Dr Tony McAvoy SC, esteemed barrister and 2018 QUT Alumnus of the Year, has returned to QUT to deliver the university’s signature Indigenous excellence address, the Meanjin Oration.
Australia’s first Indigenous Senior Counsel, Dr McAvoy SC has spent more than 40 years advocating for Indigenous Australian rights across native title, human rights and constitutional law reform.
The Wirdi man, who grew up in Inala, south of Brisbane, spoke before a packed audience at the free public event in Brisbane, sharing that his journey to becoming a lawyer and passing the bar wasn’t always a smooth one.
“When I first started out I was quite intimidated by the legal system, and I realised I had taken on a lot of the negative sentiment that existed towards First Nations people,” Dr McAvoy said.
“I was attempting things that hadn’t been done by a First Nations person before, and I felt like any moment the door would close for me.”
Living overseas for a few years in the 1990s taught him that the level of racism he experienced in Australia did not exist everywhere and he returned in 1994 ‘feeling fearless, strong and motivated’.
“Now I try to work with younger Indigenous Australian lawyers wherever possible, to ensure they have someone in their corner showing it is possible, and they do belong here,” he said.
Dr McAvoy graduated from QUT with a Bachelor of Laws in 1988 and has sustained an ongoing connection with the QUT School of Law while being widely recognised for his leadership, advocacy and impact on the Australian legal landscape.
Career highlights have included assisting the Royal Commission into Youth Detention in the Northern Territory and serving as Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court.
Dr McAvoy is now Chair of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owner Aboriginal Corporation and a director on the board of the Council of First Nations.
QUT Vice-Chancellor Professor Margaret Sheil said the Meanjin Oration championed QUT’s foundational work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence.
"We are proud of the progress QUT has made in recent years, championing Indigenous-led research with the creation of the Carumba Institute, our range of courses teaching Indigenous Australian perspectives and knowledges, and our Campus to Country strategy, but we acknowledge there is still work to do,” Professor Sheil said.
“Embedding Indigenous knowledges is not static; there are new challenges, new opportunities, and new partnerships to build.”
The invitation to address QUT’s annual Meanjin Oration also coincided with the 2025 National Indigenous Legal Conference, hosted this year by QUT, amplifying national dialogue on Indigenous legal futures.
Dr McAvoy SC spoke of the need for increased unity across all First Nations people, and the importance of recognising First Nations lores and customs in policy creation.
“To call yourself First Nations is to have a responsibility to your communities,” he said.
“Power to create a better future will be found when we stand together, and when we come together to speak, united in our goals and culture, people will listen.”
The QUT Meanjin Oration, organised through the Carumba Institute, is now in its fourth year, with previous guest speakers including First Nations songwriter Uncle Joe Geia, Indigenous Leader Noel Pearson and Distinguished Professor Marcia Langton AO.
A recording of the 2025 QUT Meanjin Oration will be made available following the event on the QUT Meanjin Oration webpage.
Main image: Meanjin Oration guest orator Dr Tony McAvoy SC. Picture: Anthony Weate/QUT
QUT Media:
Kate Sarri, (07) 3138 1318 / media@qut.edu.au
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