Eric Deeral facts for kids

Eric Deeral (born 23 August 1932 – died 5 September 2012) was an important Australian politician. He made history as the second Indigenous Australian person to be elected to an Australian parliament. Even more, he was the very first Indigenous person elected to a state parliament.

Early Life and Community Work

Eric Deeral was born in a place called Hopevale Lutheran Mission in Cape York, Queensland. He was part of the Gamay clan, which belongs to the Guugu Yimithirr people. During World War II, he was moved to Woorabinda for safety.

Eric left school when he was 13 years old. He worked as a labourer and a stockman, which is someone who works with cattle on a farm. In 1957, he became the Chairman of the Hope Vale Mission Community Council. This shows he was a leader in his community from a young age.

A Step into Politics

In 1964, a big meeting took place on Palm Island, Queensland. Elders from the Guugu Yimithirr clans decided they wanted to be more involved in politics. They chose Eric Deeral to represent them and run for parliament.

Eric joined the Country Party. He also worked with the Queensland Department of Aboriginal Affairs. He was chosen to run for the state seat of Cook in the 1974 Queensland state election. This area covered Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands.

Making History in Parliament

The seat of Cook was usually won by the Labor Party. However, Eric Deeral won the election as part of a big victory for the National and Liberal Party team. His win was partly because of a plan by the Labor Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam. This plan suggested changing the border between Australia and Papua New Guinea in the Torres Strait.

Eric Deeral's election was a huge moment. He became the second Indigenous Australian to be elected to an Australian parliament. The first was Neville Bonner, who was elected to the Australian Senate in 1971. Eric Deeral was the first Indigenous person to be elected to a state or territory parliament in Australia.

Working for His Community

While in parliament, Eric Deeral worked hard for the people in his area. He pushed for better roads to help tourism and other businesses grow. He also helped to get improvements for local schools and better access to medical care.

Before the 1977 state election, Eric's chances of winning again were affected. A national eye health program for Aboriginal people in his area was paused by the Queensland Government. This happened because some people thought the program members were supporting the Labor Party. Eric lost his seat in the election, and the pause of the eye health program was seen as a reason for this.

Life After Parliament

Even after leaving parliament, Eric Deeral continued to work for Indigenous communities. In 1985, he became the first chairman of the Aboriginal Coordination Council. In 1987, he was a delegate to the World Heritage Committee meeting in Paris.

In the early 1990s, he was appointed Chairman of the Legislation Review Committee. This committee looked at Queensland laws and how they affected Aboriginal land rights. From 1998 to 2003, Eric was a member of the Wet Tropics Management Authority Board. In 2002, he became the temporary chair of the Yalanji Ang-Narra Yimidihirr Peoples Council. He was also an active and respected elder of the Guugu Yimithirr people.

Remembering Eric Deeral

In 2012, Queensland's Indigenous Youth Parliament was renamed the Eric Deeral Indigenous Youth Parliament. This was done to honour his important contributions. Eric Deeral passed away later that same year.

See also

• List of Indigenous Australian politicians