Butler, Mr Brian (William)

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:50): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. Will the minister inform the council of the recent passing of Aboriginal leader Mr Brian (William) Butler?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his question about William Brian Butler, known to most as Brian Butler, a truly remarkable Aboriginal leader.

It is with deep sadness that I mark the passing of Mr Butler in December 2024. Mr Butler, a Luritja and Eastern Arrernte man from Central Australia, dedicated his life to advancing the rights and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Born in 1938 on Bagot reserve in the top end of the Northern Territory, Mr Butler was sent to Saint Francis Boys Home in the Semaphore area of Adelaide, where he formed connections with remarkable individuals such as Charlie Perkins, Gordon Briscoe and John Moriarty.

Mr Butler's contributions to our nation were both profound and far-reaching. For over 60 years he was front and centre of numerous campaigns, in particular to raise awareness and support for the stolen generations and their families and communities. Early into his career of lifelong advocacy, Mr Butler recognised the limitations of government institutions in addressing Aboriginal issues and Aboriginal disadvantage, and he established the South Australian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. Its primary purpose was to recruit Aboriginal foster parents to take in Aboriginal children, aiming to place children with members of their extended family or another Aboriginal family where that was not possible.

He played a significant role in advocating for the Australian Human Rights Commission's National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children. This would culminate in the 1997 'Bringing Them Home' report.

During 2021 Mr Butler and Mr John Bond published Sorry and Beyond Healing: the Stolen Generations, which tells the story of Mr Butler's life and the tragedy of children stolen as part of the stolen generations. The foreword to Mr Butler's biography was written by former Australian Prime Minister the Hon. Dr Kevin Rudd, who also attended the Adelaide book launch via video link from the United Nations. This speaks to the manner and respect afforded to Mr Butler, and his advocacy on behalf of Aboriginal people within South Australia and nationally.

His lifework serves as a reminder of the progress we have made and the challenges that still lie ahead. As we mourn his loss we also celebrate his remarkable achievements, and reaffirm our commitment to the principles he fought so tirelessly to uphold. Mr Butler's passing is a great loss to the South Australian community generally and to the Aboriginal community specifically.