I would like to wish a very happy 90th birthday to an incredibly inspiring woman, Dr Aunty Barbara Nicholson. Earlier this month I had the pleasure of celebrating this milestone with Aunty Barb and many others whose lives have been touched by her extraordinary work.

Aunty Barb is a proud Wadi Wadi elder whose lifelong dedication to education, storytelling and justice has left a lasting impact on the Illawarra and far beyond. She spent decades teaching at the University of Wollongong, sharing her deep knowledge of history, culture and law with generations of students.

Through the Black Wallaby Project, she has empowered Aboriginal men and women in the justice system to express themselves through poetry and creative writing. This project has published over a dozen books, each filled with powerful and deeply personal work. It has earned national recognition, including a lifetime achievement award for First Nations literature. Not only this, but Aunty Barb has been a fierce campaigner for justice for First Nations Australians. She has been the driving force behind Link-Up, reuniting and supporting those affected by Australia's forced removal policies. She has shown a true commitment to tackling the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians in the criminal justice system.

In 2014, Aunty Barb received an honorary doctorate from the University of Wollongong, and in 2024 she was named Wollongong's Citizen of the Year and was the first Indigenous person to receive this honour. Despite these accolades, she always remains humble and is always focused on how she can continue to uplift others. Aunty Barb teaches us that strength comes from service, that education is a powerful tool for change and that every story matters.

A very happy 90th birthday, Aunty Barb, and thank you for everything that you've done and continue to do for our community.