2026 Festival
Speaker Profile
Thomas Mayo
Writer and First Nations campaigner Thomas Mayo is well known for his passionate and articulate advocacy for constitutional recognition of The Voice. With veteran journalist Kerry O'Brien, he wrote The Voice to Parliament Handbook. He is the author of Finding the Heart of the Nation, Dear Son and the best-selling children's books Finding our Heart and Freedom Day.
Social Media: Force For Good Or Engine Of Division
Friday April 24
The Ballroom, The Continental
10.30am
/
60 mins
Richard King, Ruby Kraner-Tucci, Clare Stephens and Thomas Mayo with Laura Macdonald
Via our phones and laptops, we can alienate, divide, polarise and cancel out. We can also bring people together, build social and political activism, and amplify marginalised voices. Our panel discusses.
Special Event
On Hope: Our artists discuss, reveal, recite and read
Saturday April 25
Halcyon Hall, The Continental
5.30pm
/
90 mins
Evelyn Araluen, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Erik Jensen, Richard King, Thomas Mayo and Richard Piper with Jane Montgomery Griffiths
This session is supported by I-Nex
This is a Special Event
The Revolution Continues: Still fighting for rights in Australia
Sunday April 26
Sorrento Bowls Club
9.00am
/
60 mins
Dennis Altman, Virginia Haussegger and Thomas Mayo with Julianne Schultz