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Nova Peris

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Nova Peris
OAM
Peris in 2012
Senator for the Northern Territory
In office
7 September 2013 – 9 May 2016
Preceded byTrish Crossin
Succeeded byMalarndirri McCarthy
Personal details
Born
Nova Maree Peris

(1971-02-25) 25 February 1971 (age 53)
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
Spouse(s)Sean Kneebone (1995–2001)
Daniel Batman (2002–2010)
Scott Appleton (2012–present)
Sports career
Height171 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Women's Field Hockey
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team Competition
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 1994 Dublin Team Competition
Champions Trophy
Gold medal – first place 1993 Amstelveen Team Competition
Gold medal – first place 1995 Mar del Plata Team Competition
Women's Athletics
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 1998 Kuala Lumpur 200 metres
Gold medal – first place 1998 Kuala Lumpur 4x100m relay
Updated on 22 January 2013

Nova Maree Peris OAM (born 25 February 1971) is an Aboriginal Australian athlete and former politician. As part of the Australian women's field hockey (Hockeyroos) team at the 1996 Olympic Games, she was the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal. She later switched sports to sprinting and went to the 1998 Commonwealth Games and 2000 Olympic Games. She was elected to the Australian Senate at the 2013 federal election, after then Prime Minister Julia Gillard named her as a "captain's pick", installing her as the preselected Labor candidate over incumbent Labor senator Trish Crossin. She retired from the Senate in 2016.

Early life and education

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Peris was born in Darwin, Northern Territory.[1] Her biological father was Indigenous rights activist John Christophersen, although she had no contact with him between the ages of 2 and 16.[2] Her mother, Joan, had been removed from her own mother, and raised in the Catholic mission on Melville Island, as one of the Stolen Generations.[3] She lived with her family in a Housing Commission unit in Fannie Bay, an inner northern suburb; though her family descends from the Gija people people of East Kimberley, the Yawuru people of West Kimberley and the Muran Clan of the Iwatja people of West Arnhem Land.[2][4][5] She is said to have frequently ran away from school, with sport being her main interest.[2] At age 13, she gave ups athletics when she was selected for the national schoolgirl hockey team.[6]

Sporting career

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The Gold Medal of Nova Peris, from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta

Peris was chosen for the Australian Women’s Hockey Team, the Hockeyroos, in 1992.[6] By that time she already had a young daughter, Jessica. She remained in this highly successful team until 1996 when they won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Peris was a representative in the Australian Women's Hockey team at the 1996 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal.[7] In 1997, she switched sports and a year later she became a double gold medalist in the 1998 Commonwealth Games (Kuala Lumpur) winning the 200m sprint with a time of 22.77 seconds and sharing in Australia's 4 × 100 metres relay win. Peris was named Young Australian of the Year in 1997.[8]

Peris continued to represent Australia on the athletics track, running over 200 metres at the 1999 World Athletics Championships and 400 metres at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. She made the Olympic semi-finals in her individual event and ran in the Australian 4 × 400 metres relay team, which made the final, finishing fifth.

In the Olympic year of 2000, a portrait of her was hung in the Sporting Archibald Prize, painted by Glenda Jones.[9]

In 2005, she sold her Olympic memorabilia to the National Museum of Australia for $140,000.[10] It included her gold medal, hockey stick, Sydney Olympic torch and the running shoes she wore in the Sydney Olympics.[11]

Political career

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With Governor General Quentin Bryce, shortly before joining Parliament

On 22 January 2013 the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced she would invite Peris to join the Australian Labor Party and stand as a candidate for the Senate in the Northern Territory at the 2013 election.[12] On 29 January 2013 her preselection was endorsed by the ALP executive 19 votes to 2, meaning her name was placed first on the ALP's senate ticket in the Northern Territory, supporting the likelihood that she would become Australia's first female Indigenous federal parliamentarian.[13]

On 7 September 2013 Peris became Australia's first Indigenous woman elected to federal parliament.[14] Peris was sworn into parliament on 12 November, and noted the apology to the stolen generation in her maiden speech.[15][16]

The Northern Territory News obtained, what they claimed were private emails of now Senator Peris, in October 2014.[17] The newspaper claimed she was conducting an affair with another athlete, and had had sought government funding to arrange a trip together.[18] No evidence was ever produced for the allegations and claims about hacked emails were later dismissed by Federal Police.[19]

Peris announced on 24 May 2016 that she would not nominate to re-contest her Senate seat at the 2016 federal election.[20][21] Fairfax and the ABC reported that Peris was one of the frontrunners being considered to replace Jason Mifsud as head of diversity for the Australian Football League (AFL).[20] Malarndirri McCarthy announced on 25 May 2016 that she had been invited by Labor to nominate herself as Peris' Senate replacement and that she would do so.[22] Nova Peris's Senate term ended at the double dissolution of 9 May 2016.

Post political life

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Although she has left Parliamentary politics, Peris has stayed involved in several high-level political causes, such as the 2023 Voice to Paraliament referendum.[23] In speeches and in an opinion piece, she argued the reform would include Indigenous Australians in national life more.[24][25] In 2023, she was one of several high-profile Indigenous Australians calling for reparations.[26]

She is a strong advocate for education. In 2012 she became the founder and Patron of the Nova Peris Girls' Academy at St Johns Catholic College, in Darwin.[27] As of November 2020 Peris is an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.[28]

Peris has actively supported the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) since 1999, serving as one of its two Deputy Chairs by 2022, and its co-chair from March 2023.[29][30][31] However, by May 2024, she had resigned from the role, saying it had become untenable whilst co-chair, footballer and human rights activist Craig Foster, was making "inaccurate and divisive public statements" regarding Israel and Gaza.[32] She has been a vocal supporter of Israel, of the Australian Jewish Community, and has been recently noted for her public advocacy against antisemitism.[33][34]Peris also argued that the Australian Aboriginal flag has been "misappropriated" by Palestine supporters in the Israel–Hamas war protests, a claim challenged by indigenous senator Lidia Thorpe and indigenous academic Chelsea Watego, who noted the history of Aboriginal-Palestinian solidarity in the framework of understanding settler colonialism.[35] In a 2024 interview with Sky News Australia, she defended her decision to resign from ARM by saying:

"I have a duty I feel as an Aboriginal person who has always stood against all forms of racial discrimination, and I hate the rise of anti-Semitism in this country and I feel for the Jewish people and everyone who has been affected..."[36]

Peris told the Times of Israel that she could not "just sit back and see young Jewish kids being attacked the way that they are".[37]

While no longer an athlete, Peris competed in the sixth season of Australian Survivor.[38] She was eliminated on Day 10 and finished in 21st place.[39]

Personal life

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Scott Appleton proposed to Peris in South Africa in March, the couple have been married since 2012.[40]

She had previously been married to Daniel Batman.[41] The couple had two children, though they separated in 2010; with Batman later dying in a car accident.[42][43] Previous to that she had been married to Sean Kneebone, who she had met when she was 17 and married in 1995. While married to Kneebone, she adopted the surname Peris-Kneebone but reverted following their divorce in 2001.[44][41] From this time, Peris has three children: Jessica (with Kneebone) and Destiny and Jack (with Batman). She became a grandmother at the age of 40.[45] Her son Jack is a footballer for the Essendon Football Club.[46]

As a child, her family attended St Martin De Porres Catholic Community at Casuarina church regularly; she still considers herself a Christian, while keeping an active interest in Australian spirituality.[44]

Published work

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  • Peris, Nova (2003). Nova: my story; the autobiography of Nova Peris (with I Heads). Sydney: ABC Books. ISBN 0733311660. OCLC 57206438.

Recognition

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Peris, Nova, 1971- - Full record view - Libraries Australia Search". librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Heads, Ian. "Nova Peris". Indigenous Australia. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  3. ^ Hersh, Philip (22 September 2000). "Across generations". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  4. ^ Sheridan, Claire (30 April 2019). "National Museum of Australia - Nova Peris". www.nma.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Nova Maree Peris". Commonwealth Parliament. 2021. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Nova Peris, AM: 1996: First Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal" (PDF). Women Shaping the Nation: Victorian Honour Roll of Women. 1. 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Nova Peris entry on The Australian Women's Register". Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Territory Women, Northern Territory Library". hdl:10070/218087. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Current and previous exhibitions, National Portrait Gallery". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Nova Peris sells Olympic memorabilia". ABC Online. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 March 2005. Archived from the original on 9 December 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  11. ^ "Nova Peris collection at the National Museum of Australia". Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
  12. ^ Cullen, Simon (22 January 2013). "Gillard picks Nova Peris to run for Senate". ABC News. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  13. ^ Kenny, Mark (29 January 2013). "Olympian's run for senate endorsed". The Age. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  14. ^ Laughland, Oliver (7 September 2013). "Nova Peris becomes first Indigenous woman in federal parliament". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Emotional speech from Australia's first Indigenous female Senator". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 12 November 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  16. ^ "FIRST SPEECH – Senator PERIS (Northern Territory)". Senate Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 13 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  17. ^ "'Insufficient evidence' to pursue Nova Peris' claims of email hacking". ABC News. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  18. ^ "'Insufficient evidence' to pursue Nova Peris' claims of email hacking". ABC News. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  19. ^ "'Insufficient evidence' to pursue Nova Peris' claims of email hacking". ABC News. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Nova Peris will not stand for re-election". SBS News. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  21. ^ "Nova Peris: Tearful Indigenous MP quits Australia Senate - BBC News". BBC News. 26 May 2016. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Malarndirri McCarthy puts hat in the ring for Nova Peris Senate seat". ABC News. 24 May 2016. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  23. ^ "'Our misery is a commodity': Nova Peris speaks up for change and says a Voice is timely". NITV. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  24. ^ Peris, Nova (13 October 2023). "I believe in the Australian people, vote yes for us". National Indigenous Times. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  25. ^ "'I trust in the Australian people': Nova Peris returns to Canberra for two important journeys". The Canberra Times. 25 August 2023. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  26. ^ Yim, Noah (6 May 2023). "'Novelty' on parade but footy codes reign in our pubs". The Australian. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  27. ^ "Former Senator Nova Peris OAM". www.aph.gov.au. 2024. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  28. ^ "Ambassadors - About". Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  29. ^ Visentin, Lisa (16 November 2022). "Republic movement must make space for 'complementary' Voice referendum: Craig Foster". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  30. ^ Grand, Chip Le (21 May 2024). "Nova Peris quits republican movement over Gaza split with co-chair Craig Foster". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  31. ^ Boecker, Brianna (21 March 2023). "Nova Peris OAM appointed Co-Chair of The Australian Republic Movement". Women's Agenda. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  32. ^ Grand, Chip Le (21 May 2024). "Nova Peris quits republican movement over Gaza split with co-chair Craig Foster". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  33. ^ Prestipino, David (6 April 2024). "Nova Peris clarifies 'terrorist sympathiser' slur after death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza". National Indigenous Times. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  34. ^ Staff, Ajn. "'Leading light in the fight against antisemitism'". www.australianjewishnews.com. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  35. ^ Sakkal, Paul (6 February 2024). "Nova Peris says Aboriginal flag 'misappropriated' by Palestine protesters". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  36. ^ Mageros, Adriana (22 May 2024). "Nova Peris lashes Craig Foster's Gaza stance as she quits ARM". skynews. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  37. ^ Kaltmann, Nomi (23 November 2024). "Why one of Australia's best-known Aboriginal activists is taking a stand on Israel". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  38. ^ Law, Benjamin (22 October 2021). "Nova Peris: 'I'm in a category six cyclone here'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  39. ^ McKnight, Robert (21 May 2019). "Major cast details leaked for AUSTRALIAN SURVIVOR: CHAMPIONS vs CONTENDERS". TV Blackbox. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  40. ^ Rintoul, Stuart (21 March 2014). "The fast track". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  41. ^ a b Hamer, Michelle (30 March 2003). "Some lines you don't cross". The Age. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  42. ^ Frost, Carleen; Turner, Ellie (26 June 2012). "Australian Olympian Daniel Batman killed in NT car crash". Herald-Sun. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  43. ^ "Like a bat outta hell for London" Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Canberra Times, 16 December 2011. Retrieved 26 June 2012
  44. ^ a b Biography - Nova Peris - Indigenous Australia. (n.d.). https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/peris-nova-17821 Archived 25 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ "Peris no stranger to challenges". Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  46. ^ "Son of Olympic gold medallist locked in for AFL debut". 7NEWS. 13 July 2023. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  47. ^ "2023 SAHOF Inductees | Sport Australia Hall of Fame". 4 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  48. ^ "'We are brilliant people': Nova Peris receives Lifetime Achievement at Dreamtime Awards 2019". NITV. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  49. ^ "Nova PERIS-KNEEBONE". Olympics. 2024. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
[edit]
Awards
Preceded by Young Australian of the Year
1997 		Succeeded by
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