Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Obituary -- Tribute to Rob Riley" [1996] AboriginalLawB 35; (1996) 3(81) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Obituary Tribute To Rob Riley

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Obituary

Tribute to Rob Riley

The sad death of Robert Samuel Riley on 1 May 1996 has left an enormous hole in the hearts of the Indigenous community in Australia.

Rob Riley was born in Moora, WA on 10 December 1954. He was a member of the Stolen Generation, taken away from his family as a baby to be brought up as an orphan in Sister Kate's Children's Home. It was not until he was 12 years old that he realised he had a family, and was reunited with them. In later years, Mr Riley described the reunion as the happiest and the saddest day of his life. His joy at finally belonging to somebody was leavened by the realisation of how he had been denied a childhood with his family.

Mr Riley's activism for the human rights of Indigenous Australians first emerged from his experiences of spending his teens in what he described as the 'typical Aboriginal existence in the slums of East Perth', and also from seeing the conditions to which his relatives on Western Australia's reserves were subjected.

Rob Riley's life was one of hard work and admirable achievement. His first job was at the Crown Law Department, after which he spent 3 years in the army. After graduating in psychology from the WA Institute of Technology, he worked with the Aboriginal Legal Service. In 1981 at age 26, he was elected to the National Aboriginal Conference. He became Chairman of the WA Branch by age 27, Deputy National Chairman at 28, and the youngest National Chairman at 29 on his election in 1984.

But in 1985, when the NAC was disbanded by the Hawke Government, Rob Riley moved to Darwin where he worked with the Northern Lands Council. He subsequently became an advisor to Gerry Hand, the Commonwealth Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and head of the Aboriginal Issues Unit during the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

In 1991, Mr Riley became the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia. He served in this position until October last year, when personal difficulties with which he was struggling unfortunately forced his dismissal.

Rob Riley's life was passionate and totally committed to the Indigenous community and the fight for justice. His innumerable achievements were won in the face of terrible odds: the loneliness and isolation of his childhood, his survival of childhood sexual assault, poverty, the sufferings of depression, and the racism and indifference of the wider Australian community to the nation's Indigenous peoples. His suicide is a reminder that even the biggest heart can break; but his life's work is a testament to his courage, his integrity and his commitment to his people.

The management and staff of the Aboriginal Law Centre at the University of New South Wales wish to offer their condolences to Mr Riley's family at this unhappy time.