Patrick Dodson
Encyclopedia
Patrick Dodson is a Yawuru man from Broome, Western Australia
, he is a former Chairman of the "Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation", a former Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
and former Roman Catholic priest. He was the winner of the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize
. His brother is Mick Dodson
, also a national Indigenous Australian leader.
The Dodson children were orphaned at the death of their father in 1960. He and his brother Mick were made wards of the state, but their sisters decided they should accept a scholarship to study at Monivae College
in Hamilton, Victoria
.
He lives in Broome where he is also involved in matters relating to the preservation and enhancement of indigenous rights and culture.
On the 10th November 2008, Dodson visited St Cronan's Boys National School in Bray
, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
.
Currently Patrick Dodson works as a consultant, advising government, industry and community groups: he is
Past roles and activities include:
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
, he is a former Chairman of the "Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation", a former Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody studied and reported on the high level of deaths of Aboriginal people whilst in custody after being arrested or convicted of committing crimes. This included suicide, natural causes, medical conditions and injuries caused by police...
and former Roman Catholic priest. He was the winner of the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize
Sydney Peace Prize
The Sydney Peace Prize is awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation associated with the University of Sydney. The Sydney Peace Prize is the only International Peace Prize awarded in Australia....
. His brother is Mick Dodson
Mick Dodson
Professor Michael James "Mick" Dodson, AM is an indigenous Australian leader, a member of the Yawuru peoples in the Broome area of the southern Kimberley region of Western Australia. His brother is Patrick Dodson, also a noted Aboriginal leader.Following his parents' death, he boarded at Monivae...
, also a national Indigenous Australian leader.
The Dodson children were orphaned at the death of their father in 1960. He and his brother Mick were made wards of the state, but their sisters decided they should accept a scholarship to study at Monivae College
Monivae College
Monivae College is a Catholic secondary coeducational day and boarding school in Hamilton, Victoria, Australia. Set on 48 hectares, the college was founded in 1954 by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart....
in Hamilton, Victoria
Hamilton, Victoria
Hamilton is a city in western Victoria, Australia. It is located at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway and the Henty Highway...
.
He lives in Broome where he is also involved in matters relating to the preservation and enhancement of indigenous rights and culture.
On the 10th November 2008, Dodson visited St Cronan's Boys National School in Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, Co. Wicklow, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Currently Patrick Dodson works as a consultant, advising government, industry and community groups: he is
- Chairperson, Kimberley Development Commission (his term expires in November 2010)
- Chairman of the Lingiari Foundation, an Indigenous non government advocacy and research Foundation.
- Chairman of The Kimberley Institute, an independent Indigenous Think Tank and Policy Development organisation
- Director of the Indigenous Policy, Dialogue and Research Unit (IPDRU) at the University of New South Wales
Past roles and activities include:
- Former Director of the Central Land CouncilCentral Land CouncilThe Central Land Council is an Indigenous Land Council that represents the indigenous people of the southern half of the Northern Territory of Australia, predominantly in land issues...
and the Kimberley Land CouncilKimberley Land CouncilKimberley Land Council Aboriginal Corporation ICN 21 is an association of Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region. It was formed at a meeting at Noonkanbah Station in May 1978.... - Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, 1989
- Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (1991-1997) (This body was replaced by Reconciliation AustraliaReconciliation AustraliaReconciliation Australia is the non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to provide a continuing national focus for reconciliation. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation...
). He retired stating "I fear for the spirit of this country". - He was the first Indigenous Australian Roman Catholic priest, reasons for leaving the priesthood in the early 1980s included Dodson's understanding that traditional Aboriginal ceremonies and Christianity can be reconciled and his rejection of clergy celibacy.