July 30, 2025
The Cherbourg Elders Group met this week to reflect on their first 12 months of acting as an advisory body to the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council.
Chair Uncle Eric Law AM said the group had been started through “a mixture” of things.
“I think Council was very keen on getting advice from Elders, particularly on cultural and community matters,” he said.
“I think a few Elders wanted to have a forum for their voices … it all came together.”
Uncle Eric said Cherbourg had a Youth forum, an Elders forum and a Council.
“If we can connect all those three in some way or another, the right information will get to our decision-makers,” he said.
He believed the biggest thing the group had been involved in during the past year was Cherbourg’s truth-telling event.
This was held last November after the State Government axed the Path To Treaty process and the related public and private hearings which had been scheduled to be held in Cherbourg by the Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry.
Uncle Eric said it was a real test for the Elders, who “could have just rolled over” to the State Government.
“Our Elders Group said no. It’s our right to have truth-telling.”
Thinking about the future, Uncle Eric said hoped the Elders Group would be able to “wake up” culture.
“I would like us to come back to culture. We need to be able to get respect back in the community … and our Elders need to be leading that process,” he said.
Deputy chair Aunty Christine Stewart said the group had grown over the past 12 months.
“We have looked at a lot of issues here and a lot of government departments have come and asked our Elders Group for advice,” Aunty Christine said.
It wasn’t just Council that the group was working with; it was other government departments and agencies, including health, police and education.
Aunty Christine said Cherbourg community members were also now raising issues to be discussed at the Elders Group meetings.
Former mayor Uncle Arnold Murray said it had been a deadly journey and he hoped it would continue to go forward to make Cherbourg a better and a safer place.
The Cherbourg Elders Group was set up by Cherbourg Council in July last year.
Its inaugural members were Eric Law (chair), Christine Stewart (deputy chair) and members Leila Davidson, Neil Simpson, Cynthia Button, Arnold Murray, Lance Hill, Lindsay Cobbo and Kenny Day.
Earlier, Council had invited expressions of interest from community members to join the group.
The applicants had to live in Cherbourg, be well-respected in the community and be willing to commit to the group for at least 12 months.
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