ANU opens Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre to honour her life, leadership and legacy

The Australian National University (ANU) will officially open the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre on Wednesday 19 March, in recognition of Dr O’Donoghue’s extraordinary life and ongoing impact, at an event attended by Her Excellency the Hon Sam Mostyn AC, Governor General of Australia. 

Yankunytjatjara woman, the late Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG, is the first Aboriginal person to be recognised with the naming of a building at ANU. In 1995 she was also the first Aboriginal person to be awarded an honorary doctorate (Law) at the University. 

Dr O’Donoghue’s service and exceptional contribution to the health and wellbeing, education and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to the nation have been acknowledged through prestigious awards: 

• 1977 – Member of the Order of Australia (AM), the first Aboriginal woman to receive the award 
• 1983 – Commander of the British Empire (CBE) 
• 1984 – Australian of the Year 
• 1998 – Australian National Living Treasure 
• 1999 – Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
• 2006 – Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great, a Papal honour (DSG) 
• 2009 – NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award 

Dr O’Donoghue passed away on 4 February 2024 on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, South Australia. 

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell said naming the ANU Cultural Centre honoured Dr O’Donoghue’s life, leadership and legacy. 

“Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue was a woman of courage, grace and dignity. Her achievements were many but, as she would often stress to colleagues, she was never satisfied as there was always so much more work to be done,” Professor Bell said. 

“It’s in this spirit of constant improvement and striving that we are honoured to bestow her name on our Cultural Centre here at ANU – a significant building at the heart of our campus which brings our community together.”  

The Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre is inaugurated at a particularly meaningful time—following International Women’s Day and in recognition of Indigenous leadership and contributions. 

Ms Deb Edwards, Dr O’Donoghue’s niece and Head of the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation, will attend the opening. 

“Our family are very proud of the naming and opening of the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre at The Australian National University. Our Auntie spent many years working and living in Canberra, and during that time was honoured to become the University’s first Aboriginal person to be awarded an honorary doctorate,” Ms Edwards said. 

“Her incredible legacy, and lifelong dedication to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, is now reflected through the naming of the Cultural Centre, where community can gather together, enthused with a feeling of unity, connection and culture, as Dr O’Donoghue always encouraged.” 

The Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre is the third building named in honour of women as part of the ANU building renaming initiative. In October 2024, the Pauline Griffin Health & Wellbeing Centre was inaugurated followed by the Skaidrite Darius building in February 2025.