John McVeigh (Groom, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

During my maiden speech in this parliament I referred to a Darling Downs community leader, a great friend and an Indigenous elder, Uncle Darby McCarthy. Sadly, he passed away last week. He was a real gentleman, gracious and engaging, often reflecting on his life and sporting prowess. Above all though, he talked of the joy of his family; the challenges particularly for young Indigenous Australians, on which he was so focused; and his unrelenting confidence in reaching full reconciliation. To quote him: 'We must continue to work to achieve it in the knowledge that, if we can't, our black babies and our white babies will.'

He was born in Cunnamulla, a very proud descendant of the Mithika people. His career as a jockey took him from Thargomindah to three Stradbrokes, the Brisbane Cup and the Doomben 10,000, and he had a successful career riding across Europe, including in Paris and at the Royal Ascot. He was installed into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame in 2004.

Darby's contribution to the Toowoomba community was profound, including as Indigenous advisor to our University of Southern Queensland, and he spent years as the chair of the Indigenous elders body for our courts. He was awarded an OAM in 2016 for his services to the Indigenous community in and around Toowoomba. In their notice of Uncle Darby's upcoming family funeral, his family quoted: 'Legend has gone into the Dreamtime but never forgotten.'