2024 Narrm Oration: Djambatj Dhukarr – road to excellence

The Narrm Oration is the University’s key address profiling leading Indigenous peoples from across the world. The 2024 Oration will be delivered by Professor Yalmay Yunupiŋu and is titled Djambatj Dhukarr – road to excellence.

Professor Yunupiŋu will emphasise the importance of Indigenous peoples remaining strong in their language and cultural practices. Drawing on her own educational journey, her family and many years as an educator at the Yirrkala school, she will reflect on ‘walking between two worlds’ and share her deep commitment to mentoring current and future generations of Yolŋu leaders.

The 2024 Narrm Oration will be delivered in Yolŋu Matha language. Written subtitles and audio translation will be provided.

Professor Yalmay Yunupiŋu is a much loved and respected Yolŋu leader from Northeast Arnhem Land. Before retiring in March 2023, Professor Yunupiŋu was a teacher linguist at Yirrkala Bilingual School for over four decades. Known as a ‘bilingual warrior’, she was twice awarded a ‘Teacher of Excellence’ by the Northern Territory Department of Education and made a lifetime member of the Teacher’s Union.

Professor Yunupiŋu remains passionate about the importance of education, and as Chair of the Yirrkala School Council, board member of both the Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation and Djalkiri Foundation she wants the next generation of leaders to remain strong in their Yolŋu language and culture.

Professor Yunupiŋu has a long-established relationship with the University of Melbourne and was appointed as a Professor in the Indigenous Studies Unit where she continues to work in partnership with other faculties including Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, and Education, and with the Indigenous Knowledge Institute. Djambatj Dhukarr underpins her way of working as she gently demonstrates this in her interactions with people. If retiring means having a less busy life, Professor Yunupiŋu is far from retired, as she is tireless in her commitment to her family, community and work obligations.

In recognition of her lifetime dedication to her community, Professor Yunupiŋu was named Senior Australian of the Year for 2024. She continues her family’s legacy, as she looks to how her award can help progress Indigenous rights. In her own words — “I just want to teach the world, the nation, about our language. It’s very important. It talks about identity, who you are, where you come from. We want to keep our language strong and alive”.

Host or Publisher University of Melbourne