It is with grief and condolences that the AAS pays tribute to Uncle Jack Charles. The Boon
Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung and Yorta Yorta elder passed in hospital surrounded
by his family.

Uncle Jack Charles is remembered as an activist, actor, musician, and storyteller who had a
tremendous impact on many in the community. His career spans five decades, during which
time he features in many films, and co-founded the first Indigenous theatre group, Nindethana.

Uncle Jack lived with the enduring trauma of being a survivor of the stolen generations and
was incarcerated multiple times throughout his life. He advocated passionately on the rights of
young Indigenous men in custody, and he was the first to tell his story as a witness in Victoria’s
Indigenous truth-telling commission.

For some of the many tributes to Uncle Jack Charles, go to the National Indigenous Times.

Vale Jack Charles.

2022 Vale Jack Charles