Shane Mortimer facts for kids

Shane Mortimer was born on December 24, 1955. He is a Ngambri man with strong ties to the Canberra area in Australia.

Shane was born in Belmore, Sydney. His parents were Lesley and Jim Mortimer. He didn't know about his Aboriginal heritage until 1989. That's when he found out his family line connected him to a Ngambri woman named Ju Nin Mingo. She was the daughter of James Ainslie.

His grandmother, Adelaide McClelland, was taken from her mother, Florence Ellen Lowe. This happened at the Brungle Mission before World War I. She was one of many Stolen Generation children. These Aboriginal children were sadly taken from their families by law between 1910 and 1970.

Shane Mortimer has lived in the Canberra region since the early 1990s. He helped make a film called Vulnerable in 2009–10. He is also working on a documentary series about Australia's native grasslands. He is the Chairman of Ag-Arts Residency Kenmore Limited.

Shane Mortimer's Important Campaigns

Protecting Nature: Wind Farms and Biomass

Shane Mortimer actively speaks out against wind farms. He believes that biomass and wind farms harm wildlife homes. He also thinks they negatively affect Indigenous communities. He argues they don't help the environment.

He is concerned that the wind power industry has not respected Native Title rights. Native Title recognizes the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their traditional lands. Mortimer also thinks wind farms near Lake George could make sheep and cattle less fertile.

He has supported protests against several wind farm projects. These include the Cullerin Range Wind Farm, Capital Wind Farm, and Crookwell Wind Farm.

Recognizing Aboriginal Australians at the War Memorial

Shane Mortimer has spoken with Brendan Nelson, who used to lead the Australian War Memorial. Mortimer wanted the Memorial to show more about the Australian frontier wars. These were conflicts between Aboriginal people and European settlers.

Helping Native Grasslands Grow Again

Mortimer believes that for a healthy future, native grasslands must grow back in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In 2012, he told the National Indigenous Times that if just 10% of Australia's damaged native grasslands grew back, they could remove a huge amount of carbon from the air. This would be more than all the carbon added since the Industrial Revolution.

For environmental reasons, Mortimer has tried to stop new building projects in the ACT. This includes a new suburb called Lawson in Belconnen. He also supports building more homes in existing city areas. He suggests building on top of current buildings instead of expanding into natural areas.

Standing Up for Rights: Civil Actions

Parking for Free on Ancestral Land

Shane Mortimer often gets parking tickets. He parks his van without paying in the Australian Capital Territory. He does this as a form of civil disobedience. He believes that since the land belongs to his people, he should be allowed to park there for free.

Supporting a Student's Unique Home

In 2012, Mortimer gave an "authorization certificate" to a university student. This student was living on a raft in Lake Ginninderra. Mortimer's certificate said the student could live on Lake Ginninderra or any other lake in Ngambri country. This was against ACT laws.

Speaking Out Against Racism

In 2012, Shane Mortimer sought damages for alleged racism. This happened after Professor Don Aitkin, a former chairman of the National Capital Authority, wrote that Mortimer looked "about as Aboriginal as I do." Mortimer felt this comment was hurtful. He said it questioned his Aboriginal identity and his standing in the community.

Aitkin did not take back his statement. He said that looking Aboriginal is not the only way to be Aboriginal. He explained that being Aboriginal means you claim to be, and others accept you as one.

Mortimer also refused to join an ACT Government project in 2011–12. This project was about Aboriginal family history. He said the project caused division and was racist.