NRW Lecture: First Nations Australians in the workforce 1840's till present

National Centre for Reconciliation Truth & Justice

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Nations Australians in the workforce from 1840’s till Present” - Presented by Jesse J Fleay

Federation University, Berwick Campus

Location: Online for Multiple Campuses, Business group sessions; Live from Federation University Berwick Campus, 100 Clyde Rd, Berwick VIC 3806, AustraliaDate: Wednesday, 28 May 2025Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM | Lunch from 11:00am (Berwick Campus Only) In this lecture, Jesse J Fleay critically examines the historic and ongoing industrial and economic exploitation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Nations Australians from the 1840s to the present.He will reveal how colonial and federal legislation—beginning with the Aboriginal Orphans Act 1844 and the Aboriginal Witnesses Act 1848—systematically marginalised First Nations peoples by undermining their legal agency and enforcing servitude under the guise of protection and training. Despite landmark legal victories concerning land rights and cultural recognition, there has been no corresponding retributive legislation to address the intergenerational socio-economic harms inflicted by discriminatory laws and practices. This lecture will argue that these injustices are not merely historical, but are entrenched in the modern Australian workforce, where systemic racism continues to shape policies and economic outcomes for many Australians. The absence of meaningful legislative redress reflects an enduring denial of First Nations Australians’ right to self-determination.Drawing on historical analysis and contemporary voices such as Geraldine Atkinson and Marcus Stewart, Jesse J Fleay will assert the urgent need for First Nations-led legislative and institutional reforms. Calling for future research and policymaking that centres Indigenous cultural authority in the design of all economic and industrial systems. By addressing the legislative void that has perpetuated inequality, it is hoped that this lecture will contribute to the broader project of truth-telling and reconciliation in Australia.The lecture will underscore that genuine progress requires acknowledging the economic dimensions of colonisation and committing to structural change guided by First Nations communities themselves. Jesse John Lee Fleay, culturally known as Warlitje Moodjarluk, is a Noongar and Nukunu academic, nearing the completion of his doctoral studies in the discipline of political philosophy, with a focus on constitutional transformation via a republic model of government for Australia.Born on Whadkuk Noongar Boodja, with family links to the Balladong peoples, Jesse lives on Narrm, where he was appointed as a Research Fellow with the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice. This is the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice's 2025 National Reconciliaion Week Public Lecture. See the previous lectures from us at: <a href="https://fedflix.federation.edu.au/category/Reconciliation" title="https://fedflix.federation.edu.au/category/Reconciliation" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://fedflix.federation.edu.au/category/Reconciliation</a> For more information about the National Centre of Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice, see our webpage at: <a href="https://federation.edu.au/about-us/our-university/reconciliation/national-centre-for-reconciliation-truth-and-justice" title="https://federation.edu.au/about-us/our-university/reconciliation/national-centre-for-reconciliation-truth-and-justice" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice - Federation University Australia</a>

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