Advocacy
Honouring Uncle Brian Butler
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Freya Lucas
Jan 28, 2025
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be aware that this story shares the name and information of a person who has passed.
Uncle Brian Butler, best known for his work in the Aboriginal child welfare and healing space, has passed away in Adelaide, aged 86, the National Indigenous Times has reported.William Brian Butler, known as Uncle Brian Butler, passed away in December, following a lifetime spent, for the most part, fighting for Aboriginal rights.
Born in 1938 at Bagot Reserve in Darwin, he was of Aranda and Luritja descent. His mother was moved from Central Australia under Government policy at the time, a place the family returned to during World War II, with the threat of Japanese invasion.
Uncle Brian was later sent to St Francis Boys Home in Adelaide, where he formed connections with individuals such as Charlie Perkins, Gordon Briscoe, and John Moriarty, before leaving school at the age of 14.
Lying about his age and claiming to be 16, he joined the merchant navy, a role which took him to major Australian cities, where he identified Aboriginal children who had been removed from their families.
He used his knowledge to help trace their origins and relay information to their communities.
In 1968, he joined South Australia's Department of Public Health, soon establishing the South Australian Aboriginal Child Care Agency after he came to recognise the limitations of government institutions in addressing Aboriginal issues.
He and his team trained volunteers across communities, creating a network that in 1982 led the South Australian Government to grant the agency statutory authority over Aboriginal child welfare decisions.
As the inaugural head of the Secretariat for National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC), Mr Butler was instrumental in formulating the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle.
This principle, now part of legislation nationwide, ensures that Aboriginal children in need of care are placed with carers connected to their family and community.
During the 1995 national inquiry into the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, Mr Butler worked to ensure voices from remote areas were heard.
He advocated for the establishment of the Healing Foundation and served on its initial Advisory Board.
He also co-chaired the National Sorry Day Committee and the Stolen Generations Alliance.
In his book, "Sorry and Beyond: Healing the Stolen Generations," co-authored with John Bond, he detailed the campaigns leading to the Federal Parliament's 2008 apology.
Reflecting on the nation's journey, he wrote, "The journey isn't over."
"Sorry and beyond is a call to continue the work of healing this national trauma."
In later years, Mr Butler focused on elder care, collaborating with the SA Aged Care Rights and Advocacy Service to support elderly Aboriginal people.
Concerned about internal conflicts within the Aboriginal community, he promoted "lateral love," emphasising care, sharing, nurturing, and respect.
He believed strongly in the importance of unity.
"Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people need to understand Lateral Violence so that we can focus on practicing the opposite which is Lateral Love through unity based on the principles of Caring, Sharing and Respect for all humankind," he once said.
Mr Butler is survived by a large family who recognise his significant contributions to healing and advocating for Aboriginal people.
This story draws heavily on information from the National Indigenous Times. Read the original here.
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