Remembering the community spirit of the late Uncle Jack Charles

The life of the Aboriginal Elder, author, artist and activist will be honoured in a state funeral service in Melbourne today.

***Please note, this story uses the name and image of Uncle Jack Charles with permission from his family.***

The life and legacy of the late Uncle Jack Charles, who contributed richly to the Australian arts sector and advancement of Indigenous rights, will be commemorated in a state funeral service today in Melbourne.

The Aboriginal Elder, a Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Yorta Yorta man, passed away just over one month ago following a stroke, aged 79.

Charles’ strong community influence led to the Victorian government’s offer of a state funeral, which is being held this afternoon at Hamer Hall and will include a smoking ceremony. 

In line with Charles’ ongoing advocacy to address recidivism amongst Indigenous offenders, the service will be made available for prisoners and young people to view in prisons, remand and youth justice centres across the state. This is in addition to the Victorian government’s webcast and a live viewing site at Federation Square.

A highly respected and celebrated actor, author, musician and potter, Uncle Jack Charles made a profound impact on the Australian arts industry. He is widely regarded as ‘the grandfather of Aboriginal theatre in Australia’ and co-founded the first Aboriginal theatre company, Nindethana Theatre, in the early 1970s.

In 2014, Charles was the first Indigenous recipient of a Green Room award for lifetime achievement, where he was also a patron, and was honoured with a prestigious Red Ochre award for lifetime achievement from the Australian Council of the Arts in 2019.

Charles was an ambassador for the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), where he screened his personal documentary, Bastardy in 2008. MIFF’s artistic director Al Cossar reflected on Charles’ impact on the film industry and beyond exclusively with Pro Bono News.

“To audiences, Uncle Jack Charles was an icon of Australia’s screen and performing arts landscape,” said Cossar.

“Audiences lit up when he walked in the room, no matter the occasion. His presence animated the world of MIFF and brought audiences closer. He was beyond charismatic – charming, irreverent, someone who could offer such wisdom and depth whose spike of wit always delighted. It was a true pleasure to see how happy, how in awe our audiences justifiably were, when he was near.

“We revered Uncle Jack for his talent, his wisdom, for the extraordinary way he flooded joy into the world of film at our festival. We are so saddened by the way he left us, and so grateful for what he has given us,” he concluded.

But Charles’ contributions off the screen, through his advocacy for the progress and advancement of the rights of First Nations communities, play just as big a role in his legacy.

Charles was a member of the Stolen Generations and spent years in institutions and foster homes, and later in the prison system. His experiences of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of the state led to long periods of homelessness and drug addiction. Charles told his story as the first witness called to Victoria’s landmark Yoorrook Justice Commission. 

Charles worked tirelessly, mentoring and supporting young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people caught up in the prison system. He also supported the Raise the Age campaign to address Australia’s low age of minimum criminal responsibility, alongside the late Uncle Archie Roach AM.

Indigenous affairs journalist at The Age Jack Latimore told Pro Bono News that Charles “was an extraordinary talent and inspiring rogue. To know him, even just a little, felt like being let in on a grand mischief.”

“He embodied a remarkable survival against the odds and a commitment to defiance and resistance. He was always good for an illuminating yarn and generous with his time,” Latimore said.

Charles was both a patron and user of not-for-profit housing service Merri Outreach Support Service (MOSS), a unique intersection that CEO Mark Goodie said positioned Charles right in the centre of the community he was serving.

“He wasn’t above a conversation with anyone at any level. He was well known to hop in his chair, take off from our Northcote towers and ride all the way to Collingwood. He’d say he was keeping an eye out for others and making sure they were on the right path,” Goodie told Pro Bono News.

“I got to know Jack through his storytelling, and part of his mission was endeavouring to help average Australians understand what actually occurred for Indigenous people and how bad it truly was. He wasn’t shy to use the words to call out where wrong was done.

“It always struck me how calm and engaging he was considering all the atrocities that had happened to him. It showed a real strength of character and he was a statesman in the community.”

This sentiment was echoed by author and activist Tony Birch, who wrote in The Monthly that “Jack was an inspiring leader for our people. His voice was as wise as it was humble.”

“Jack was a principled political activist throughout his life, and would fiercely defend Aboriginal rights when necessary, never taking a backward step in any battle, despite his lack of physical stature.”

Charles’ contributions as a role model to the wider Victorian community were reflected in his honour as 2016 Victorian Senior Australian of the Year and this year’s NAIDOC Male Elder of the Year.

His state funeral service will be livestreamed on the Victorian government’s website at 2pm on Tuesday 18 October.