Dr Sallyanne Atkinson AO is a Women’s Alumna, Fellow, Past Council President of The Women’s College and was Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1985 – 1991. Sallyanne is Chairman of the Museum of Brisbane and a member of the Senate of The University Queensland. She was the first—and so far, only—female Lord Mayor of Brisbane. A former President of The Women’s College Council for 11 years and a Fellow since 2005, she has had a varied career, including as a former Senior Trade Commissioner to Paris, Chairman of Queensland Tourism, and Special Representative for Queensland in Southeast Asia, and is an experienced non-executive company director. She holds honorary doctorates from The University of Queensland, Australian Catholic University and Griffith University, was made an Officer of the Order of Australia by the Australian Government, and a member of the National Order of Merit by the French Government.

Cheryl Buchanan is a proud Guwamu woman from southwest Queensland. She is a renowned publisher, playwright, author, speaker, director, teacher, lecturer and traditional dancer.

Spanning more than five decades, Cheryl has played an integral role in driving social change for her people—both at state and national levels. To this day, she remains a vocal political activist and passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Cheryl was a former Treaty Working Group member that led the initial conversations around the State on Queensland’s Path to Treaty, in 2020.

She has extensive experience in cultural advocacy and is a founder of well-known community organisations including the Aboriginal Legal, Medical Services and Childcare Centre in Brisbane, Black Community School, and Black Resource Centre, as well as being the first Aboriginal publisher (Murrie Coo-ee).

She has also served as the first Aboriginal Commissioner with Queensland Corrective Services, and as Chair of the Queensland and National Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees. As a founding member of the Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations, Cheryl is currently a Director, and is also a Director of Queensland Murray-Darling Catchments Limited.

Cheryl is currently a member of the State Library Board and an executive member of the Indigenous Peoples Organisation and was selected to attend COP27 in Egypt.

Photo and biography from State Library of Queensland.