Neville Bonner Gala Dinner
The Menzies Research Centre celebrates the legacy of the first Indigenous Australian to sit in parliament.
Wednesday, 11 August 2021
Old Parliament House Canberra
In August 1971, Neville Bonner became the first Indigenous Australian to sit in federal parliament. The Menzies Research Centre will mark the occasion with a gala dinner in Old Parliament House, the building in which Bonner served as Senator.
We will celebrate his life and legacy in the presence of distinguished parliamentarians old and new.
Bonner grew up on the banks of the Richmond River, beginning his working life as a ringbarker, canecutter and stockman. He joined the Liberal Party at the time of the 1967 Referendum and represented Queensland as a Liberal Party Senator from 1971 to 1983.
His was the first Indigenous voice to speak from the floor of the federal parliamentary chamber. Half a century after he took his seat, his legacy endures.
If you would like to attend, please register your interest by filling in the form below. Tickets will become available for you to purchase in due course.