A wonderful address from actress Shari Sebbens and a moving performance from Casey Donovan capped off the most successful The Long Walk Melbourne Women’s Luncheon in its eight years.

Sebbens, a proud Bardi Jabirr-Jabirr woman, was born and raised in Darwin. In 2013, she was awarded the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent at the Logie Awards for the television production, Redfern Now. She was also in the highly successful film, The Sapphires.

Addressing the 700-strong crowd at Peninsula, Docklands on Friday, Sebbens spoke of her proud heritage and praised Aboriginal and Torres Strait women’s achievements.

An outstanding menu by celebrity chef Mark Olive was another highlight of the event, which raised important funds for the tenth anniversary of The Long Walk next year. The event was proudly supported by the Victorian Electoral Commission.

The Long Walk is a charity inspired by Michael Long’s walk to Canberra in 2004 to get the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people back on the national agenda. The charity’s purpose is to raise awareness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing.

Now in its eighth year, The Long Walk Women’s Luncheon is a celebration of the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. A unique, awareness-raising event, the luncheon brings together Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal women from all walks of life to be inspired, network and to celebrate.

For more information on The Long Walk, please click here.