Last month’s Lowitja Learning Summit in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) was a great success. As part of this series of workshops, we brought together local educators, health workers, and knowledge-holders to discuss opportunities for communities to be involved in – and lead – health research. We were honoured to be joined by Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith (Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Porou), a revered Māori academic and author of Decolonizing Methodologies. Linda provided very positive feedback about the visit, particularly meeting with local community-based researchers and practitioners.
Our next Lowitja Learning Summit will be held on Wiradjuri Country in Orange next week. We look forward to engaging with local Aboriginal community controlled organisations, researchers, and partners during this two-day capability seminar. Professor Michelle Kennedy, a proud Wiradjuri woman from the University of Newcastle, will be returning to Wiradjuri Country as the event’s guest facilitator.
March also saw Lowitja Institute host a Research Agenda Roundtable on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country in Canberra. The discussions revisited Lowitja Institute’s early days as the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal and Tropical Health (CRCATH), established in 1997, as well as exploring how the organisation has since evolved and broadened its remit. This event provided an opportunity to spend time with Lowitja Institute’s co-patron Aunty Pat Anderson AO and Stephanie Bell, who were both instrumental in the establishment of the CRCATH back in 1997, as well as Lowitja Institute Chairperson Craig Ritchie, CATSINaM CEO Dr Ali Drummond, and Fiona Cornforth, Head of Yardhura Walani.
If you’d like a say on future health and wellbeing research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled organisations, our survey closes at the end of this month. Share your research agenda feedback in the 10-minute survey here.
ngun-godjin
(thank you)
Paul Stewart
CEO
New report outlines lessons learnt from Aboriginal-led co-design in practice
A newly published Roundtable Outcomes Report captures key findings and recommendations from our July 2025 online event that brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics, experts, and practitioners of co-design.
The co-design roundtable followed earlier work (in partnership with Yardhura Walani, the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University) to develop a position paper aimed at sparking critical debate and discussion on the future of co-design practice with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Roundtable Outcomes Report provides an update on consultations with key community members and stakeholders on the June 2025 position paper, as well as additional strong case studies that illustrate key approaches to authentic co-design.
This paper also presents key calls to action for governments to ensure dramatic improvements in co-design practices, to further meet governments’ obligations under the priority reforms of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
Last month we hosted a Research Agenda Roundtable at the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre, Australian National University, on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. This was a great afternoon of shared experiences, insights, and gems of wisdom, bringing together key stakeholders and members of our executive to better understand the aspirations of the CRC for Aboriginal and Tropical Health (established in 1997) and Lowitja Institute's work today.
We also took the opportunity to engage participants in the ‘Looking back to look forward: aspirations for community controlled research’ project.
(L-to-R): Dr Ali Drummond, Rosemary Smith, Paul Stewart, Stephanie Bell, Craig Ritchie, Fiona Cornforth, Michael Newman, and Aunty Pat Anderson AO.
Closing the Gap process: public sector reform and increased accountability required
The Close the Gap Campaign 2026 Report calls on all Australian governments to immediately accelerate action and public sector reform to enable genuine selfdetermination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to deliver on commitments agreed to in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
The report identifies public sector reform as critical to achieving meaningful progress towards National Agreement goals. Enabled by ongoing and enduring power imbalances, government institutions continue to retain control over decision-making, funding, and accountability, which undermines progress across the Agreement's Priority Reform areas and Targets. All levels of government must commit to action to dismantle entrenched power imbalances and shift decision-making authority to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith joined us last month in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), at the Purple Shed, for a powerful, hands-on exploration of Indigenous research in community contexts, as part of the Lowitja Learning Summit series. The workshop brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators, health workers, and knowledge holders, each participating in rich, meaningful dialogue. Grounded in Indigenous knowledges, the session highlighted the strength of community-led and controlled research where research is shaped by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
(L-to-R) Standing: Belinda Napaljarri Wayne, Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Samara Gillard, Nick Wilson, Vanessa Doleman, Glenda Napaljarri Wayne, Tamara Stockdale, Chantal Ober, Dearna Newchurch, Guy Krippner, Sonia Waters, Tim Ramm, Elaine Wills, Jude Lovell, Isobel Major, and Elaine Williams. Crouching: Michelle Sweet, Jessica Baker, and Kureisha Wilson.
(L-to-R): Roxanne Coleman-Sambo from Purple House; Joyce Palmer from Purple House with Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
Professor Larissa Behrendt to deliver Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration
Lowitja Institute and the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation are proud presenting partners of the 19th annual Lowitja O’Donoghue Oration, hosted by the Don Dunstan Foundation.
Award-winning author, filmmaker, broadcaster, and academic Professor Larissa Behrendt AO will deliver the 2026 Oration. Professor Behrendt, Distinguished Professor and Laureate Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute of the University of Technology Sydney, will reflect on First Nations women’s leadership as a force of social cohesion and national maturity. Drawing inspiration from Dr O’Donoghue’s insistence that justice is 'not about guilt', the address – titled 'Strength with Grace: Bringing the Nation Together' – will explore a model leadership grounded in relational accountability, cultural authority, and collective responsibility.
This year’s Oration will be held on Wednesday 3 June, during National Reconciliation Week, at Adelaide University’s Elder Hall on Kaurna Country. Livestream online tickets also available.
The Lowitja Journal: Dr Ali Drummond presents first 'Knowing, Being and Doing' webinar
Yesterday, Dr Ali Drummond (Meriam and Erubam) presented The Lowitja Journal's first online webinar for the year to kick off the 'Knowing, Being and Doing' webinar series. This 'Indigenist Assemblage' session offered valuable insights into the critical entanglement with various theoretical principles and approaches that shaped the development of the theoretical framework for Ali’s research thesis.
Ali yarned about the challenges and nuances involved in creating coherence and trustworthiness at the intersections of these principles and approaches, highlighting how these tensions were navigated during the process.
Invitation to participate in Uni of Adelaide's Mapping Journeys for Health and Wellbeing research project
Lowitja Institute funded the Managing Two Worlds Together (MTWT) and Health Journey Mapping (HJM) projects between 2008 and 2022, generating tools to map and improve healthcare journeys for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The University of Adelaide research team, led by Professor Janet Kelly, is now undertaking Mapping Journeys for Health and Wellbeing, exploring how these tools are being used in practice and their impact.
Eligibility
Have used or adapted MTWT or HJM tools in any setting
Aged 18 years or older
You’re invited to contribute to the research through a survey (30 minutes) and/or interview/case study (30–60 minutes). Complete the survey here. To participate in an interview, email mapping.journeys@adelaide.edu.au
Haven’t used these tools but are interested to learn more?
If you’re interested in journey mapping but haven’t yet used the tools, the team also welcomes expressions of interest for future activities. Contact janet.kelly@adelaide.edu.au, mapping.journeys@adelaide.edu.au, or +61 8 313 0964 (Janet Kelly, Project Lead)
This project has ethics approval from AHCSA (#04-25-1192) and Adelaide University (#4075).
Our Ways Strong Together: groundbreaking peak body launched on Ngunnawal Country
Last month Lowitja Institute representatives were on Ngunnawal Country, attending the launch of Our Ways Strong Together, a new peak body that will work with community controlled organisations to support effective, culturally grounded responses to family, domestic and sexual violence. Speakers included Interim Director, Our Ways Strong Together, Muriel Bamblett; Interim Chair, Our Ways Strong Together, and NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills; and Founder & Chairperson, Galiwin’ku Women’s Space Inc and anti-domestic violence campaigner, Bettina Danganbarr, alongside Minister Malarndirri McCarthy and Minister Tanya Plibersek.
NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills.
(L-to-R): Lowitja Institute Senior Policy Officers, Emily Thomson and Alice Cazalet.
Survey reminder – Looking back to look forward: aspirations for community controlled research
Our ‘Looking back to look forward: aspirations for community controlled research’ project survey closes at the end of April. You are invited to have your say about the priorities, experiences, and aspirations for future health and wellbeing research led by Aboriginal community controlled organisations. The survey will take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
Policy and advocacy opportunities Expressions of Interest are now open to contribute to policy and advocacy work at Lowitja Institute. This opportunities involve working directly on policy and project initiatives, contributing to the development and implementation of strategies guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led health research, community priorities, and knowledge translation.
We welcome Expressions of Interest from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples with experience in policy development, project work, or other directly relevant areas, and invite you to share your knowledge, perspectives, or ideas that could help shape this work.
Evaluation report and video, An Aboriginal-led evaluation of Ngalla Wirrin Wungening (Our Spirit Healing) alcohol and other drug program, Wungening Aboriginal Corporation
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