William John Kennedy

William John Kennedy (1919–2005), better known as Uncle Jack Kennedy, was a lifelong activist for the rights of Australian Aboriginal people, a Wotjobaluk clan elder of the people who spoke the Wergaia language in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. He was born on 23 March 1919 on the banks of the Wimmera River, not far from the Ebenezer Mission and died on 6 September 2005.[1][2] He was the great grandson of Dick-a-Dick, a member of the first Australian cricket team to tour England in 1867-68.[3]

Uncle Jack Kennedy

He served with the Australian Army in the Syrian Campaign and North Africa and later in the Pacific during World War II, and was awarded the Australian Service Medal and the English Defence Medal for this service.

In 2003 he was named Male Elder of the Year at the National Aborigines' Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week Awards.[4]

In the historic determination of native title in the Wimmera handed down on 13 December 2005, just 3 months after Kennedy's death, Justice Ron Merkel said of Kennedy, as reported by The Age newspaper:

he had achieved 'what the elders expected of him' by, as was stated in his eulogy, 'fighting for this little piece of country for his ancestors and future generations'," Merkel said. "However, as a result of that fight, Uncle Jack Kennedy and his supporters have demonstrated something of even greater importance, namely, that the tide of history has not washed away all entitlements to native title in the south-eastern part of Australia.[2]

In his reasons for judgement Merkel directly quoted Kennedy twice:[5]

If we follow Bunjil’s law and look after the country then the country will look after us. ... All the rules we have come from Bunjil. I must pass on Bunjil’s law so it continues.

and

I am looking forward to getting some of my country back before I die so I can die knowing I have done what the elders expected of me. The Beal trees are dying at Lake Albacutya because they are not getting enough water. If we look after the river properly it will run clear again, run all the way to the Teardrop Lakes. If the Wotjobaluk continue to follow Bunjil then things will go on as the old people would want.

References
  1. Interview with Jack Kennedy - Interviewed by Lou Bennett in 2003 for Koorie Heritage Trust. Accessed 27 September 2009
  2. Turning back the tide of history, The Age, 8 January 2006. Accessed 27 September 2009
  3. Martin Flanagan, Jack Kennedy: descendant of Dick-a-Dick, The Age, 30 June 2003. Accessed 27 September 2009
  4. Western Vic elder wins honour, ABC News, 14 July 2003. Accessed 26 September 2009.
  5. Federal Court of Australia, Clarke on behalf of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples v Victoria [2005] FCA 1795 (13 December 2005), AUSTLII, 13 December 2005. Accessed 10 September 2011.
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