The Levitt Indigenous Poetry Prize (LIPP)
The Levitt Indigenous Poetry Prize (“LIPP”) is a biennial poetry prize for the best poems on a personal, social or political subject concerning Indigenous Australians or Torres Strait Islanders.
ATTENTION ALL LIPP ENTRANTS
The inaugural LIPP Awards was held on Wednesday 15th December 2021 at the Louis Hotel in Lewisham.
Our winners and their entries are listed below.
The next LIPP Awards will be held in 2023.
The LIPP Judges
Joshua Creamer
Joshua Creamer is a lawyer who specialises in class actions and native title. As he is Waanyi and Kalkadoon, he has a personal affinity and interest in protecting the rights of Indigenous groups. This is demonstrated by his appearance in the landmark class actions, Wotton v State of Queensland [2016] FCA 1457 (‘The Palm Island Case’) and Pearson v State of Queensland (No 2) [2020] FCA 619 (‘Stolen Wages Qld’). The first being Australia’s first and largest racial discrimination case and the latter the nation’s largest human rights case.
Douglas Campbell
Douglas Campbell QC is a Barrister based in QLD. His primary areas of practice include Civil & Human Rights & Discrimination law, Commercial Law, Personal Injury Law, Property Law and Trade Practices & Competition Law.
Mr Campbell has acted for a number of aboriginal communities including:
- the Hope Vale and Wujal Wujal aboriginal communities in the mediation of the aboriginal underpayment of wages claims;
- the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council in an administrative review application seeking a new grantee of the Hope Vale Deed of Grant of Land in Trust;
- the Kowanyama and Aurukun Shire Councils in an administrative review relating to a liquor licence; and
- a number of parties (including the Hopevale Aboriginal Shire Council) in a Federal Court application under the Judicial Review Act to set aside the registration of an ILUA at Hopevale.
Megan Krakouer
Megan Krakouer is both a lawyer and the Director of National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project. She has a long history of working alongside the most vulnerable and the Indigenous community. A highlight of her career is her contribution to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, for which Krakouer has now turned her focus to calling for a Royal Commission into Child Removals.
Bibi Barba
As an Aboriginal artist, Bibi Barba is inspired by her Grandmother’s storytelling and her love of the land. Barba’s colourful work captivates a sense of vivid storytelling by blending traditional indigenous design with contemporary and innovative colour combinations.
Speaking fondly about her childhood Bibi says, “Every Sunday night, we’d go to Nan’s for dinner, and she would tell us stories of her life. She would say, ‘you have to go back home. Go home and get the feeling for your country. Feel it. Paint it’.”
Martina Hazelbane
Martina Hazelbane is a proud Larrakia/Warai traditional owner from the Northern Territory and the Principal Consultant in her 100% indigenous owned consulting business ‘Stapleton Indigenous Consulting’ (SIC) She is also the proud founder and CEO of the ‘Indigenous Road Safety Academy’ (IRSA).
Martina is a fearless leader who prides herself on working cross culturally to achieve outcomes in the most difficult of circumstances especially in the areas of social justice and Indigenous empowerment.
Martina previously devoted fifteen years to a social justice career advocating for the rights of indigenous people across the Northern Territory whilst working in both leadership and management roles at the ‘North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency’ (NAAJA) as Practice Manager in their Darwin office and Office Manager in their Alice Springs office.
Martina is dedicated to making sure Aboriginal people had access to high quality culturally appropriate legal services and prided herself on her exceptional management, leadership, organisational, stakeholder engagement, mentoring, and cross-cultural skills.
Martina is a very well-regarded leader who leads her team by example and is a great mentor for younger Indigenous people.
Martina ensures Aboriginal people get the highest quality culturally appropriate service and over the years Martina has trained a large number of Aboriginal people. She is multi skilled and self-motivated and has an extensive understanding of Aboriginal culture
In 2019 she won the NATSILS – Attorney General’s national coveted female ‘National Trevor Christian Memorial Award’ in recognition of her substantial positive contributions to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community for female leadership in law.
Martina is proud to be the first appointed Indigenous Director on the ‘Carers NT’ board of directors. She is a passionate about ensuring all Aboriginal people caring for their loved ones, family members or friends receive culturally appropriate access to the necessary services to support their caring journey and are treated with dignity and respect they deserve.
She is also the first Indigenous Director at the ‘Brisbane Jazz Club’ where she enjoys making a positive contribution to the Brisbane jazz community through her love of Jazz music.
Tanya Neal
Tanya Neal is a proud Wiradjuri woman and has a long-standing history with the NSW Department of Education. Tanya is currently the Director, Research and Engagement, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships within the NSW Department of Education.
Tanya is extremely passionate and dedicated to Aboriginal education. She has a strong personal commitment to ensure all Aboriginal students have access to a quality and culturally inclusive educational experience within the NSW Public School system in order for them to achieve their educational and lifelong aspirations.
