Indigenous Truth-Telling Efforts Persist Following Yoorrook Commission Revelations

Australia’s first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission (YJC), has sparked renewed calls for nationwide inquiries into historical and ongoing injustices against First Nations people, with key figures insisting the push for accountability will not fade. The YJC’s final report, tabled in Victoria’s parliament in July 2025, exposed systemic discrimination and labelled colonial actions as genocide, prompting other states to consider similar processes. This article explores the YJC’s impact and the growing demand for truth-telling across Australia.

The YJC, established in 2021 with royal commission powers, investigated injustices in Victoria since British colonisation in 1834. Its final report, spanning five volumes, delivered 100 recommendations, including land restitution, financial compensation, and embedding Indigenous perspectives in education. The inquiry heard from over 2,000 witnesses, including 1,500 First Nations people, revealing harrowing accounts of mass killings, cultural erasure, and systemic racism in policing, education, and childcare systems. Yoorrook commissioner Travis Lovett described the process as a “gift to Victoria,” emphasizing its role in documenting the state’s true history.

The YJC’s findings have reverberated beyond Victoria. Tasmania has appointed “truth-telling and healing commissioners” to focus on historical accountability, distinct from treaty negotiations, signaling a shift toward confronting colonial legacies. Other states, however, face political resistance. Queensland’s Liberal National Party (LNP) government scrapped a similar inquiry in 2024, highlighting the challenges of sustaining truth-telling under shifting political priorities. Critics argue the current Victorian Labor government, led by Premier Jacinta Allan, has been slow to act, accepting only six of YJC’s 46 interim recommendations from 2023.

Despite setbacks, Indigenous leaders remain steadfast. Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) chief executive Nerita Waight urged the government to act, warning against repeating the neglect of past inquiries. “The truth has been told; now the government must deliver,” she said. Calls for a federal truth-telling process, inspired by the YJC, are also growing, though progress stalled after the 2023 Voice referendum defeat. As Australia grapples with its past, the YJC’s blueprint for reform underscores the urgency of addressing historical wrongs, with truth-telling efforts poised to shape the nation’s future.