Neane Carter is a senior solicitor, an activist and a multi-clan woman of the Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Djaara/Dja Dja Wurrung, Wotjobaluk and Wergaia Peoples of central and northern Victoria.
Neane graduated from Swinburne University of Technology in 2021 with a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Arts (majoring in politics and international relations and minoring in philosophy) and is using her degree to make a positive impact on community.
"I enrolled in a law degree because my Aunty told me that there is not one area that effects our mob more than the law, so it was important for me to be educated in it and to be part of the discussion.
"Our mob is overrepresented in the legal system and underrepresented in the legal profession.
"In entering these spaces and with the support of our Ancestors and community we can effect systematic change."
While studying at Swinburne, Neane found a uniquely supportive and close-knit community of passionate people, especially through her engagement with the Moondani Toombadool Centre . She was encouraged to pursue a diverse range of opportunities including placements, exchanges and cultural opportunities.
Neane engaged in several international initiatives during her time at Swinburne, giving her global insights that can't be taught in a classroom. Neane's international experiences include the Swinburne Scanlon Intercultural Fellowship, an Indigenous Law Governance and Culture Study Tour and the New Colombo Plan Indonesia exchange.
Neane was also part of the first cohort of Swinburne law students to ever go on exchange, during which she studied at Chuo University in Tokyo, Japan.
"[Exchange] was quite influential in my interest in cross-cultural work and the experiences of Indigenous peoples," says Neane.
"The field of work I am in now, specifically the work I do in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property, has an international application. It is about recognising the rights Indigenous peoples have to their community, culture and Country."
Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) refers to cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and cultural expression, as well as the rights that Indigenous peoples internationally have to their ICIP.
"I was interested in the way First Nations people were being represented in these countries where there had been colonisation, and [in] how this affects cross-cultural relations."
Neane was named Indigenous Lawyer of the Year at the 2024 Women in Law Awards. Image: Dan Hough (rights reserved).
Now, armed with a double degree from Swinburne, Neane is making change for her community.
"Law is an inherently traumatic space for mob to be in. The desire to effect positive outcomes for mob, means you have to stay within a system that has oppressed and displaced your people.
"What was used as a weapon against community, I now use it as a tool to elevate and advance community."
In 2024, Neane was recognised as Indigenous Lawyer of the Year at the Women in Law Awards. She dedicated this award to her matriarchal Ancestors and Elders.
"[It is] important to recognise all the deadly women in my life who guide my spirit and keep my path true."
Neane says that this award is an incredible achievement not just for herself, but for her community.
"It is a testament to the resilience and resistance of mob - to never be silenced."
