Last week was all good news and congratulations on the RDHP Program. RDHP Advisory Committee Chair, Professor Jakelin Troy, was named one of the Financial Review’s ‘100 Women of Influence’. Jaky was recognised for her work on developing the Aboriginal Languages K-10 Syllabus for the Board of Studies NSW, including serving as lead writer of the Framework for Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Island Languages. Later this month, Jaky will be speaking at The University of Sydney’s Uluru Statement from the Heart event, Recognition and Renewal, being held at the Old Rum Store, Chippendale on Thursday 26 September.

Professor Lynette Russell, Deputy Chair, was awarded both an ARC Laureate Fellowship and the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship. The project will examine 1,000 years of dynamic encounters between Australia’s Indigenous peoples and voyagers from the sea. Together with her role as Deputy Director of CABAH, Lynette’s new project will bring new insights into Australia’s deep history and be of great value to RDHP’s project.

In late July, the Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting when Jaky and Lynette were appointed to their roles. The morning session focused on establishment arrangements and reporting on the program’s progress from RDHP’s director, Professor Ann McGrath, and postdoctoral researchers Laura Rademaker, Ben Silverstein and Mike Jones. The afternoon engaged all in a conversation on future directions, with guidance and advice from the committee who provided many thoughtful and valuable ideas. Overall, this first meeting of the Advisory Committee proved very fruitful, establishing a firm foundation for the governance and guidance of the RDHP Program and the Research Centre in the future.