Roach, Mr A.

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. T. A. Franks:

That this council expresses its sincere regret at the death of singer songwriter Archie Roach and notes his profound contribution to our cultural and community life.

(Continued from 7 September 2022.)

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (17:37): I rise to support the condolence motion of the Hon. Tammy Franks in honour of the late Archie Roach. Archibald William Roach, as is his proper name, was a Gunditjmara and Bundjalung man who became very well known in Australia and South Australia as a singer-songwriter. He used this medium incredibly effectively to tell stories which would transcend the boundaries of music.

Born on 8 January 1956 in Mooroopna, Victoria, Archie's life journey was marked by both triumph and adversity. Some time as a preschooler, he was removed from his family as part of the stolen generation by government agencies. Following some difficult experiences in foster care, Archie was taken in by Alex and Dulcie Cox, a family of Scottish immigrants residing in Melbourne.

Archie's passion for music was influenced by the Scottish tunes in that household. The family's oldest daughter, Mary, who sang church hymns, taught Roach how to play the guitar and keyboard. At the age of 15, Archie connected with his biological sister, Myrtle, who informed him that their mother had recently passed away. Following that, he spent time living on the streets. He was to encounter his future wife, Ruby Hunter, who was also well-known for her music, at the Salvation Army drop-in centre on Pirie Street here in Adelaide, which would lead to a creative partnership that would influence the Australian music scene.

Archie rose to prominence with his song Took the Children Away, which he first performed in 1988 and was recorded on his debut album Charcoal Lane in 1990. This song brought national attention to the experiences of the stolen generations and earned both critical and public acclaim. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he released 10 studio albums, toured internationally and became a leading voice for truth-telling and reconciliation through music. His contributions to the arts were recognised through numerous accolades, including winning multiple ARIA Awards and being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. He also won the Red Ochre Award and the Human Rights Achievement Award.

In 2014, demonstrating his commitment to nurturing future generations of artists, Archie established the Archie Roach Foundation, dedicated to supporting emerging Aboriginal artists. He passed away in Warrnambool, Victoria, on 30 July 2022, leaving behind a rich legacy. His life and work serve as a testament to the profound impact he had on our society and the artistic landscape of Australia. Vale Archie Roach.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, Special Minister of State) (17:41): I rise to speak on behalf of the government with deep respect and heartfelt support of the Hon. Tammy Franks' motion on Uncle Archie Roach, a man whose voice has helped shape the soul of this country. Born in 1955, Archie's family lived on the Framlingham Aboriginal mission near Warrnambool. He was one of the stolen generations, taken as a child from his mother, Nellie, a Gunditjmara woman, and father, Archie, a Bundjalung man from New South Wales.

Uncle Archie was more than a musician. He was an advocate, a storyteller and a national treasure. Over a career that spanned more than three decades, Archie released more than 10 albums, beginning with the groundbreaking debut Charcoal Lane in 1990. It was from that album that the world first heard Took the Children Away, a powerful and deeply personal ballad that would go on to shape Australia's general understanding of the stolen generations. It is a song, which in my and many people's view, opened the eyes, hearts and minds of the broader nation in a way that had not been achieved at that time. It is amazing to hear stories from Aboriginal people about the first time they heard that song and the effect it had on them. Their experiences had not yet been reflected or told.

Across his career, Uncle Archie received nine ARIA Awards, eight Deadly Awards, four National Indigenous Music Awards and many other honours. He was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Hall of Fame, the Music Victoria Hall of Fame and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2015.

In South Australia in 1973, while living on the streets, Archie met his life partner, Ngarrindjeri woman Ruby Hunter. After a long history of alcoholism, he had credited her as his saviour. Ruby was also of the stolen generations and a talented musician in her own right. The two soulmates embarked on a journey of healing through music.

Beyond accolades of music, Uncle Archie's legacy is felt in the lives he touched. He helped Aboriginal people feel seen. He opened hearts and created space for truth and healing. As is shown in the many years that Archie and Ruby opened their house to disadvantaged young people in need of support that they themselves had found in each other, Archie later recalled that he had not tallied it up but he estimated he and Ruby fostered more than 20 children over their lives.

In April 2022, and I think at my first official function as a minister after the 2022 election, we came together to unveil the Ruby Hunter and Archie Roach monuments on the Lake Bonney waterfront at Barmera on the lands of the River Murray and Mallee peoples, who were represented at that ceremony by Aunty Ena Turner, who provided the Welcome to Country. It was an honour, at the unveiling of those monuments, to be alongside members of Aunty Ruby's and Uncle Archie's family, including Uncle Wally Richards and Uncle Jeffrey Hunter.

It was also the first time I think I met the late Rhonda Centofanti, who at the time was a Berri Barmera councillor and a key driver of delivering these monuments. The monuments contain artworks depicting Aunty Ruby's totem, the pelican (nori) and Uncle Archie's totem, the eagle (wuldi). The monuments are symbols of resilience, cultural pride and the strength that comes from telling the truth. Uncle Archie gave us more than music: he gave us language for our pain, hope for our healing. His voice may be gone but his songs live in the hearts and minds of generations yet to come.

Motion carried.