QIFVLS is proud to have achieved the milestone of 15 years of service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, providing legal and non-legal assistance to thousands of First Nations people who have experienced domestic and family violence, and sexual assault. While the need for services such as ours is not something to celebrate, we acknowledge the achievements of staff, management and the QIFVLS Board whose work and commitment has protected so many in our communities, and provided them with an opportunity to start their lives afresh and without threat.
To acknowledge our 15 Years of service, QIFVLS commissioned local Cairns artist Beau Pennefather Motlop to produce a piece of art that reflects our community, our organisation and the land & waterways that we call home.
Beau is a proud descendant of the Jirrbal, Wagoedaggum and Ngapuhi people and, through his work, a powerful advocate behalf of woman who have experienced domestic and family violence, and sexual abuse. When asked what drives him, Beau said: “I want to be as active as possible in the space – as a male I need to be role modelling the expectation for other men to join me in being a voice for females experiencing DV and sexual abuse. I grew up in a household and neighbourhood that was quite heavy with DV and sexual abuse, so I feel a responsibility to be active in the space and to create awareness”.
Beau is also one of QIFVLS NO2DV Campaign Ambassadors.
Indigenous Queenslanders are over-represented in Elder abuse statistics, a new report has revealed as the state government says there is an urgent need for an inquiry into abuse across the aged-care sector.
A joint report into Elder Abuse by the Queensland Government and Uniting Care, found 4,458 phone calls were made to the Elder Abuse Helpline in 2023-24, with 2,674 notifications of abuse.
Despite only making up 2.4 per cent of the Queensland over 50 population, Indigenous Queenslanders made up 3.7 per cent of abuse victims.
Last month, a parliamentary inquiry into elder abuse was launched, with the report recommending more research into social abuse – a form of coercive control which can be used as means to maintain or hide other forms of abuse.
Across the board, the report found social abuse increased in 2023-24 by 7 per cent, while neglect of older people increased by 24 per cent.
“This report highlights the decade of neglect by the former Labor Government; with year-on-year increases in reports of abuse yet a complete lack of action by our predecessors to change the broken system,” Queensland’s Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services, Amanda Camm, said.
Arguing the inquiry will shine a light on the issues, the Minister said the LNP government was “acting now”.
“All Queenslanders have a role to play in preventing elder abuse including families, communities, service providers and all levels of government,” she said.
“Increasing our understanding of elder abuse and boosting community awareness is vital to stopping the abuse.”
The report found in 2023-23, 94 victims of abuse identified as First Nations—1.5 times higher than the number expected from population statistics.
Elder abuse in Indigenous communities was cited last year when a national campaign was fronted by Elders Yalmay Yunupiŋu and Charlie King OAM.
Ms Yunupiŋu, the 2024 Senior Australian of the Year, said Elders are the backbone of families and communities.
“They deserve dignity and respect, but sometimes abuse can happen to our older people,” the Yolŋu woman said at the launch of the campaign last year.
“We all know the abuse of older people isn’t part of our culture, so we need to come together and yarn about it so we can stop it from happening.”
A 2019 Australian Government report found abuse was more prevalent for Indigenous people experiencing functional dependency, disability, poor physical health, mental illness, substance use, traumatic life events, financial stress and economic hardship and safety.
In many of these metrics, First Nations Australians are over-represented.
While emotional or psychological abuse is the most common – ranging from name calling, being put down, or being shamed; neglect – whereby someone who is looking after an older person doesn’t meet their basic needs – and financial abuse – when an older person’s money is spent without their knowledge or against their will – are also occurring.
“If you feel like something isn’t right with you or someone you know, have a talk to someone you trust, such as a family member, a friend or a health care worker,” Mr King said last year.
“Together, we can all do something about it, starting with a yarn.”
In Queensland, the report noted elder abuse is currently underreported.
“We know six in 10 older people who experience abuse will likely not seek help from a professional source, but instead seek advice from family or friends,” Minister Camm said.
“This inquiry will also help increase awareness right across Queensland, as we work towards better protecting some of the most vulnerable in our communities.”
The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week, which marks 50 years of the event, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’, was announced in January.
With its roots in protest and advocacy for First Nations Australians dating back to the early 20th century, and resulting Day of Mourning recognised the weekend ahead of January 26 each year, the National Aboriginal Day Observance Committee held the first day of remembrance on the second Sunday of July, 1957. Week-long commemorations were adopted in 1975.
National NAIDOC Committee co-chair Aunty Professor Lynette Riley said “over the decades, NAIDOC Week has grown into a powerful national celebration that continues to honour and elevate Indigenous voices, culture and resilience 50 years on”.
“Guided by the wisdom of our Elders and the groundwork laid by our forebears, each NAIDOC Week reinforces our vision for an Australia where Indigenous voices are not only heard but lead the way,” she said.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we look toward the next 50 years of NAIDOC Week celebrations, with excitement and confidence, while ensuring that NAIDOC remains a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity.”
“National NAIDOC Week continues to be Australia’s largest celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and this year we celebrate a milestone 50 years of honoring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture and resilience, through a week of activities,” Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said.
Minister McCarthy added this year’s theme “highlights the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people” and encouraged First Nations communities and organisations to apply for grants.
The National NAIDOC Week Committee circled 2025 as a year they take an ‘important step toward independence, embracing self-determination as a model for the next generation’, the organisation states on its website.
‘With every story shared, every act of resilience remembered, and every cultural practice celebrated, we honour a legacy that reaches far into the past and extends into the future. As we celebrate this milestone, we look toward the next 50 years with excitement and confidence, while everyday ensuring that NAIDOC remains a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity,’ the Committee said.
Fellow Committee co-chair Steven Satour said 50 years of NAIDOC 2025 is more than a milestone “but a movement that endures, grows, and evolves – driven by the unwavering strength of our communities, the shared vision of our people, and the enduring legacy we pass on to those who will shape our future”
The 2023-24 QIFVLS Annual Report is now available. Read about the important work our team has been doing across legal and non-legal matters, in the community and in advocating for change at a policy level.
Christmas may well be disappearing in our collective rear view mirror as we charge into 2025, but here’s a snap-shot of how QIFVLS celebrated the festive season (Noting that not all of our offices provided photographic evidence of their Christmas parties!).
In 2024, our Christmas message was delivered by the QIFelves. You may not have heard about them, but every year they deliver the most important gift of all to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. If you haven’t seen it, watch their story on YouTube by clicking on the image below.
OCM: Tell us a little bit about where you born, brought up and raised.
Shay-Leigh: So I come from a family of six. I’m the second oldest and have older brothers and a sister. My mum’s from Innisfail and dad’s from Cooktown. We have cultural connection as far north as Cooktown (Guugu Yimithirr) and as far south as Murray Upper and out west to Tablelands (Dyirbal).
I identify more with my grandfather’s country from my mum’s side from around Innisfail, Babinda and Mission Beach.
Three or four of my grandparents were a part of the stolen generation – we’re still trying to find out where my dad’s father’s country is. He was removed from his original country when he was very young and placed on Palm Island, and then taken to Cooktown where he was raised from a teenager, so we’re still trying to find out where he’s from. He passed away 10 years ago a lot of knowledge went with him.
OCM: And did you have you had much understanding of culture passed to you?
Shay-Leigh: Yes, through dad’s family who are painters. They do a lot of the indigenous art – weaving and painting and story telling. They come down every year for NAIDOC and host stalls and sell their paintings there, and also sell at the Sunday markets.
OCM: What about in terms of traditional language?
Shay-Leigh: A lot of the Elders got together to write a book to pass down but I haven’t seen it yet. I do know some of the language and I have been teaching that to my boys as well.
OCM: What about you? Where did you grow up and go to school, Shay-Leigh?
Shay-Leigh: We moved around a lot when I was growing up. I was in Year 7 at Tully when Cyclone Larry came through. A lot of homes were destroyed but we were on the outskirts of the actual cyclone, so we were okay. I just remember swimming in all the flood waters afterwards – which shocks me to think about now I have two sons. We were pretty adventurous back then. Growing up with my brothers and my sister we did a lot of bike riding and swimming. We were just always outside or down the local youth centre playing pool and board games.
Later I went to Tully High, then Good Counsel at Innisfail, then Gordonvale, then Bowen High, and then I was at Cairns High for Cairns Year 10 before I went down to do Year 11 at Innisfail State College. I still have I have a lot of friends from those days including a best friend from Grade Two that I am still very close with.
I left school after Year 11 and I got a job as a field officer with TERRAIN a natural resource management organisation looking after the land, which I was really passionate about and worked with them until I fell pregnant at 19 with my first son, Nyel.
Now I have two boys, Nyel who’ll be twelve in March and Harley, who is coming up to eight.
For a few years I was a stay-at-home mum, and with a lot of help from my family I was also able to study at TAFE to become a teacher’s aide. I qualified, but just couldn’t find a passion for that industry.
Then in 2020 I applied for an admin position at QIFVLS and have been here ever since.
OCM: After almost five years in the role, how have you found this experience?
Shay-Leigh: I’ve seen that we actually make a difference with the work that we do. We get involved in child protection matters and, being a mum myself, some of the stories really get to your heart. It motivates you to want to help people. Once you get to the end of the matters and the kids get returned or the matters get finalised, it makes coming to work worth it.
Townsville is a small community, so sometimes I see my clients out and about and they’ll come over and say hello and ask me how I’m going. I’ve got a really good rapport with our communities.
OCM: So, you’ve always been based in Townsville?
Shay-Leigh: Yes, except for the one year when I was based in the Cairns office when my dad was going through his cancer treatment. I’ll be forever grateful for QIFVLS for arranging me to work from Cairns at that time.
QIFVLS has just been so supportive of myself and my family. The last six months has been very hard for us. I lost my sister back in July and I’ve done a lot of counselling and grief therapy sessions since them.
In our house, we are big on mental health. My boys understand what happened with my sister, and that’s why they’re really big on mental health as well. They’ll tell me if they’re not feeling the best and occasionally ask for a day off school.
OCM: What about you? How you do recharge and relax?
Shay-Leigh: I do a lot of netball carnivals. I’m a wing attack or wing defence covering sort of two thirds of the court, so I stay physically fit. I play socially, but it does get competitive from time to time.
As a mum of two boys who are currently into wrestling, we get a lot of WWE moves all over the house. Both the boys play touch football and rugby league, so I like attending their games on Saturdays and Friday nights. Just to see them really improve over the years makes me so proud – I can get a bit teary. I’m a very passionate Cowboys supporter too.
I am studying a diploma in community services as well, so I work part time, four days a week. The goal is to be a social worker for First Nations people, so once I finish my diploma then I’ll look at going to uni.
OCM: Thank you for the great story, Shay-Leigh.
QIFVLS is delighted to announce the return Aaron Luki to the team in the role of Senior Deputy Principal Legal Officer.
Aaron previously worked at QIFVLS as a lawyer and then as a Deputy Principal Legal Officer before taking up a role with DJAG in 2023 where he worked on the Commission of Inquiry into the QPS’s Response to DFV arising out of the A Call for Change report, and as a Director with the First Nations Justice Office. Prior to that Aaron was a Director with OCFOS.
Aaron will be based at Head Office in Cairns but will provide oversight across all of QIFVLS’ Queensland offices and will travel to those regions regularly. Welcome back Aaron.
When an individual or organisation makes a tax deductible donation to QIFVLS, they can be confident that their funds are going towards making a tangible difference to the safety and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence.
Our team are grateful for all donations that help our not-for-profit organisation to continue offering this critical service. Donations of $1,000 or more help fund outreach services to some of Queensland’s most remote ATSI communities.
Are you in search of a rewarding profession that will take you on journeys through the breathtaking landscapes of Queensland? One that promises not only career advancement and skill enhancement, but also attractive perks, substantial travel allowances, and one-of-a-kind professional adventures? Are you drawn to a career that enables you to make a positive difference in the lives of others?
Look no further – your new career awaits you! At QIFVLS, we are dedicated to combating Family and Domestic Violence within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. Our methods encompass education, advocacy, legal reform, court support, and casework assistance. By focusing on early intervention and prevention, our aim is to empower individuals impacted by Family Violence to regain control over their lives. We are in search of outstanding and dynamic individuals who can join us in achieving this mission.
If you envision yourself fitting into this scenario, we encourage you to see what’s available here.
