2026 QUT Meanjin Oration: 'Pride for our people' with Cathy Freeman AC (Free Entry via registration)

The Meanjin Oration is QUT’s premier address showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research excellence and innovation.

The 2026 Meanjin Oration will be delivered as a conversation between Cathy Freeman AC and Dr Amy McQuire, centred on the theme ‘Pride for our people’. The oration will foreground Indigenous excellence, leadership and cultural strength through Cathy Freeman’s lived experience and national legacy, and will reflect on key life milestones through an Indigenous lens.

Delivered to align with the 2026 milestone NAIDOC Week ’50 Years of Deadly’, the conversation will explore Aboriginal identity, truth telling and intergenerational pride, highlighting the role of Indigenous leadership in shaping Australia’s future.

This is a free, ticketed event. Registration is required.

About the orator

Cathy Freeman AC is a proud Kuku Yalanji and Birri Gubba woman and one of Australia’s most celebrated Olympic champions. Rising from Mackay, she made history as the first Aboriginal Australian woman to win international athletics gold and went on to represent Australia at four Olympic Games.

Her defining moment came at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, where she won gold in the 400 metres, carrying both the Australian and Aboriginal flags in a powerful symbol of pride and unity.

A World Champion, Australian of the Year and Companion of the Order of Australia, Cathy is recognised not only for her sporting achievements, but for her enduring impact as a leader, advocate and role model.