thomas mayo
human rights advocate & author

Thomas Mayo is a leading voice in human rights advocacy and an award-winning author.

A Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander, he came to public prominence when he co-led the high-profile campaign for Australia’s Voice referendum, speaking with thousands of Australians about the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Thomas is recognised as one of Australia’s leaders in Indigenous rights and works with schools, community groups, corporates and government to achieve justice, recognition and equity for First Nations peoples. He is on several boards including the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 

An accomplished orator and storyteller, Thomas has written seven books including the Voice to Parliament Handbook which was voted the 2024 Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) as well as Social Impact Book of the Year and Non-Fiction Book of the Year. His latest book Always Was, Always Will Be is a practical guide of hope and inspiration after the referendum. Thomas regularly writes for publications including The Monthly, The Guardian and Koori Mail.

A proud father of five children, Thomas’ book Dear Son: letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons has been adapted into a critically acclaimed play which has shown in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Starting his career as a wharfie, Thomas has held several leadership positions at the Maritime Union of Australia and is currently Assistant National Secretary.

Further Reading:
Thomas Mayo website
Instagram: @ThomasAMayo

Image: Thomas Mayo, Photographer: Ferne Millen

Professor Peter Greste
Film Maker, Journalist, Author and
Professor Of Journalism, Macquarie University 

Macquarie University’s Professor Peter Greste is an award-winning broadcast journalist, academic, media freedom activist and author. Before becoming an academic in 2018, he spent 25 years as a foreign correspondent mostly for the BBC and Al Jazeera. He began his career with the civil war in Yugoslavia and elections in South Africa as a freelance reporter in the early 90’s. In 1995 he joined the BBC as its Afghanistan correspondent and went on to cover Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

In 2011 he won a Peabody Award for a BBC documentary on Somalia. Later that year, he moved to Al Jazeera as its East Africa correspondent. In December 2013 he was covering Egypt on a short three-week assignment when he was arrested on terrorism charges. After a trial widely dismissed as a sham, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years behind bars.

In prison, he wrote a series of letters defending press freedom. Those letters established the tone of the campaign that ultimately forced the Egyptian government to free him in February the following year after 400 days behind bars. To honour his advocacy, he has won numerous domestic and international awards, including a Walkley for a 'lifetime contribution to journalism' (Australia’s highest accolade for journalists), the British Royal Television Society’s Judges Award, and Tribeca Disruptive Innovator’s Awards all in 2015.

He has also won the International Association of Press Clubs’ Freedom of Speech Award; the Australian Human Rights Commission Medal, and the Australian Press Council’s 2018 Press Freedom award. Peter has written about his experiences in The First Casualty, published in 2017 and now in production as a feature film. He remains an avid advocate of media freedom and journalist safety.

Peter Greste is also a member of The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre's Advisory Board.