Contact points & other useful resources

CONTACT POINTS

ALS of WA (Inc)
Head Office
7 Aberdeen St
Perth WA 6000
Toll-free: 1800 019 900
Fax: (08) 9221 1767
www.als.org.au

ALS REGIONAL OFFICES
Albany
Broome
Bunbury
Carnarvon
Fitzroy Crossing
Geraldton
Halls Creek
Kalgoorlie
Kununurra
Laverton
Meekatharra
Newman
Northam
Roebourne
South Hedland

Aboriginal Family History Program
197 St George’s Tce
Perth WA 6000
PO Box 7770
Cloisters Square
Perth WA 6850
Ph: (08) 9235 8075
Ph: 1300 651 077 (cost of a local call)
Fax: (08) 9235 8125
www.dia.wa.gov.au/Heritage/FamilyHistory.htm
Email: info@dia.wa.gov.au

Aboriginal Visitors Scheme
Ministry of Justice
170 Wellington St
Perth WA 6000
Ph: (08) 9325 9088

Deaths in Custody Watch Committee
207 Beaufort St
Perth WA 6000
Ph: (08) 9227 5751
www.deathsincustody.com

Social Justice Commissioner - Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC)
Level 8, Piccadilly Tower
133 Castlereagh St
Sydney NSW 2000
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Ph: (02) 9284 9600
Complaints Infoline: 1300 656 419 (cost of a local call)
General enquiries and publications: 1300 369 711 (cost of a local call)
TTY: 1800 620 241 (hearing or speech impaired)
Fax: (02) 9284 9611
www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice

Legal Aid Commission
Head Office
55 St George’s Tce
Perth WA 6000
Ph: 1300 650 579 (cost of a local call)
TTY: 1800 241 216 (hearing or speech impaired)
Fax: (08) 9325 5430
www.legalaid.wa.gov.au
(contains a comprehensive legal information section covering a range of topics)

WA Department of Indigenous Affairs
197 St George’s Tce
Perth WA 6000
PO Box 7770
Cloisters Square WA 6850
Ph: (08) 9235 8000
Ph: 1300 651 077 (cost of a local call)
Fax: (08) 9235 8088
www.dia.gov.au

WA Equal Opportunity Commission
2nd Floor, Westralia Square
141 St George’s Tce
Perth WA 6000
Ph: (08) 9216 3900
(If an interpreter is required, call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on +618 131 450 and ask for connection to the Equal Opportunity Commission on +618 9216 3900).
Toll-free: 1800 198 149
TTY: (08) 9216 3936 (hearing or speech impaired)
Fax: (08) 9216 3960
www.eoc.wa.gov.au
Email: eoc@eoc.wa.gov.au

OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES

CULTURE & ETIQUETTE

Specialists in relation to culture (what it is, what it is not, how culture is learnt, effect of unconscious negative attitudes) can be accessed via Curtin
University. Information about the content of a specific culture can be accessed via the person and his or her family, elders from that community, anthropologists, or inquiries can be made at Curtin University.
There are various culturally-appropriate services available. The Western Australian Council of Social Service (www.wacoss.org.au) can provide a booklet called “The Little Black Book” for a nominal cost.

LANGUAGE

Aboriginal English and the Law: communicating with Aboriginal English speaking clients: a handbook for legal practitioners Diana Eades (Queensland Law Society 1992)
Aboriginal English in the courts Diana Eades (available online at: www.justice.qld.gov.au/courts/pdfs/handbook.pdf)
Is an Interpreter Necessary? A Test of English to Assess the Need For an Interpreter for People Involved In Legal Proceedings From a Non-English Speaking Background Michael Cooke and Elaine Wylie (available online at: www.nla.aust.net.au/html/interpreters.html)
Indigenous interpreting issues for courts Michael Cooke AIJA, 2002 (available online at:www.aija.org.au/ac01/Cooke.pdf)
Caught in the middle: indigenous interpreters and customary law: Background Paper No. 2 Michael Cooke – Perth: LRCWA, 2004 (available online at: www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au)
Aboriginal Witnesses in Queensland’s Criminal Courts (Queensland Criminal Justice Commission, Brisbane: Goprint, June 1996) (available online at: www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals.OLD/AILR/1996/76.html)
Linguists specializing in Aboriginal English can be accessed via Edith Cowan University.

Kimberley Interpreting Service
Ph: (08) 9192 3981
www.wn.com.au/mirima

HISTORY

The Department of Indigenous Affairs in Western Australia has on its website a timeline of the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Western Australia: pals.dia.wa.gov.au/timelines.aspx
There is also a timeline that deals specifically with legal developments affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia at: www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/timeline

EDUCATION

Abstudy/Federal Department of Education, Science and Training: www.dest.gov.au/schools/indigenous/abstudy.htm

EMPLOYMENT

Aboriginal Public Sector Employment, Department of Premier and Cabinet (WA): www.careeroptions.dpc.wa.gov.au/index.cfm?fuseaction=aboriginal_opportunities.employment

HEALTH

Overviews of Aboriginal Health Status Australian Institute of Health, 1991 (available online at: www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/indexagency.html#aih)
Australian Indigenous Health InfoNet: www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au

HOUSING

Department of Housing and Works (WA)/ Aboriginal Housing: www.dhw.wa.gov.au
Aboriginal Hostels Limited: www.ahl.gov.au

RECONCILIATION

Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation: www.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car

CUSTOMARY LAW

Aboriginal customary laws (Law Reform Commission of Western Australia, 2004) (available online at: www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au)
The recognition of Aboriginal customary laws (Australian Law Reform Commission, 1986) (available online at: www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/index-agency.html#alrc)

DEATHS IN CUSTODY

Royal Commission
Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC) – Reports www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/IndigLRes/rciadic/index.html
Prisons/Suicide Prevention
Inspector of Custodial Services (WA) www.custodialinspector.wa.gov.au/newoicsFrameset.html
Deaths in Custody Watch Committee
www.deathsincustody.com
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Suicide Trevor Hazell, Hunter Institute of Mental Health, 2000 (available online at: www.himh.org.au/response-ability)

STOLEN GENERATION

www.austlii.edu.au/au/special/rsjproject/rsjlibrary/hr eoc/stolen
www.aiatsis.gov.au/lbry/fct_shts/lib_rsc3.htm www.alphalink.com.au/~rez/Journey/qna.htm
www.eniar.org/stolen.html
Looking West: a guide to Aboriginal records in Western Australia (available online at: www.lookingwest.communitydevelopment.wa.gov.au)

FAMILY LAW

Aboriginal customary laws (Law Reform Commission of Western Australia, 2004) (available online at: www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au) (in particular Background Paper No. 1, The Approach of Australian Courts to
Aboriginal Customary Law in the Areas of Criminal, Civil and Family Law, by Victoria Williams, and Background Paper No. 4, Family Law and Customary Law, by Tony Buti and Lisa Young)
The Department for Community Development (WA): www.communitydevelopment.wa.gov.au
The Child Support Agency:www.csa.gov.au

DEATH & BURIAL

Aboriginal customary laws Law Reform Commission of Western Australia (2004) (available online at: www.lrc.justice.wa.gov.au) (in particular Background Paper No. 1, The Approach of Australian Courts to Aboriginal Customary Law in the Areas of Criminal, Civil and Family Law, by Victoria Williams)
Dealing with the death of a Northern Territory Aboriginal person; Practical guidelines for health professionals (medical practitioners, nurse practitioners and Aboriginal Health Workers) Tarun Weeramanthri (Menzies School of Health Research, 1996)
What do I do now? Assistance for families dealing with the unlawful death of a family member Department of Justice (WA), 2003 and
When a person dies suddenly Department of Justice (WA) and State Coroner (WA) (both publications available online at: www.justice.wa.gov.au)

OTHER CURRENT ISSUES

It is possible to keep up with current legal issues that concern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples via the journal Aboriginal Law Bulletin (www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ILB)
and the journal Australian Indigenous Law Reporter (www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AILR).