Inquiry members were appointed for a three year term, commencing 1 July 2024. Their appointments followed a recruitment process in late 2023 and early 2024.
The five members are independent of government. They are a diverse group of people who strongly represent their culture, and bring a broad range of skills and experience.
All members are passionate about listening, searching for and sharing truth, and supporting healing.
They aim to foster inclusiveness and mutual respect while also building awareness and understanding of Queensland’s shared history following colonisation.
They invite all Queenslanders to walk with them as they work right across the state during this Inquiry.
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Joshua is Waanyi and Kalkadoon with connections to Northwest Queensland. He is a barrister specialising in native title, human rights and class actions.
Mr Creamer is a current Commissioner in the Queensland Law Reform Commission; Chair of the Bar Association of Queensland, Indigenous Affairs Committee, Chair of the Griffith University Elders and First Peoples Knowledge Holders Advisory Board and member of the Griffith University Council.
He has appeared in a number of landmark class actions and is ranked in Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific and Doyle’s Guide for his work in the native title jurisdiction.
Joshua was previously named National Indigenous Legal Professional of the Year, and was a member of the Board of Legal Aid Queensland and a past President of the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland.
Mr Creamer has a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from Griffith University.
Roslyn is a lawyer with a lifetime commitment to human rights and diversity and advancing the interests and rights of First Nations peoples.
Ms Atkinson is a former judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland during which time she served as Chair of the Queensland Indigenous Justice Committee and was a member of the national Indigenous Justice Committee of the National Judicial College of Australia.
She has also served as inaugural President of the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, Hearing Commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission and Chair of the Queensland Law Reform Commission. Her honour was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the judiciary and to law reform in Queensland.
Roslyn is a graduate of the University of Queensland and was awarded first class honours in her law degree. She is current Chair of Screen Australia, member of the Management Committee of LawRight and Independent Chair of the Covert Operations Committee.
Cheryl is a proud Guwamu woman and lifetime campaigner for Aboriginal rights, social and environmental justice. She is a renowned publisher, playwright, author, speaker, director, teacher, lecturer and traditional dancer.
Ms Buchanan is a founder of well-known community organisations including Aboriginal Legal, Medical Services and Childcare Centre in Brisbane, Black Community School and Black Resource Centre as well as Murrie Coo-ee (an Aboriginal publishing house).
She has also served as the first Aboriginal Commissioner with Queensland Corrective Services, and Chair of the Queensland and National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees. Cheryl is a former member of the Treaty Working Group and co-Chair of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body, and currently a Director of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations and Queensland Murray-Darling Catchments Limited, as well as a member of the State Library Board and executive member of the Indigenous Peoples Organisation.
Cheryl has a Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education (University of Queensland) and a Graduate Diploma of Natural and Cultural Resource Management (Deakin University); and has been awarded the Centenary Medal Commonwealth of Australia for Distinguished Services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities of Australia.
Ivan is a Wiradjuri and Filipino man and was the first Indigenous appointment as Judicial Registrar to the Federal Court of Australia. Mr Ingram is admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland as a legal practitioner and enrolled on the High Court of Australia register of legal practitioner. He has spent much of his career practising in the field of native title. Ivan also holds an academic position with the Queensland University of Technology School of Law where he teaches First Nations legal history and legal realities.
Mr Ingram was previously the Chief Operating Officer for the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute and is a Doctor of Juridical Science candidate in the Indigenous People’s Law & Policy Program at the University of Arizona. He is a longstanding member of the Queensland Law Society, Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland and Pride in Law where he served as the Queensland Chapter's Indigenous Officer.
He is Chair of the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Director and Company Secretary of the Flying Arts Alliance, Director of the Digi Youth Arts and is a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee of the Queensland Performing Arts Trust.
Ivan has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Biotechnology) and Bachelor of Law (Honours) from Queensland University of Technology, and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (Australian National University).
Vonda is a Torres Strait Islander woman with connection to Erub (Darnley Island) and Cape York, with extensive professional experience in working to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes for the region and encouraging women and people in regional and remote communities to pursue leadership opportunities.
She is currently CEO of the Torres Strait Regional Authority and was previously the first female Mayor of the Torres Shire Council. Vonda has held Chair and executive positions with Community Enterprise Queensland, Islanders Board of Industry Service, Torres and Cape Indigenous Councils Alliance, Torres Health and other health organisations.
Ms Malone was named the McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year in 2017, recognising her leadership as Mayor of the Torres Shire Council. She is a fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner's Indigenous Fellowship Program and also a recipient of the Centenary Medal and the NAIDOC Award of Excellence.
Vonda holds a Graduate Certificate in Australian Rural Leadership and Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management.
