Lidia Thorpe

Lidia Thorpe is a Gunai and Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman from the south-east and western districts of Victoria who has previous experience in Aboriginal health, Aboriginal funeral services, children’s services and managing her own business in event management and consulting and received the Fellowship for Indigenous Leadership Award in 2008.

Lidia carries on the legacy of her family, who are proud working class activists and organisers. Growing up in Melbourne’s inner north public housing flats, Lidia was raised to advocate for herself and those around her.

In November 2017 Lidia became the first Indigenous women elected to the Victorian Parliament.  When she stood in the Victorian House of Assembly to deliver her maiden speech she became the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman to do so in the building’s 161-year history.

Lidia was selected by the Greens Members in June 2020 to fill the Senate vacancy caused by Richard Di Natale’s resignation.  She is the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate and the Greens’ first Aboriginal Senator.

Qualifications and Occupations before entering Federal Parliament include:

• Certicate IV Indigenous Leadership (Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre)
• Diploma Community Development (Swinburne University of Technology)
• Graduate (AICD) (Australian Institute of Company Directors)
• Graduate Certificate of Management (PubPol) (La Trobe University)
• First Nations Consultant for the Australian Conservation Foundation
• Chief Treaty Negotiator for the Traditional Owner Land Justice Group (Vic)
• Consultant for the Central Highlands Forest Campaign
• Chairperson of NAIDOC Victoria
• Managing Director of Victorian Aboriginal Events Management from 2010 to 2013
• Manager of the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Training Centre, 2010
• Manager at the East Gippsland Shire Council from 2011 to 2013
• Adviser to the Municipal Association (Vic.) from 2013 to 2016
• Managing Director of the Clan Corporation from 2016 to 2017
• Facilitator and Fundraiser for Grandmothers Against Removals from 2018 to 2019
• Indigenous Lead for Amnesty International from 2019 to 2020

ted to the Victorian Parliament.