Citation for Aunty Ivy Trevallion
Chancellor,
Aunty Ivy Trevallion is a highly regarded social worker and community leader who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to advocating for Indigenous rights and wellbeing.
She is currently serving as a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Counseller with responsibility for leading social and emotional wellbeing programs for children, teens and families on Thursday Island and the Torres Strait.
A proud Torres Strait Islander woman from Dauan and Saibai Islands, Aunty Ivy’s career as a social worker began when she enrolled to study at the pioneering Aboriginal Task Force at the South Australian Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 1977. After gaining certificate qualifications from SAIT in community development and social work, she enrolled to study for a Bachelor of Social Work at The University of Queensland (UQ) in 1982. She graduated from UQ in 1986, becoming one of the University’s first ever Torres Strait Islander graduates.
Throughout her career, Aunty Ivy has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to social justice and the protection of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal community customs. Her contributions have enriched our communities and paved the way for a more inclusive and equitable society.
She was instrumental in the passing of the Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa (Torres Strait Islander Traditional Child Rearing Practice) Act 2020, the first bill in Australian history to legally recognise a traditional custom. She continues to advocate for this cause as Chairperson of the Kupai Omasker Working Party, which is a group comprising Torres Strait Islander Elders and community leaders who are dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional child-rearing practices of the Torres Strait Islander people.
She is a Board Member of the Healing Foundation, a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation dedicated to amplifying the voices and lived experience of Stolen Generations survivors and their families. In 2020, Aunty Ivy was also appointed as President of the Torres Strait Islander Media Association, and in 2021 she was honoured as a Queensland Great.
Chancellor, I present to you Aunty Ivy Trevallion, Bachelor of Social Work of this University, for the award of Doctor of Social Work honoris causa, bestowed by the Senate of The University of Queensland.
