Neville Perkins

Neville George Perkins OAM, (born 4 January 1952), is a former Australian politician and public servant.

Neville Perkins OAM
Member of the Northern Territory Parliament for the Electoral division of MacDonnell
In office 1977–1981
Preceded by	Dave Pollock
Personal details
Born	4 January 1952 Alice Springs
Political party	Labor Party
Relations	Charlie Perkins, Hetty Perkins
Education	Newington College University of Sydney

Early life

Perkins is the grandson^[1] of Hetty Perkins, an Eastern Arrernte elder, and a nephew of Charlie Perkins. He is a descendant of both the Eastern and Central Arrernte peoples, and was born in Mbantua, Alice Springs. He attended Newington College (1963–1969), commencing in the preparatory school, Wyvern House.^[2] He is a graduate of the University of Sydney.

Career

Northern Territory Legislative Assembly

Years	Term	Electoral division	Party
1977–1980	2nd	MacDonnell		Labor
1980–1981	3rd	MacDonnell		Labor

Perkins was a Labor Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1981, representing the electorate of MacDonnell. He was the first Indigenous Australian to hold a shadow ministry in an Australian parliament, and subsequently became the party's deputy leader.^{[citation needed]}

Perkins resigned in 1981, not long into his second term. He later served as Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Aboriginal Affairs from 1987 to 1988.^{[citation needed]}

In 1973 he founded and was the first general secretary of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC). Around the same time, he and a group of others set up the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (CAALAS; later amalgamated with other services to form the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency).^[3]

He was also the first Aboriginal general manager of Aboriginal Hostels Limited, and the first Aboriginal general manager of Imparja Television Pty Ltd. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. Following Imparja, he was director of the University of New South Wales' Aboriginal Education Program. He has since worked at National Indigenous Television (NITV).^{[citation needed]}

Honours

• Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to Aboriginal welfare, 26 January 1984.^[4]

References

1. Australian Dictionary of Biography
2. Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 155
3. Martin, Sally (9 June 2021). "Big meeting to set up Congress". Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
4. It's an Honour