Shenane Law

In this piece, Shenane Law, a proud Aboriginal woman and manager in North Queensland, reflects on what real success looks like and what it means for Aboriginal leadership to take its rightful place in shaping the system.

I think a victory is seeing those young people now as young adults -  They still remember my name. They come up and say, “Hello Aunty,” and there’s that respect there. That’s what fills me with pride. It means that, somewhere along the way, I made a difference in their lives, and they still carry that connection.

My name is Shenane. I’m a manager in the Finding Kin and Delegated Authority Team in the North Queensland region. For me, this work has always been about connection — to family, to culture, and to community. That’s what gives our young people strength.

What I’d really like to see is more of our own mob — more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — in leadership roles.

We have so much wisdom and strength within our communities, but too often we’re not the ones sitting at the decision-making tables.

I’d like to see our people as directors, as regional executive directors, as the ones shaping how the work is done — because we know what works. We understand what keeps our families strong. We bring that lived experience, that cultural knowledge, and that deep understanding of our communities.

We should be at the table. In fact, it should be our mob running those service centres, driving the changes, and making the decisions about our families and children.

Because when we lead, we do it with heart — with respect, understanding, and a genuine desire to see our young people grow up strong in their culture and proud of who they are.

That’s what real reform looks like. It’s not just about fixing policies; it’s about putting the right people — our people — in the right places to lead the change.

This story is part of Together Union’s campaign to ensure that the lived experiences of Child Safety workers shape the Queensland Commission of Inquiry.