*** Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article mentions someone who has passed ***
Introduction by Croakey: More than 1,300 people are expected to join the 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference on Kaurna Country in Adelaide this week for a program rich in Indigenous leadership, knowledge-sharing, and collective visioning.
Previewing the conference below, Associate Professor Danielle Manton writes that it will be “a living tribute” to the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG.
The conference artwork, featured above, “reminds us that the path forward is guided by those who came before – and that the future is shaped by those who walk it together”, says Manton.
Bookmark this link to follow more reports from the Croakey Conference News Service.
Danielle Manton writes:
With a fire in our bellies and winter in the air, we’re gearing up for the 2025 Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference.
Held on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, this year’s gathering promises to be a powerful and unifying event – both a celebration of Indigenous leadership and a heartfelt tribute to the legacy of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, a towering figure in Aboriginal rights and health advocacy.
Forecasts predict chilly, rainy days ahead, so we’ll see if returning MC Dan Bourchier swaps his signature blazers for a colourful array of winter parkas.
A proud Lowitja MC alumnus, Bouchier is also an award-winning ABC journalist and broadcaster, widely known for hosting The Drum, covering the Voice referendum, and championing Indigenous voices across the nation and beyond. Other hosts include Luke Carroll, John Paul Janke, Shelley Ware and Kevin Yow Yeh.
The theme, ‘Strong, Fearless, Together’, reflects the values that defined O’Donoghue’s life and work. It also sets the tone for a program rich in Indigenous leadership, knowledge-sharing, and collective visioning for a healthier, more just future.
This year also marks a special milestone for Paul Stewart, a proud Taungurung man with connections to Central Victoria, who is attending his first Lowitja Conference as CEO of the Lowitja Institute.
With a longstanding career in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research, Stewart brings deep experience and vision to the role.
Reflecting on the significance of the event, he said: “First Nations communities have been the knowledge keepers for tens of thousands of years.
“Our 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, the largest Indigenous health and wellbeing conference in the Southern Hemisphere, allows us to share that knowledge for the benefit of all peoples.
“We see it as a vibrant, engaging extension of Lowitja Institute’s everyday work. We look forward to welcoming more than 1,300 delegates from across the globe to Kaurna Country for Lowitja Institute’s biggest conference to date.”
Leading voices
Among the many distinguished speakers is Professor Lindon Coombes, a Yuallaraay man whose family is from Brewarrina in north-west New South Wales.
Coombes is a senior Indigenous policy leader and Director at Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at UTS, with decades of experience in government, consultancy, and Aboriginal affairs.
He acknowledged the importance of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue’s legacy, paying tribute: “She was always a giant in Aboriginal affairs and so generous and warm with her time.”
Coombes will be joined by two other globally respected Indigenous leaders, including Distinguished Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith, PhD CNZM (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Porou, Tuhourangi), a pioneering scholar in decolonising methodologies, Kaupapa Māori, and Mana Wahine.
Smith is a Professor at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and CEO of The Kai Research Institute. Her work has transformed Indigenous research and education globally.
Also joining this discussion will be Dr Alicia Veasey (Zenadth Kes), an obstetrician and gynaecologist, and a leading health systems reformer. Veasey is a Global Atlantic Fellow, a senior advisor to national health bodies, and a board member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association.
Veasey’s work centres on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination in health policy and practice.
Coombes shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming event: “I am very excited to be part of the Lowitja Conference and the panel discussion on racism and health. I am looking forward to hearing from Linda and Alicia who really are at the forefront of their fields.”
Continuing the legacy
Also contributing to the conference is Francis Nona, a proud Torres Strait Islander and researcher at the Carumba Institute, QUT.
With a background in nursing and public health, Nona brings a grounded, community-informed perspective to the event.
Reflecting on O’Donoghue’s legacy, he said: “As an Indigenous man, walking in the footsteps of Aunty Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue means honouring a path carved with courage, dignity, and deep love for our people.”
Nona sees the conference theme as a call to action: “Strong reminds me of the resilience passed down through generations… Fearless calls me to stand boldly… And Together is perhaps the most vital — it is through collective action… that we can drive meaningful change.”
A living tribute
The conference program features a diverse array of Indigenous leaders, researchers, and advocates whose work spans sovereignty, self-determination, Indigenous-led research, climate and Country, and workforce leadership.
These themes are woven through every session, reflecting the strength, courage, and unity that Dr O’Donoghue championed.
Artwork by Eastern Arrernte artist Pat Caruso, inspired by Dr O’Donoghue and other trailblazers, visually anchors the theme.
In his story of the artwork, Caruso says that Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue’s life story has resonated with him since a young age.
“I have followed her journey as a connection to my culture and understanding the historical events that have taken place in Australia – as a descendant of the Stolen Generations and drawing parallels between my mum’s journey and that of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG,” he says.
“My mum, Dr Jenni Caruso, and Dr O’Donoghue were both nurses, and were both influential in education, and honouring self-determination within ourselves. It was important for me to represent leadership in my artwork that has come from people like Dr O’Donoghue, for my daughter, and for my son as well.”
The conference artwork reminds us that the path forward is guided by those who came before – and that the future is shaped by those who walk it together.
In essence, the 2025 Lowitja Conference is a living tribute to Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue.
It is a space where her values are not only remembered but enacted – where being strong, fearless, and together is not just a theme, but a call to action.
• A Barunggam woman, grown up on Dharug Country, Associate Professor Danielle Manton is Director of Indigenous Health Education, Faculty of Health, at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and a member of Croakey Health Media. See her reports from the Third Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference in 2023.
Conference participants may also be interested in this timely exhibition.
Bookmark this link to follow Croakey Conference News Service coverage from #Lowitja2025.
