Tanya Hosch

Last updated

Tanya Hosch
Occupation(s)Social activist and business executive

Tanya Hosch is an Indigenous Australian social activist and business executive. She has held leadership roles in sport, the arts, social justice and public policy. She was joint campaign manager of the "Recognise" campaign run by Reconciliation Australia from 2012 to 2016. At her appointment as social inclusion manager to the Australian Football League (AFL) in June 2016, she became the first Indigenous person and the second woman appointed to an executive position in the AFL.

Contents

Early life and education

Hosch's birth mother, a white woman, was of Welsh origin, while her birth father is a Torres Strait Islander man. She was adopted by a white Australian woman and Aboriginal man after her parents' 16-year-old eldest child was killed in a car accident. The fact that she was adopted was never hidden from her, and her adoptive home was a loving, caring and stable one, although money was tight and her parents worked very hard. [1]

She experienced racism at school, which affected her confidence. She completed secondary school at Enfield High School, in Adelaide's northern suburbs. [1]

She did not expect to go to university, thinking that was for clever people, starting work at the Women's Information Switchboard [lower-alpha 1] instead. Being a feminist organisation, colleagues encouraged her to attend university, which she did and loved, studying social work part-time. [1]

Career

Hosch was led into advocacy for Indigenous Australians when she was working in the public sector and was placed at the Australian Human Rights Commission in Sydney soon after the publication of the Bringing Them Home report on Aboriginal children stolen from their families in 1997. Later that year she attended the Reconciliation Convention, where Pat Dodson delivered an address which proved a turning point for her. [1]

Hosch held advocacy and consulting high-level public sector roles, including at the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. [lower-alpha 2] She connected with Larissa Behrendt in Canberra, and became friends with Jason Glanville. [1] She was instrumental in the creation of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, [3] [4] and a foundation director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre [5] and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute. [3]

2012–2016: "Recognise" campaign

From 2012 Hosch was joint campaign director [6] (with Tim Gartrell [7] ) of the "Recognise" campaign run by Reconciliation Australia. [1] The campaign followed the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution. [8] Hosch was also the public face of the campaign, after addressing the National Press Club in February 2013. In May 2013, her team toured Australia aiming to inform and involve people in the bid to get Indigenous people recognised in the Australian Constitution. This included public advocacy, building support and partnerships behind the scenes, and consulting Aboriginal people in remote areas. Beginning in Melbourne and finishing at Nhulunbuy in the Northern Territory, the trail was inspired by the "Long Walk" from Melbourne to Canberra undertaken in 2004 by AFL footballer Michael Long. [1] On 13 February 2013, Hosch addressed the National Press Club. The title of her address, delivered with Jason Glanville, was "Recognition: Why It's Right". [9] [10]

The campaign was highly successful, raising awareness of the issue from around 30% to 70%, [8] winding up in 2017. [11]

2016: AFL social inclusion manager

Hosch was named the general manager of inclusion and social policy at the AFL in June 2016, beating Nova Peris to the role. She became the second female executive at the AFL, [12] and the first Indigenous person in such a role. [13]

Her term started on 29 August 2016, and [3] as of April 2023 she remains social inclusion manager. [14]

Hosch advocated for the creation of a statue of Nicky Winmar (the first of an Indigenous player, erected at Perth Stadium in 2019 [15] ), and helped to bring about an apology by AFL for Adam Goodes, after they had handled his 2015 crowd abuse badly. [10]

Other roles

Hosch has served as chair of Price Waterhouse Coopers Indigenous Consulting, and served on the board of Bangarra Dance Theatre. She has been a director of the Indigenous Land Corporation, the Australian Leadership Centre, the Australian Centre for Social Innovation, the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute, and the Australian Red Cross Society. [4]

She was appointed to the Review Panel for the Act of Recognition in 2013 to provide a report to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. The final report of the panel was published in September 2014. [16]

Hosch was one of 16 members of the Referendum Council, which was appointed by the prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and leader of the opposition Bill Shorten on 7 December 2015 "to talk to Australians about changing our Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". The Council handed down its final report on 30 June 2017. [17]

As of April 2023 she is a member of Chief Executive Women and the NAB Indigenous Advisory Group, as well as a board member of Circus Oz. [4]

Recognition

Personal life

Hosch has a daughter named Marley. [1]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Women's Information Switchboard (WIS), later Women's Information Service, was then a mainly volunteer-run service opened in 1978 by SA premier Don Dunstan, then in the Institute Building on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue. [2]
  2. ↑ The predecessor of Reconciliation Australia.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Indigenous sovereignty</span> Concept and political movement regarding land ownership by Indigenous peoples in Australia

Australian Indigenous sovereignty, also recently termed Blak sovereignty, encompasses the various rights claimed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within Australia. Such rights are said to derive from Indigenous peoples' occupation and ownership of Australia prior to colonisation and through their continuing spiritual connection to land. Indigenous sovereignty is not recognised in the Australian Constitution or under Australian law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Aboriginal flag</span> Officially proclaimed flag representing Aboriginal Australians

The Australian Aboriginal flag is the official flag of Aboriginal Australians. It was granted official status in 1995 under the Flags Act 1953, together with the Torres Strait Islander flag, in recognition of their status as Indigenous peoples of Australia. The two flags are often flown together with the Australian national flag.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowitja O'Donoghue</span> Australian public administrator (1932–2024)

Lowitja O'Donoghue, also known as Lois O'Donoghue and Lois Smart, was an Australian public administrator and Indigenous rights advocate. She was the inaugural chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1990 to 1996. She is known for her work in improving the health and welfare of Indigenous Australians, and also for the part she played in the drafting of the Native Title Act 1993, which established native title in Australia.

Tim Gartrell is an Australian political advisor currently serving as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Australia under Anthony Albanese. He previously served as the National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party between 2003 and 2008, overseeing Labor's federal election campaigns in 2004 and 2007. Gartrell was also the Campaign Director for the 'Yes' camapaign in favour of marriage equality at the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

Reconciliation Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to promote a continuing national focus for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It was established by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, which was established to create a framework for furthering a government policy of reconciliation in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcia Langton</span> Australian Aboriginal scholar and activist

Marcia Lynne Langton is an Aboriginal Australian writer and academic. As of 2022 she is the Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Langton is known for her activism in the Indigenous rights arena.

Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, and/or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of present day Australia prior to British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups, which includes many ethnic groups: the Aboriginal Australians of the mainland and many islands, including Tasmania, and the Torres Strait Islanders of the seas between Queensland and Papua New Guinea, located in Melanesia. The term Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or the person's specific cultural group, is often preferred, though the terms First Nations of Australia, First Peoples of Australia and First Australians are also increasingly common; 812,728 people self-identified as being of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin in the 2021 Australian Census, representing 3.2% of the total population of Australia. Of these Indigenous Australians, 91.4% identified as Aboriginal; 4.2% identified as Torres Strait Islander; while 4.4% identified with both groups. Since 1995, the Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag have been official flags of Australia.

Jason Glanville is a member of the Wiradjuri people of central New South Wales, Australia, and a leader in the Indigenous community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Calma</span> Aboriginal Australian human rights advocate, chancellor

Thomas Edwin Calma,, is an Aboriginal Australian human rights and social justice campaigner, and 2023 senior Australian of the Year. He was the sixth chancellor of the University of Canberra (2014-2023), after two years as deputy chancellor. Calma was the second Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to hold the position of chancellor of any Australian university.

Evelyn Ruth Scott was an Indigenous Australian social activist and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MaryAnn Bin-Sallik</span> Djaru Elder and Australian academic

MaryAnn Bin-Sallik is a Djaru Elder and Australian academic, specialising in Indigenous studies and culture. She was the first Indigenous Australian to gain a doctorate from Harvard University.

<i>Uluru Statement from the Heart</i> 2017 Australian Indigenous reform petition

The Uluru Statement of thy Heart is a 2014 petition to the people of Australia, written and endorsed by the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders selected as delegates to the First Nations National Constitutional Convention. The document calls for substantive constitutional change and structural reform through the creation of two new institutions; a constitutionally protected First Nations Voice and a Makarrata Commission, to oversee agreement-making and truth-telling between governments and First Nations. Such reforms should be implemented, it is argued, both in recognition of the continuing sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and to address structural power differences that has led to severe disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. These reforms can be summarised as Voice, Treaty and Truth.

Kirstie Parker is a Yuwallarai journalist, policy administrator and Aboriginal Australian activist. From 2013 to 2015 she served as the co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and during her tenure pressed for policies that allowed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to gain the ability for self-determination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigenous Voice to Parliament</span> Proposed advisory body in Australia

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, also known as the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, the First Nations Voice or simply the Voice, was a proposed Australian federal advisory body to comprise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, to represent the views of Indigenous communities.

Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) is an independent, national non-government, not-for-profit, community-based organisation founded in 1997 which advocates for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia and aims to help overcome disadvantage. Its staff, board and membership comprise mainly non-Indigenous people who support Indigenous voices and interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reconciliation in Australia</span> Movement to improve relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Reconciliation in Australia is a process which officially began in 1991, focused on the improvement of relations between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and the rest of the population. The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), created by the government for a term of ten years, laid the foundations for the process, and created the peak body for implementation of reconciliation as a government policy, Reconciliation Australia, in 2001.

Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians refers to various proposals for changes to the Australian Constitution to recognise Indigenous Australians in the document. Various proposals have been suggested to symbolically recognise the special place Indigenous Australians have as the first peoples of Australia, along with substantial changes, such as prohibitions on racial discrimination, the protection of languages and the addition of new institutions. In 2017, the Uluru Statement from the Heart was released by Indigenous leaders, which called for the establishment of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as their preferred form of recognition. When submitted to a national referendum in 2023 by the Albanese government, the proposal was heavily defeated.

Vanessa Lee-AhMat is an Australian scholar who was the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD graduate from Griffith University School of Medicine. In 2005, Lee-AhMat was recognised by the Parliament of Australia for her dedication and commitment to Thursday Island community, in the Torres Strait.

Elsie Heiss, also known as Aunty Elsie, is an Indigenous Australian, a Wiradjuri elder and a Catholic religious leader. She has led Aboriginal Catholic Ministry programs for over three decades and was NAIDOC Female Elder of the Year in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum</span> Referendum for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum was a constitutional referendum held on 14 October 2023 in which the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice was rejected. Voters were asked to approve an alteration to the Australian Constitution that would recognise Indigenous Australians in the document through prescribing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice that would have been able to "make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". The proposal was rejected nationally and by a majority in every state, thus failing to secure the double majority required for amendment by section 128 of the constitution. The Australian Capital Territory was the only state or territory with a majority of "yes" votes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Murphy, Katharine (26 May 2013). "Tanya Hosch: adoption, dislocation and the fight for recognition". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  2. ↑ "Women's Movement page 6". SA Memory. State Library of South Australia . Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Indigenous rights campaigner Tanya Hosch appointed as AFL diversity chief". The Guardian . 22 June 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  4. ↑ National Library of Australia news - 12 p91 National Library of Australia - 2001 "A strong contingent of Indigenous Australians, including Kerry Arabena of the Meriam people of the Torres Strait, Tanya Hosch, a director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, and Indigenous barrister Louise Taylor, now a ..."
  5. 1 2 "Hosch". AFR Women of Influence. Australian Financial Review . Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "Former ALP National Secretary Tim Gartrell to run Indigenous referendum campaign". The Australian . 17 April 2012. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Recognise campaign successful in raising awareness". Reconciliation Australia. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. ↑ "Recognition: Why It's Right" ABC News, 13 February 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Quigley, Genevieve; Naughton, Julia (12 November 2022). "Sunday Life Trailblazers: Meet the women reshaping Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  10. ↑ Brennan, Bridget (11 August 2017). "Recognise campaign ends after making 'significant contribution'". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Matt (22 June 2016). "Indigenous leader Tanya Hosch named as new AFL diversity chief". AFL. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Tanya Hosch". Australian of the Year. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  13. ↑ Ryan, Peter (17 April 2023). "AFL 2023: Racism rampant as league braces for impact of Voice to parliament referendum". The Age . Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Historic Nicky Winmar statue to be unveiled at Optus Stadium". The West Australian . 6 July 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Anderson, John; Hosch, Tanya; Eccles, Richard (1 September 2014). "Final report of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Act of Recognition Review Panel". Referendum Council. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia). Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  16. ↑ "The Council". Referendum Council. 2 January 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  17. ↑ South Australian Women’s Honour Roll
  18. ↑ The Australian Women’s Weekly Power List of Australia’s 50 most powerful women [ dead link ]
  19. ↑ Turner, Brook (30 September 2021). "AFR Power List 2021: The top 10 most culturally powerful people in Australia are Grace Tame, Ash Barty, Chris Hemsworth, Emma McKeon, The Kid Laroi, Tanya Hosch, Bruna Papandrea, the Betoota Advocate, Stephen Page, Mary-Louise McLaws". Australian Financial Review . Retrieved 18 April 2023.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.