A champion of Aboriginal rights’: Geoffrey Shaw

Nation pays tribute to Geoffrey Shaw, veteran and land rights leader

Tributes are flowing across Central Australia and nationally after the death of Geoffrey Shaw OAM, a Kaytetye and Arrernte leader remembered as a tireless advocate for Aboriginal rights. 

Shaw was born in the dry bed of the Todd River at Alice Springs in 1945 and joined the Australian Army at 18, serving in the Indonesian‑Malaysian confrontation before completing two tours of duty in Vietnam.

After returning home, he helped establish Tangentyere Council, which formalised leases and housing for town camps on the outskirts of Alice Springs, later serving as its general manager and president. He was also a founding member and deputy chair of the Central Land Council, representing Central Australian communities in the land rights struggle from its inception until 2006.

Shaw became the first commissioner for Central Australia in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1993 for service to the Aboriginal community.

Central Land Council chair Warren Williams said Shaw “believed deeply in service. To country, to community and to the nation” linking his discipline and leadership to his military experience.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy described him as a “strong voice and a champion of Aboriginal rights” whose legacy would shape Central Australia for generations.

Community organisations including Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency have also highlighted Shaw’s role in establishing Aboriginal‑controlled health and legal services, saying his influence is embedded in institutions that continue to serve First Nations families today.