Kirstie Parker facts for kids

Kirstie Parker (born in 1967) is a Yuwallarai journalist and activist. She works to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. From 2013 to 2015, she was a leader of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. In this role, she pushed for policies that would allow Indigenous Australians to make their own decisions about their communities.

Kirstie has also been on the board of Reconciliation Australia. This group works to build better relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. She was the third Aboriginal person to join the Australian Press Council. This council helps make sure news reporting is fair. In 2018, her book The Making of Ruby Champion won the David Unaipon Award. This award helped her get the book published. Since 2017, she has been a director for the Government of South Australia. She works on Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation.

Early Life

Kirstie Parker was born in 1967. She was the third of four children. Her mother was Yuwallarai and her father was from London. Her mother, Pam, only went to school for one year. But she taught herself to read and write by reading Anne of Green Gables. Both her parents loved reading. They encouraged Kirstie to write. She grew up in northern New South Wales, Australia.

Career in Media

When she was 16, Kirstie Parker started working as a junior journalist. Throughout her career, she has worked in newspapers, radio, and television. She worked for places like ABC Radio and The West Australian newspaper. In 2006, she became the editor of the Koori Mail. This newspaper is written and owned by Indigenous Australians. She worked there for seven years.

Working for Indigenous Rights

In 2013, Kirstie Parker was chosen to be a co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples. She worked alongside Les Malezer. During her time as co-chair, some Aboriginal communities faced losing their funding. Kirstie and Les strongly disagreed with moving Indigenous people from their traditional lands. They said that past attempts to move people had not worked well. They stressed the importance of Indigenous people making their own decisions.

In 2014, Kirstie and Les helped review how Indigenous people could be officially recognized in Australia. The next year, Kirstie met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. She asked that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a say in the recognition process. When the Prime Minister agreed, a special meeting was held. This meeting recommended that Australia's main rule book, the Constitution of Australia, should be changed. This change would give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a voice in the national Parliament. It also suggested creating a special group to help talks between Indigenous groups and the government.

Public Policy and Advocacy

Kirstie Parker is an activist and advises the government on Indigenous issues. She has worked at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. There, she managed media and communications. She also worked as a director at Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute in Adelaide. She directed public affairs for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She also advised Robert Tickner, who was a Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.

Kirstie has been a director of Reconciliation Australia. She also co-chaired the Closing the Gap campaign. This campaign focuses on improving the health of Indigenous Australians. She often gives talks about policies that affect Indigenous peoples. She also talks about how the media can help empower Aboriginal people.

In 2015, she became the CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, New South Wales. In 2017, she was the third Indigenous person to join the Australian Press Council. Her role was to advise the council on Aboriginal issues. That same year, she also became the Director of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation for the South Australian government. She held this job until at least May 2021. In June 2021, she became the interim CEO of Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute again, until January 2022.

Awards and Honours

Kirstie Parker has won many awards for her writing and her work as an advocate. In 2001, she received the Australian Government's Centenary Medal. This was for her work with Indigenous communities and women. She received another Centenary Medal in 2003 for her contributions to the Indigenous community and Australian life. In 2000, she received an International Women’s Day Award for her service to the South Australian community.

Her journalism was recognized in 2008. She won the Print Media Award from the Australian Human Rights Commission. This was for her article, National Apology: commemorative lift out. In 2012, she was recognized for her activism. She was named one of the 100 Women of Influence Awards by the Australian Financial Review. In 2015, she was one of the first women honored with the Australian Peacewomen Awards. This was from the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. In 2016, Kirstie was a finalist for the NSW Women of the Year Awards. In 2018, her book The Making of Ruby Champion won the David Unaipon Award. This award included both publication and prize money.