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The talk calls for Aboriginal and wider Australian policy change grounded in cultural identity, human dignity, and community leadership. Central messages emphasize acting “with people, not to them,” arguing it is more effective, efficient, and honourable. It frames Whitlam’s 1975 gesture to Lingiari and later national “events” as missed opportunities, urging hope and patience grounded in ancient cultural rhythms and thoughtful notions of time.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":45,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/religion-spirituality/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/13th-vincent-lingiari-memorial-lecture-stronger-smarter-aboriginal-policy-reform/271611/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/13th-vincent-lingiari-memorial-lecture-stronger-smarter-aboriginal-policy-reform/271611.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Riley","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-21","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":24},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the central message of Dr Chris Sarra’s lecture?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The lecture emphasizes that it is far more effective, efficient, and honourable to do things “with people, not to them,” especially in Aboriginal policy and community engagement.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How does the lecture define the Stronger Smarter philosophy?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"It describes a philosophy that honors cultural identity, embraces community leadership, and enables innovative, dynamic approaches anchored by high-expectations relationships that respect human dignity.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What historical moments does the lecture use to illustrate missed opportunities?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It references Whitlam’s 1975 gesture to Vincent Lingiari, and other national “events” such as the Mabo Judgment, the Rudd Apology, and Paul Keating’s Redfern speech, arguing Australia retreated to mediocrity instead of pursuing a “new Australia.”","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},271611,1789460982,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":44,"category_name":45,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":24,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":129,"read_time":144},1374391975076,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/14000253ca4ec9f6853?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1783305029341752051","13th Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture  \nStronger Smarter Aboriginal Policy Reform: like Vincent, ‘...we know how  \nto wait...’  \nCharles Darwin University  \n16 August, 2012  \nDr Chris Sarra  \n [www.twi](www.twi)tter.com/chrissarra  \n www. wordpre[ss.com/c](ss.com/c)hrissarra  [www.facebook.comm/strongerrsmarter](www.facebook.comm/strongerrsmarter)  \nLet me start this evening by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet. Let me also acknowledge and honour those very important Elders, both past aand present.  \nI also acknowledge those special guests here tonight on what is a most significant occasion . Earlier speakers have already articulated the significance of this night, and indeed the extraordinary significance of the actions of Vincent Lingiari as  \nhe led his people, our people, Australia’s people, off Wave Hill Station on 23rd August, 1966.  \nI am deeply humbled by the invitation to be the 13th speaker here this evening to present this memorial lecture. In some ways I am humbled by the illustrious list of previous speakers at this forum, but primarily I am humbled by the great man himself, and all that he stood for, Vincent Lingiari. I hope tonight I can honour his legacy.  \nTonight I bring what I think are some very simple messages. Messages that I know would have been easily understood by one as wise and noble as Vincent Lingiari, yet simple messages that seemingly escape too many other Australians. The reasons  \nfor such misunderstandings are indeed complex I know. Complex, yet not insurmountable.  \nThe key, yet simple messages I want to convey tonight are these:-  \n􀁸 It is far more effective to do things WITH people. . . not TO them!  \n􀁸 It is far more efficient (i.e . cheaper), to do things WITH people. . . not TO them!  \n􀁸 It is far more honourable to do things WITH people. . . not TO them!  \nTo Aboriginal Australians the key message I bring tonight is this    \n􀁸 Like Vincent Lingiari, as the first Australians we must retain our faith in the strength of our ancient rhythms and the values of our cultural identity.  \nTo all Australians, my key message is this. . .  \n􀁸 We undermine our own humanity when we undermine the humanity of others.  \nIn 1975, then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured local sand into Vincent Lingiari’s hand, symbolic of handing back of the Wave Hill Station to the Gurindji people. Little could Whitlam have known that the gesture would so accurately encapsulate the essence of what I have come to articulate as the Stronger Smarter philosophy.  \nThe Stronger Smarter philosophy. . .  \nThe Stronger Smarter Philosophy  \nThe Stronger Smarter philosophy honours a positive sense of cultural identity, acknowledges and embraces positive community leadership, enabling innovative and dynamic approaches and processes that are anchored by high expectations relationships. High expectations relationships honour the humanity of others, and in so doing, acknowledge one’s strengths, capacity and human right to emancipatory opportunity.  \n…Doing things WITH people…not TO them!  \nIn that most precious single act, Whitlam honoured Lingiari’s humanity and cultural identity. In so doing he acknowledged his strengths, capacity and the human right of his people to emancipatory opportunity. It was an event from our shared past in which an important precedent was established for a strength based approach to engaging and honouring the first  \nAustralians.  \nI am using 'event' here in the manner used by the French philosopher Alain Badious. For him an event is an eruption that contains the possibility of a new world for everyone, if we name it and are true to it. For Badiou the archetypical event was Saint Paul's naming of and being true to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Badiou says when we name an event and are true to it we become more fully human.  \nWhitlam had the courage to embrace that moment, to embrace that initial event, and take us to the brink of a new Australia. Sadly the pastoral","cbCaiqxRWSAAY1ES","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiqxRWSAAY1ES","pdf",430453,26,"English","# 13th Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture\n## Acknowledgement and significance of the Wave Hill action\n## Core messages: doing things WITH people\n## The Stronger Smarter philosophy\n## “Events” as moments for a new Australia\n## Hope, cultural identity, and reflections on time","[{\"question\":\"What is the central message of Dr Chris Sarra’s lecture?\",\"answer\":\"The lecture emphasizes that it is far more effective, efficient, and honourable to do things “with people, not to them,” especially in Aboriginal policy and community engagement.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the lecture define the Stronger Smarter philosophy?\",\"answer\":\"It describes a philosophy that honors cultural identity, embraces community leadership, and enables innovative, dynamic approaches anchored by high-expectations relationships that respect human dignity.\"},{\"question\":\"What historical moments does the lecture use to illustrate missed opportunities?\",\"answer\":\"It references Whitlam’s 1975 gesture to Vincent Lingiari, and other national “events” such as the Mabo Judgment, the Rudd Apology, and Paul Keating’s Redfern speech, arguing Australia retreated to mediocrity instead of pursuing a “new Australia.”\"}]","13th Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture - Stronger Smarter Aboriginal Policy Reform | PDF",66]