Geoff Clark (politician) facts for kids

Geoff Clark (born 1 August 1952) is an Australian Aboriginal leader and activist. He was an important figure who led the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1999 until it was closed down in 2004. ATSIC was an Australian government body that worked to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Early Life and Sports

Geoff Clark was born on 1 August 1952. His grandmother, Alice, raised him in an Aboriginal community in western Victoria.

When he was younger, Clark was a keen boxer. He even boxed in Jimmy Sharman's tent when it visited Warrnambool. At 20, Clark moved to Western Australia. For six years, he worked as a builder's labourer and a gardener. He also played Australian rules football for clubs like Claremont and Subiaco in the West Australian Football League. In 1978, he played three games for Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football League.

Leading in Politics

In 1979, Clark became the manager for the Framlingham Aboriginal Community Trust. This trust helped manage land and resources for the local Aboriginal community. He also helped start the Aboriginal Provisional Government in 1983. From 1983 to 1996, he was very active in Indigenous affairs, both in Australia and around the world.

In December 1996, Clark was chosen to be on the board of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). He became their spokesperson for native title, which deals with Indigenous peoples' rights to their traditional lands. In December 1999, he made history as the first person to be elected chairperson of ATSIC. He served two terms in this important role.

In August 2003, Clark was temporarily suspended from his role as ATSIC chairperson. However, a court later overturned this decision. In 2004, the Howard government decided to close down ATSIC.

Fighting for Rights

In September 2011, Geoff Clark was part of a successful legal case about racial discrimination. This case involved a newspaper columnist named Andrew Bolt. In a 2009 article, Bolt had written things that Clark and others felt were unfair and discriminatory. Clark said he joined the case because he disagreed with the general way Bolt wrote about Indigenous people. The Federal Court of Australia ruled that two articles written by Bolt went against a law called the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. This law helps protect people from discrimination based on their race.

See Also

• Ray Robinson (ATSIC)