20 Facts About Jackie Huggins

Jackie Huggins has been active in the reconciliation movement, and was co-commissioner for Queensland for the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families from 1995 to 1997.

Jackie Huggins co-chaired the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples until 2019, when she was appointed co-chair of Queensland Government's Treaty Working Group and Eminent Treaty Process Panel.

Jackie Huggins has served on many other boards and organisations in various capacities, and published several books.

Jacqueline Gail Jackie Huggins was born in Ayr, Queensland, on 19 August 1956, the daughter of Jack and Rita Jackie Huggins.

Jackie Huggins's family moved to Inala in Brisbane when she was young and she attended Inala State High School.

Jackie Huggins left school at age 15 to assist her family and from the age of 16 worked as a typist with the Australian Broadcasting Commission at Toowong, Queensland, from 1972.

Jackie Huggins enrolled at the University of Queensland in 1985, graduating with a BA in history and anthropology in 1987.

Jackie Huggins earned a Diploma of Education in 1988.

At the age of 16, in 1972, Jackie Huggins started working for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a typist at Toowong, Queensland.

Jackie Huggins was often the only Indigenous woman in the room, which helped her career.

Jackie Huggins was appointed head of the first women's unit when she was 28, overseeing around 50 women.

Jackie Huggins was the chair of the Queensland Domestic Violence Council, co-commissioner for Queensland for the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families and a member of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, the AIATSIS Council, and the National NAIDOC Committee.

In 2001 Jackie Huggins became co-chair of Reconciliation Australia.

Jackie Huggins has served on many other boards and organisations in various capacities.

Jackie Huggins has published a wide range of essays and studies dealing with Indigenous history and identity.

Jackie Huggins is the author of Sistergirl, and co-author, with her mother Rita, of the critically acclaimed biography Auntie Rita.

Jackie Huggins was a member of the working party involved in the creation of the First Nations Australia Writers Network in 2012, and as of 2021 remains patron of the organisation.

Jackie Huggins was deputy director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit at the University of Queensland until 2017, and then co-chaired the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples with Rod Little until 2019.

Jackie Huggins said that a process of truth-telling, acknowledging the history of Australia, is a "vital component to moving on".

Jackie Huggins is a longtime friend of actor, director, and arts executive Rhoda Roberts, who in 2021 was appointed Elder-in-residence at Australia's other public broadcaster, SBS.