We are excited to announce our 2023 Keynote Speakers
Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration
The Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration was first introduced in the 2022 Conference. It aims to celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to eye care. The Oration acknowledges the significant contribution Jilpia made to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and her inspiration for a whole generation of amazing women leaders in eye health. For more information about Jilpia Nappaljari Jones and the Memorial Oration, please see here.
The 2023 Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration will be presented at the 2023 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference by Lauren Hutchinson.
Lauren Hutchinson - 2023 Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration
Lauren Hutchinson is a Murrawarri woman and optometrist. Lauren was born and raised on Wiradjuri country in the central west of NSW. She graduated from her Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry from QUT in 2017, following which, she returned to the central west, now residing back on the beautiful lands of the Wiradjuri people once again. Lauren has worked as an optometrist both in private practice and within the community controlled sector. She is a current director of both the Indigenous Allied Health Australia national and Northern Territory Workforce Development Boards.
Lauren's passions are in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, rural and remote and paediatric health and is committed to advocating for improving outcomes for her people in these spaces.
In her spare time you can find Lauren spending time with her beautiful nieces and nephews, on a hockey field or fishing on the Galari (Lachlan River).
Donna Murray
Donna Murray is a proud Wiradjuri and Wonnarua nation citizen. Donna is the Chief Executive Officer at Indigenous Allied Health Australia, holds an Adjunct Associate Professor role at the University of Technology Sydney and has formal qualifications in Community Development, Management, and Indigenous Governance. She is a 2021 Impact 25 Award winner with Pro Bono Australia, the Chair of PwC’s Indigenous Consulting, Chair of Thirrili Ltd and Board Director of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia.
She is a committed Indigenous Community Development Practitioner working to support and assert the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by recognising and reigniting cultural governance and leadership that embed Indigenous nation-building principles to shape a future of our own design now and for generations to come.
Renata Watene
Renata Watene is one only of a few Māori Optometrists in Aotearoa. She has whakapapa (lineage) to Ngā Puhi and Tainui (tribes). As an immerging Indigenous Eye Health Leader, Renata holds several positions in Governance as a Healthcare Practitioner, Professional Teaching Fellow, Researcher, Business Owner and Health advocate.
With a twenty-three-year career in Optics, she has worked in private practice, corporate and franchise models in New Zealand and Australia. Currently, she is the Senior Optometrist and Director of her own two clinics - Occhiali Optometrist, the only 100% Indigenous-owned and operated clinics in the Auckland/Northern region amongst the highest population of Indigenous people in NZ.
Her Governance experience includes being the current Chair of the Strategic Indigenous Taskforce for Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand, an elected member of the NZ Association of Optometry, a selected NIB Iwi Partnership Board member, and a past Ministerial Appointment to the Waitemata District Health Board.
She has a deep passion for improving equity for populations through Indigenous models of care that are accessible and focus on intergenerational gains.
She is a strong advocate for promoting Optometry and Health careers for Rangatahi Māori (Māori youth), supporting Te Whaka Piki Ake and Hikitia te Ora (a former student of the programme). In 2019 she was appointed a Kaiāwhina at the University of Auckland School of Vision Science. Some of her research projects include a multidisciplinary approach to Diabetes, the Aotearoa Vision Bus and the WHO Eyecare Situational Analysis Tool.
Renata is eager to share her whakaaro (thoughts) on Indigenous Health and how it can help us all and highlight prevention as a critical health strategy.
Karl Briscoe
‘Karl Briscoe is a proud Kuku Yalanji man from Mossman – Daintree area of Far North Queensland.
Karl is the CEO of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP). Karl has worked for over 20 years in the health sector at various levels of government and non-government including local, state and national levels which has enabled him to form a vast strategic network across Australia.
NAATSIHWP is the peak body for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners in Australia’.