Keynote Speaker - The Hon. Fred Chaney AO

"The Best of Both Worlds - Layers of Meaning and Possibilities across Landscapes"

Fred Chaney was born in Perth in 1941.  He practised law in New Guinea and Western Australia, including time in-house with the Hancock-Wright prospecting partnership, and subsequent private practice with emphasis on mining related work until he entered the Senate in 1974.  Fred was involved in the Aboriginal Legal Service in a voluntary capacity in the early 1970’s.  He was in the Senate until 1990 and was Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 1983 to 1990.  He was Member for Pearce in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993.  Among his Ministerial appointments were Aboriginal Affairs, Social Security and Minister Assisting the Minister for National Development and Energy.  After leaving Parliament he undertook research into Aboriginal Affairs policy and administration as a Research Fellow with the Graduate School of Management at the University of Western Australia from 1993 to 1995. He was appointed Chancellor of Murdoch University in 1995 and continued in that capacity until 2003.

In 1994 he was appointed as a part-time Member of the National Native Title Tribunal, a full-time Member in April 1995 and was Deputy President from 2000 to 2007.

In January 1997 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

He served as Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia Ltd from 2000 to 2005 and continues as a Director on the Board.

In 2007 he chaired the Consultation Committee on a Human Rights Act for Western Australia.