2021-22 Sydney Peace Prize Gala Dinner

Pat Anderson AO is an Alyawarre woman known nationally and internationally as a powerful advocate for the health of Australia’s First Peoples. She has extensive experience in Aboriginal health, including community development, policy formation and research ethics. She has served as co-chair of the Referendum Council and served as the Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT), and the CRC for Aboriginal Health from 2003 to 2009. Ms Anderson is the inaugural Patron of WoSSCA, the Women’s Safety Services of Central Australia. She was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014 for distinguished service to the Indigenous community as a social justice advocate. Ms Anderson has also received a number of medal for her contributions, including the Human Rights Medal in 2016.  

Ms Anderson currently serves as Co-Chair of the Uluru Dialogue and in 2022 she was appointed by the government to the Referendum Working Group and Referendum Engagement Group. She is also the current Chairperson of the Remote Area Health Corporation, and the Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute. 

Professor Megan Davis is a Cobble Cobble woman, Pro Vice-Chancellor Society and Professor of Law at UNSW.  She is a renowned constitutional lawyer, and public law expert focusing on advocacy for First Nations people. Professor Davis is the Co-chair of the Uluru Dialogue and Acting Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court. She is also the Balnaves Chair of Constitutional Law, a Professor of Law, and Director of the Indigenous Law Centre UNSW Law. She was a member of the Referendum Council, an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2011-2016) and is currently a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous peoples.  

In 2022 she was appointed by the government to the Referendum Working Group and Referendum Engagement Group. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences. She is also an Australian Rugby League Commissioner. Most recently she was nominated for the NSW Australian of the year for her ongoing work.   

Noel Pearson comes from the Guugu Yimidhirr community of Hope Vale on south eastern Cape York Peninsula. Mr Pearson is a lawyer, Founder and Director of Strategy of the Cape York Partnership and Founder and Co-Chair of Good to Great Schools Australia.  He also co-founded the Cape York Land Council, and helped to establish Apunipima Health Council, Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation and Indigenous Enterprise Partnerships.  

Mr Pearson served as a member of the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians and the Referendum Council. In 2022 he was appointed by the government to the Referendum Working Group and Referendum Engagement Group. 

Clayton Donovan is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundalung man. Donovan is Australia’s only hatted Indigenous chef, native food specialist, television presenter, forager, OzHarvest Ambassadoe, bush tucker champion, motivational speaker, restaurateur and punk rocker. His Janning Tree fine dining restaurant was awarded Good Food Guide Hats in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 in recognition of his creative contemporary menu with an artistic Indigenous twist. As a young chef Donovan was ahead of his time, introducing native Australian ingredients such as Kakadu plum, rosella and Lemon myrtle in the 1990’s while working alongside Head Chef Kenneth Leung at the iconic Watermark Balmoral Beach. A renegade spirit with a genuine live for country, culture and food, Donovan has wowed audiences around the world with his innovative menus and invaluable knowledge for bush tucker foods. He is a national treasure and pretty handy on the guitar and drums too!

Miriam Corowa is a broadcaster, reporter, presenter and producer who has worked in the media since 2000. Pairing an avid interest in Indigenous affairs with general news production, she has worked at both the Special Broadcasting Service and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation across programmes such as World News Australia, Message Stick and currently presents and reports for the ABC’s News Channel. Among the many highlights of her career so far are her roles co-hosting the ABC’s ‘The Apology’ live broadcast on the 13th of February, 2008, hosting the ABC’s Gallipoli Dawn Service broadcasts from 2009-2011, and also taking time away from the ABC to join the presenting team on the first season of ‘Coast: Australia’, which aired on Foxtel’s History Channel and BBC2 in 2013-2014. Miriam co-hosted the Weekend Breakfast programme, on the ABC News Channel, from its’ inception in February 2012 until January 2018, and continues to enjoy presenting and reporting for the channel. More recently, Miriam has added hosting the Regional News programme on the ABC News Channel since its’ launch in July 2020.