With GARMA coming up in August, Knowmore Legal Service reflects on our Northern Australia Strategy and our commitment to providing access to free legal advice for redress matters in remote and rural communities. In March 2022, Knowmore was proud to partner in the establishment of the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme (TSGRS). Our inclusion offered an opportunity for survivors in remote and rural regions to access free legal advice. Knowmore staff have since travelled to more than 167 different regions in the Northern Australian catchment to help people in remote communities understand their legal options and assist those eligible to lodge redress claims.
In that time, we established a successful model of engagement that prioritises the cultural needs of First Nations peoples living in remote parts of Northern Australia and builds awareness of the TSGRS. Past outreach highlighted that isolated trips to community with no pre-planning, and visiting areas where no known institutions were involved, did not deliver substantial value. It also became clear that negative experiences with TSGRS applications would be shared within community, which created further barriers. Knowmore’s efforts have centred on building trust via ongoing partnerships in local communities and learning cultural engagement with the support of Traditional Owner groups, and our own dedicated Aboriginal Advisors.
This led to the development of a Northern Australia Strategy by Knowmore; a strategy that acknowledges movement across borders and traditional homelands, and centres on enhancing TSGRS visibility and knowledge to those individuals who may have been displaced and have since returned to their communities. Many of our clients in remote areas suffer enduring effects of forced removal and displacement, therefore the success of Knowmore’s strategy depends on continuing to build trusted partnerships between main service providers (including NIAAA), Knowmore’s highly skilled team led by First Nations staff, and remote community leaders. Information about the TSGRS needs to be easily accessible and take language barriers, cultural protocols and government records of missions and townships into account.
Knowmore’s on-the-ground experience has helped us identify numerous successful strategies, including 1-2-3 Cup of Tea, which has highlighted the unspoken cultural expectations and needs in remote First Nations communities and helped with facilitation of face-to-face meetings with community leaders, and the engagement of knowledgeable interpreters to help reduce misunderstanding and show cultural respect. Gary Oliver (Executive Director, Strategy and First Nations Engagement) states, “This equates to being seen in the community, being acknowledged, and then doing business as you form relationships. It’s an old methodology that has worked for years and was adopted by us at Knowmore as a proven measure of success.”
Knowmore’s 2025 outreach is under way, with a planned 26 outreach to remote communities across NT, SA, WA and QLD with the intention to map underserviced areas, where First Nations peoples and communities may not have yet have equitable access and opportunity for TSGRS applications. Knowmore will continue to consult First Nations communities through our 1-2-3 Cup of Tea strategy and draw on experience to ensure that we maintain a strong presence and continue to offer free legal support to clients in previously contacted communities.
Key senior members of the Knowmore team are available for interviews at Garma. They can speak on critical issues impacting First Nations communities, including the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme and ongoing support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander survivors of institutional child sexual abuse. Gary Oliver (Executive Director, Strategy and First Nations Engagement, Jackie Mead (CEO) and Amanda Whelan (Director, Innovation and Capability Building) can provide insight into the barriers survivors face in accessing justice, the importance of culturally safe and trauma-informed services, and the gaps that still exist in redress and healing.
This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from legal and social work experts who are walking alongside survivors and advocating for systemic change — particularly in remote and regional communities where the need is greatest.
For media inquiries or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Knowmore Fundraising & Communications Manager Barbara Charan on 0432 681 037 or media@knowmore.org.au
Knowmore is a community legal centre that provides free, independent legal advice and multidisciplinary support for survivors of child abuse throughout Australia, including in relation to the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.