CELEBRATING PUBLIC SERVICE WITH DR CHRIS SARRA
This Reconciliation Week we are pleased to announce that Dr Chris Sarra, Director-General of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, will deliver a key national IPAA address – the Frances Adamson Oration marking United Nations Public Service Day on 23 June.
Dr Sarra is a proud Gurang Gurang/Taribelang man from Bundaberg. The youngest of ten children, he became the first Aboriginal principal of Cherbourg State School in 1998, where he significantly improved the educational and life outcomes of students. He did this through a ‘strong and smart’ philosophy, which encourages students to have a positive sense of cultural identity and embrace positive community leadership. As Director-General of the former Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, he led significant progress towards forging a path to Treaty in Queensland.
On this UN Public Service Day, we will be proud to see a First Nations leader from Queensland deliver this important speech, and we look forward to his reflections on the critical role of public service for advocating for the marginalised, promoting positive cultural identity, institutional integrity, and many other important insights.
