FROM THE PILBARA TO THE TOP TABLE: HENRY LOCKYER MAKES HISTORY AS WA ABORIGINAL JUSTICE CO-CHAIR
By Lynnese O’Donoghue
Pilbara leader Henry Lockyer has made history as the first Aboriginal Co-Chair of Western Australia’s Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee, saying the role is about turning community voices into real change.
The Banyjima man has represented the Pilbara on the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee, known as AJAC, since 2023 and will now help lead its work advising the State Government on justice policies affecting Aboriginal people across WA.
Henry Lockyer, First Aboriginal Co-Chair of Western Australia’s Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee
Mr Lockyer said the appointment was not simply about stepping into a senior position, but about carrying the responsibility of the communities and families affected by the justice system.
“For me, I see it as more of a responsibility to my fellow community members,”
Mr Lockyer said Aboriginal people involved in advisory bodies brought lived experience and community knowledge into spaces where major decisions were being made.
He said that knowledge needed to lead to more than consultation.
“We need them to act on it because without a proven change we’ll just continue in the cycles,”
Henry Lockyer with AJAC Committee
“The acting is the change that’s been missing.”
Mr Lockyer also acknowledged the frustration many Aboriginal people feel towards government and the lasting impact government systems have had on families and communities.
But he said Aboriginal communities were also central to finding solutions.
“Our people and our communities … are the solution to a lot of the healing and to learning from the harm,” he said.
He said justice could not be looked at in isolation, with issues such as housing, health, education and social services often intersecting with a person’s experience of the justice system.
Mr Lockyer also warned that government reform could take years to reach people on the ground.
Henry Lockyer pictured with collective voices in western australian justice community
While reports, programs and funding may suggest progress is being made, he said the everyday experiences of Aboriginal communities could tell a very different story.
“Our lived experiences and our realities of our daily lives and our communities, they tell a different story,” he said.
For Mr Lockyer, his new position is an opportunity to help create the conditions for Aboriginal communities and leaders to drive meaningful change.
“Sometimes we just need someone to help to influence or create the right environment or the right conditions for our existing people or leaders, communities, or families to be successful, healthy and happy,” he said.
Henry lockyer, Co-Chair brings his powerful voice and leadership to the advisory committee