- Liam ___________________________ . In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse http://itsoch.hypermart.net KOLA Action Group http://kola-hq.hypermart.net Journey of Healing http://www.journeyofhealing.com .___________________________ -----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, October 21, 1999 2:53 PM Subject: [atsic] Media Release: Mr Ron Castan AM, QC > >21 October 1999 > >MR RON CASTAN AM, QC > >The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission today expressed its >deepest sorrow at the passing away of a "true champion" of Indigenous >people's rights, Ron Castan AM, QC. > >ATSIC's Commissioner for Land Rights and Native Title, Geoff Clark, said on >behalf of the ATSIC board and staff that Mr Castan had been actively >promoting the rights of Indigenous people for nearly 30 years. > >Commissioner Clark said: "ATSIC feels deep sorrow at the passing away of Mr >Castan who was historically a true champion of Indigenous people. > >"He has worked tirelessly on behalf of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander >people since 1971. > >"Ron has always been available to Indigenous people for legal advice and >assistance and in that whole time I don't think I ever saw a bill from him. > >"He worked on our behalf all the way through the native title debate from >Mabo to Wik. > >"I think it would be fair to say if there had not been a Ron Castan there >would not have been a Mabo or Wik case in the High Court. > >"The loss of the man and his knowledge will be extremely difficult to >replace. > >"His passing away will also remind people just how committed some >Australians are towards assisting Aboriginal people in recognising their >legal rights." > >Mr Castan, a member of the Smorgon family and an active member of the Jewish >community, was senior counsel for ATSIC and the National Indigenous Working >Group during the Wik debate and many other important native title cases. > >He was also co-chairman of the Federal Government's National Inquiry into >Racist Violence during 1990-91. > >He was the founding Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal >Service and had an on-going role as a member of the Board of Trustees of the >Koorie Heritage Trust which is overseeing major redevelopment of the new >Koorie Cultural Centre in Melbourne. > >Together with his wife, Nellie, an art gallery director for nearly 20 years, >Mr Castan was also an active benefactor of the National Gallery of Victoria >and made a major >contribution to the Gallery's Aboriginal collection. > >Commissioner Clark said ATSIC offered its deepest condolences to Mr Castan's > >wife and three children. > >Craig Sproule >Office of Public Affairs - ATSIC >Ph: 02 6121 4952 >Fax: 02 6282 2854 >E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
