The Case for a Republic
Megan Davis | Craig Foster | Nyadol Nyuon | George Williams
As we approach the coronation of King Charles III, many Australians are reflecting on our relationship with the Crown and what it means for our country's future. Australia is a very different country now than it was 100 years ago, and the idea of a monarchy resonates differently today for our vast multicultural population.
A hushed conversation has been stirring for some decades now, but since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II it’s reached fever pitch – orbiting the central question: what is Australia’s national identity? As our government strives to be more progressive, how can we reconcile the complex relationship between the Crown and Indigenous Australians, and the impact of colonisation on the ongoing struggle for recognition and reconciliation.
Join us for an evening of thought-provoking conversation with Craig Foster, former Socceroo and Co-Chair of the Australian Republic Movement, Megan Davis, Cobble Cobble woman and Pro Vice-Chancellor Society at UNSW Sydney, and Nyadol Nyuon, Director of the Sir Zelman Cowan Centre at Victoria University, in a lively panel discussion hosted by constitutional expert and UNSW’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, George Williams. Together they will explore the benefits and challenges of severing ties with the Crown, the role of the Commonwealth in Australia's future, and what steps we can take to make this a reality.
Please note Megan Davis will be joining via video, with all other panellists live in venue.
This event is presented by the UNSW Centre for Ideas and the Australian Human Rights Institute.
LIVE EVENT & VENUE INFORMATION
The Roundhouse is located at UNSW Sydney's Kensington Campus. Please note this is a live event only, and will not be available via livestream.
To ensure the health and safety of all patrons, face masks are recommended and please do not attend the event if you feel unwell.
TICKETS
ACCESS
Wheelchair Access
The closest accessible drop off point to the Roundhouse is the north entrance via High Street, Gate 2, follow the road to Third Avenue and turn onto 1st Avenue West. More information on getting there can be found via our interactive accessibility map available here.
Assisted Listening
The Roundhouse has a hearing loop. Patrons wishing to utilise this need to simply switch their hearing aid to the T (Telecoil) setting to pick up on the wireless signal.
Captioning
This event will be live captioned.
Auslan
Auslan interpreting services can be provided for selected talks upon request.
Contact
To discuss access requirements and book selected services, please call the Centre for Ideas on 02 9065 0485 or email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT & PARKING
Free parking is available from 5.30pm in the Western Campus Car Park. For access to free parking, event patrons must park in the UNSW Permit Holder bays. The Western Campus Car Park is located here, on Anzac Parade next to NIDA. This car park can be accessed via Western Campus Drive through Day Avenue.
The Roundhouse is easily accessible via public transport. For more information, call the Transport infoline on 131 500 or visit transportnsw.info.
CONTACT
For all other enquiries, please call the Centre for Ideas on 02 9065 0485 or email centreforideas@unsw.edu.au.
The Centre for Ideas is happy to receive phone calls via the National Relay Service. TTY users, phone 133 677, then ask for 02 9065 0485. Speak and Listen users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 02 9065 0485. Internet relay users, visit relayservice.gov.au, then ask for 02 9065 0485.
Megan Davis
Megan Davis is a Professor of Law, holds the Balnaves Chair in Constitutional Law and is Pro Vice-Chancellor Society at UNSW Sydney. She is a globally recognised expert on Indigenous peoples’ rights, and was a member of both the Prime Minister’s Referendum Council and the Prime Minister’s Expert Panel on the Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution. She also designed the deliberative dialogues and chaired the Referendum Council’s sub-committee for the First Nations regional dialogues, and the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017. Since 2017 she has continued her legal work and community legal education via the Indigenous Law Centre UNSW Sydney. She was an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2011–2016) and is currently an expert member and Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous peoples (2017–2022). In 2022 she was a co-recipient of the Sydney Peace Prize for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Craig Foster
Following a decorated football career as Australia’s 419th Socceroo and 40th Captain, Craig Foster has become one of Australia’s most respected sportspeople, and is a broadcaster, social justice advocate and human rights campaigner.
Craig represented Australia at senior level on 29 occasions, including as Captain. Following retirement, he became one of Australia’s most respected sports broadcasters, a member of the Australian Multicultural Council, NSW Australian of the Year 2023 and is well known for his campaign to free Hakeem al-Araibi, a young Bahraini refugee and the Afghan Women’s National Football Team who escaped the Taliban and now play together in Melbourne. Craig holds a law degree and Masters of International Sport Management, is the Patron of Australia’s First Nations representative football teams, the IndigenousRoos and Koalas, and is the Co-Chair of the Australian republic Movement alongside First Nations sporting legend, Nova Peris OAM.
Nyadol Nyuon
Nyadol became Director of Victoria University’s Sir Zelman Cowen Centre in January 2022, after more than a decade working in community development and advocacy. Her work focuses on legal reform, social justice, human rights and multiculturalism. A refugee to Australia, Nyadol went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University and a Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne, before spending six years in commercial law at Arnold Bloch Lieber. She is a regular media commentator, having appeared on the ABC’s The Drum and Q&A; and has written for publications like The Age, Guardian Australia and The Saturday Paper. Nyadol has won several prestigious awards, including the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Award for Community Harmony and the 2019 Diversity and Inclusion Award in The Australian Financial Review’s 100 Women of Influence Awards. In June 2022, Nyadol received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to human rights and refugee women.
George Williams (Host)
George Williams AO is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Anthony Mason Professor and a Scientia Professor at UNSW. He has served as Dean of UNSW Law and held an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship and visiting positions at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Columbia University Law School in New York, and Durham University and University College London in the United Kingdom.
He has written extensively on constitutional law and public policy, with books including Everything You Need to Know About the Uluru Statement from the Heart with Megan Davis, How to Rule Your Own Country: The weird and wonderful world of micronations with Harry Hobbs, Australian Constitutional Law and Theory, The Oxford Companion to the High Court of Australia and Human Rights under the Australian Constitution. He has appeared as a barrister in the High Court in many cases over the past two decades, including on freedom of speech, freedom from racial discrimination and the rule of law. He has also appeared in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Fiji, including on the legality of the 2000 coup. He is a media commentator on legal issues and a columnist for The Australian.
