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Nova Peris: Inaugural Speech to the Australian Parliament
Title:
Nova Peris: Inaugural Speech to the Australian Parliament
Year
2013
Courtesy
Australian Department of Parliamentary Services
In 1996, Nova Peris became the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to win a gold medal at the Olympics, as part of the women’s field hockey team.
After making history on the field, Peris turned her attention to politics. In 2013, she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Federal Parliament. Her maiden speech, a profound and historic moment, is one of the 10 additions to the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection in 2024.
Peris spoke passionately about the struggles of her people. She declared she would give up her accolades ‘in a heartbeat’ to see First Nations Australians free, healthy and able to fully participate in the nation’s destiny.
Watch a clip of Aaron Pedersen interviewing Peris in 2012 for Who We Are in Sport.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.