James Rankin Oration

The James Rankin Oration is an annual oration which has been held during the APSAD Conference since 1990 and is named in honour APSAD’s first President and co-founder Professor James (Jim) Rankin.

Professor Rankin established the first medically based combined clinical and academic program for the treatment and of study for alcohol in Australia at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne in 1964. When St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney established the new building for Drug and Alcohol Services, it was named ‘Rankin Court’ in recognition of Jim’s assistance in establishing the services. 

The James Rankin Oration honours a significant Australasian contributor to research, practice, and policy in alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. 

To learn more about Professor James Rankin or to see the honours list of James Rankin Orators visit the APSAD website.

James Rankin Orator:
Adjunct Professor Bradley Freeburn

Bradley Freeburn is a Bundjalung man, born on the mid North Coast of NSW. After training as an Aboriginal Health Worker, Bradley has worked most of his career in providing care for those with alcohol or drug problems.

In the late 1990s during the heroin ‘epidemic’, Bradley set up the Drug and Alcohol Unit at the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern – the first such unit in an Aboriginal community controlled health service. This unit has offered opioid pharmacotherapy for more than 20 years. It is person-centred, low-threshold care, where someone can walk off the street, and likely get on the program the same day. Buprenorphine is provided on site, and people can receive counselling, support, advocacy and holistic health care.

Bradley has played a leadership role through many national and state committees, including the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC), the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association, the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network (ADAN), Just Reinvest, NSW.

Bradley is an adjunct Professor at La Trobe University, and has co-authored research articles and book chapters, and was an editor of the very popular Handbook for Aboriginal Alcohol and Drug Work. Bradley has been inducted into the NIDAC Coralie Ober Honour Roll and has received the APSAD First Peoples Award.

In all, Bradley has brought warmth, wisdom and humour to his 30+ years of working to reduce harms from alcohol and drugs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

MC:
Adjunct Professor Scott Wilson

Wilson is a well-respected Aboriginal leader and CEO of the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council South Australia (ADAC) for over 30 years. He is also Adjunct Professor, Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University. His other past leadership roles include being Deputy Chair of both the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee and the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation (FARE).

Scott’s personal and professional experience in substance misuse has made him a valued member of nearly every major governmental and non-governmental committee in Australia for more than 30 years. He has received several awards including the Australian Centenary Medal and the Sister Alison Bush Award from the University of Sydney. 

Scott is also the Lead Convener of the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network (SAACCON), and represents not only the specific needs of the SA Aboriginal community, but our NFP organisations at the National level, through the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation of Peaks (Coalition of Peaks), of which he is the Deputy Lead Convenor. The CoP is made up of 80 Peak Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organisations from across Australia.