Uncle Paul has dedicated more than five decades to advancing the rights, wellbeing and aspirations of First Nations people in Shepparton and across the nation.
His leadership has spanned various sectors including community development, health, education, sport, economic advancement and cultural preservation.
Uncle Paul was admitted to the degree of Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) alongside graduating students during the Shepparton ceremony last month.
La Trobe vice-chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said Uncle Paul embodied the values of leadership, reconciliation and equity, which the university held in high regard.
“The opening of the Munarra Centre of Regional Excellence in Shepparton last August is a testament to Uncle Paul’s vision and extraordinary ability to bring people together to improve health, wellbeing and prosperity for all in the community,” Prof Farrell said.
“Uncle Paul’s lifelong dedication to advancing opportunities for Indigenous people and building stronger communities is inspirational and it is a great honour to formally recognise his contributions with this honorary doctorate.”
For Uncle Paul, this latest achievement holds deeper significance of “reciprocity and respectful relationships” between Indigenous and western knowledge.
Uncle Paul is the executive chair of the Kaiela Institute, an Indigenous-led think tank based in Shepparton, and the founding president of the Rumbalara Football and Netball Club, a powerful community hub that strengthens social connection and cultural pride, particularly for young people in regional and rural communities.
Uncle Paul is also the inaugural chair of the AFL National Indigenous Advisory Council.
Beyond sport, he is the deputy chair of the Munarra Centre for Regional Excellence, a partnership project with La Trobe University.
The centre aims to create pathways for Aboriginal youth and communities through the integration of education, sport, culture and the arts.
Uncle Paul also co-chairs the Goulburn Murray Regional Prosperity and Productivity Plan.
It has a goal to generate mutual prosperity by restoring and sustaining a thriving economy for Yorta Yorta and other First Nations people within a 15-year period.
The honorary doctorate adds to Uncle Paul’s impressive list of national honours, including the Centenary Medal and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2003 and, most recently, the Officer of the Order of Australia in 2024.
It is also his second honorary doctorate from a university, having received a Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of Melbourne in December in recognition of his lifetime of community leadership and advocacy for Indigenous people’s rights and advancement.
The Doctor of Laws is The University of Melbourne’s highest honour.
Uncle Paul is also a past chair of the Victorian Aboriginal Football Foundation, and the AFL awarded Uncle Paul the Jack Titus Award in recognition of his outstanding service to football and enduring advocacy for First Nations people.
He is also the founding chair of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, a founding member of the Koori Economic Employment and Training Agency Committee and founding chair of the First Nations Australian Credit Union.
He has also served on numerous boards and advisory groups including the University of Melbourne Council, the Victorian Aboriginal Treaty Working Group, the Empowered Communities Project and Reconciliation Australia’s Indigenous Banking Reference Group.
Uncle Paul said education was critical in shaping a more inclusive and equitable Australia.
“Education and knowledge acquisition play an important part in determining the future and building a sense of security and safety for First Nations peoples in society, including Yorta Yorta culture,” Uncle Paul said.
“There’s been an upsurge over recent years in kids’ aspirations in education, which has lifted secondary and tertiary attainment.
“We think this will keep us humble and as the leadership emerges, others will follow.”
