – the Journey of the Uluru Statement towards Voice, Treaty and Truth. A proud Torres Strait Islander man, Thomas has championed the proposals in the Uluru Statement. In his lecture, When the Dreaming Becomes Us, Thomas will share stories about his life, the struggles and triumphs of First Nations people, and what he envisions for the future.
Past Eric Johnston Lecture speakers have included:
- proud Rak Mak Mak Marranunggu woman and Charles Darwin University Northern Institute’s Principal Research Fellow, Associate Professor Linda Payi Ford
- Sister Anne Gardiner, educator and 2017 Senior Australian of the Year
- Manawuy Yunupingu, 1992 Australian of the Year
- Sir Paul Hasluck, former Governor-General of Australia.
Transcripts and recordings of former guest speakers can be found at ntl.nt.gov.au/eric-johnston-lecture
This year’s Eric Johnston Lecture will take place at the NT Library at Parliament House at 5:30pm on Wednesday 11 November, 2020.
Tickets to the event are sold out however it will be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/LibraryArchivesNT.
As noted by Patrick Gregory, Senior Director of Library & Archives NT
“The Eric Johnston Lecture is always one of the highlights of our events calendar, with our speakers drawing on the lessons of our past to point towards directions for our collective future.
“Drawing inspiration from the courage of the Gurindji people and the struggles of First Nations people across the Territory’s history, Thomas Mayor will focus on the importance of turning our dreams into a reality through the Uluru Statement’s focus on Voice, Treaty and Truth.
