Sue Gordon
{{Short description|Aboriginal retired magistrate}}
{{For|persons of a similar name|Susan Gordon (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sue Gordon {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}}
| image =
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| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1943}}
| birth_place = Belele Station, Western Australia
| occupation = Magistrate
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| children = 3
| alma_mater = University of Western Australia
}}
Sue Gordon {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} is an Aboriginal retired magistrate from Western Australia who has been locally and nationally honoured for her work with Aboriginal people and in community affairs. She is known for being chair of the Gordon Inquiry (the Inquiry into response by government agencies to complaints of family violence and child abuse in Aboriginal communities) in 2002.
Early life
Born at Belele Station, near Meekatharra, Western Australia in 1943, she was separated from her mother and family at the age of four and raised at Sister Kate's home in Queens Park, Western Australia. After leaving school, she joined the army as a full-time soldier and between 1961 and 1964 was a full-time member of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) based mostly in the eastern states.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}
Administrative career
Following her army career she worked in various administrative positions around Australia and, in the early 1970s, started a long association with the Pilbara region, working mostly in Aboriginal Affairs with both urban and traditional people. She was awarded the National Aboriginal Overseas Study Award to study employment programs with a number of Native American communities in the United States in 1977.
She was appointed as Commissioner for Aboriginal Planning in 1986, becoming the first Aboriginal person to head a government department in Western Australia,{{cite web | url = http://www.catl.uwa.edu.au/tlf06/keynote_speaker | title = Dr Sue Gordon AM | work = UWA, Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Teaching and Learning Forum 2006 | accessdate = 2007-04-30}} and in 1988 was appointed as a magistrate in the Perth Children's Court, at which time she was the first full-time and first Aboriginal magistrate in the state's history.{{cite web | url = http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/accan/speakers/gordon.shtml | title = Keynote Speaker: Sue Gordon | work = Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect | access-date = 2007-04-28 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070320040919/http://www.nzfvc.org.nz/accan/speakers/gordon.shtml | archive-date = 20 March 2007}}
In 1990, she was appointed as one of the first five commissioners of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), for one year.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
In 2002, she was appointed to head an inquiry into family violence and child abuse in Western Australian Aboriginal communities by the Premier of Western Australia, Geoff Gallop. The Inquiry into response by government agencies to complaints of family violence and child abuse in Aboriginal communities, which became known as the Gordon Inquiry,{{cite book|last1=Gordon|first1=Sue|last2= Hallahan|first2= Kay|last3=Henry|first3= Darrell|title=Putting the picture together: Inquiry into response by government agencies to complaints of family violence and child abuse in Aboriginal communities|date=31 July 2002|url=https://www.slp.wa.gov.au/publications/publications.nsf/DocByAgency/FEB7D71FB3A6AF1948256C160018F8FE/%24file/Gordon+Inquiry+Final.pdf|publisher= Western Australian Government. Dept of Premier and Cabinet|access-date=11 October 2019}} resulted in the closure of the controversial Swan Valley Noongar Camp. The inquiry had been instigated as a result of a November 2001 report by the State Coroner on the death of a teenage girl at the Swan Valley Camp. The coroner found that the girl had encountered "sexual violation, violence, and the ravages of alcohol and substance abuse. In desperation, and despite contact with several government agencies, she died in tragic circumstances at the age of 15". The report by the Inquiry ran to over 640 pages and made 197 findings and recommendations.{{cite web | url = http://www.gordonresponse.dpc.wa.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.introduction | title = The Gordon Inquiry | publisher = Department of the Premier and Cabinet | date = 2 May 2005 | accessdate = 30 April 2007}}
On 15 April 2004, Senator Amanda Vanstone, Minister for Indigenous Affairs appointed her as head of the new National Indigenous Council, an advisory body to the Federal Government, following the winding down of ATSIC.{{cite web |url=http://www.atsia.gov.au/NIC/default.aspx |title=National Indigenous Council |work=Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs |date=21 June 2007 |access-date=2007-04-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510154041/http://www.atsia.gov.au/NIC/default.aspx |archive-date=10 May 2007}} Following her appointment, she was interviewed and asked for her views on the Stolen Generation, and whether she would seek an apology from Prime Minister, John Howard, to which she replied: "No. I personally didn't want an apology because it should have gone to my mother. But my mother's passed away now, so it's too late. And what's an apology going to achieve now?"{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1260070.htm | title = Indigenous Council head speaks out | first = Mick | last = O'Donnell | website = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date = 7 December 2004 | accessdate = 28 April 2007}}
Gordon chaired the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Taskforce from June 2007 to June 2008.{{cite web | url = http://www.daa.wa.gov.au/en/About-DAA/Boards-And-Committees/IIB/IIB-Members/ | title = Indigenous Implementation Board membership | author = Department of Aboriginal Affairs Website | date = 16 April 2010 | access-date = 19 June 2013 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140304064633/http://www.daa.wa.gov.au/en/About-DAA/Boards-And-Committees/IIB/IIB-Members/ | archive-date = 4 March 2014}}
In 2010 she joined the Jawun board.{{citation|url=http://www.jawun.org.au/Default.aspx?id=%7BC847A146-61EA-4A98-AF42-09E52BDD66BA%7D|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209081406/http://jawun.org.au/Default.aspx?id=%7BC847A146-61EA-4A98-AF42-09E52BDD66BA%7D|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 February 2011|title=Board & CEO|publisher=Jawun}} Also that year, she accepted the position of president of the Federation of Western Australian Police and Community Youth Centres (WA PCYC) and, {{As of|2017|7|lc=y}}, still holds the position.[https://www.wapcyc.com.au/about-us/our-team Our Board] at WA YPC, 2017
{{as of |2018}}, she was President{{Cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/child-protection/child-protection-authorities-are-not-creating-another-stolen-generation-says-magistrate-sue-gordon-ng-b88738204z|title=No new Stolen Generation, says Aboriginal magistrate|date=2018-02-08|work=The West Australian|access-date=2018-04-05|language=en-GB}} of The Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation,{{Cite web|url=http://pff.com.au/|title=The Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation|website=The Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2018-04-05}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/rowen-jasmine-and-2000-others-follow-the-dream/news-story/7087a9e4f884021830a22cba27b8a5e6|title='Rowen, Jasmine and 2000 others follow the dream', Page 5, The Australian, 31 March 2018|website=www.theaustralian.com.au|language=en|access-date=2018-04-05}} an educational not-for-profit founded in 1995.
Honours
Gordon has a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Western Australia and, in 2003, received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (Hon.DLitt) from the same university. Other awards include the Aboriginal Development Commission Australia Day Council Award in 1986, the Paul Harris Fellow from the Rotary Club of Perth in 1994 and, in 2003, the Centenary Medal for service to the community, particularly the Aboriginal community.
She received the Order of Australia award in 1993 in recognition of her work with Aboriginal people and community affairs.
See also
References
=Citations=
{{Reflist}}
=Other sources=
- {{cite news | title = Blessed is the Peacemaker | work = The West Australian | date = 28 April 2007 | first = Daniel | last = Emerson | at = Society liftout, pp 6–7 }}
- {{cite news | title = Sue Gordon | date = 27 October 2002 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/message/radio/speaking/stories/s712334.htm | first = Karen |last = Dorante | accessdate = 28 April 2007 }}
- {{cite web | url = http://www.justice.wa.gov.au/C/childrenscourt.aspx?uid=5270-7206-8701-6698 | title = Children's Court | work = Department of the Attorney General (Western Australia) | accessdate = 2007-05-02}}
- {{cite web | url = http://www.bulletin.ninemsn.com/article.aspx?id=284419 | title = "Lunch with Sue Gordon", by Ellen Fanning | work = The Bulletin (10 August 2007), pp 26–29 | accessdate = 2007-11-01}}
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Category:Indigenous Australians from Western Australia
Category:Indigenous Australian politicians
Category:Members of the Stolen Generations
Category:People from Meekatharra, Western Australia