The 2023 ACCC/CHOICE Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture was jointly hosted by Alan Kirkland, CEO of CHOICE, and ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe. Our speaker, Lynda Edwards delivered a passionate lecture about her life, her family and her work.
The lecture took place at the State Library of New South Wales both in person and online, on the afternoon of Tuesday 15 March 2023, to coincide with World Consumer Rights Day. You can watch a recording of the lecture.
Our speaker
Lynda Edwards is a proud Wangkumara and Barkandji woman who has been a dedicated voice and volunteer for her community, as well as a passionate advocate for the financial rights, fairness and inclusion of First Nations people across New South Wales and Australia.
Lynda's work has worked for almost 17 years in the financial sector, initially as a financial capability worker and then as a financial counsellor, sharing her expertise of the financial sector to educate and increase the financial literacy of the First Nations community. She is driven by a genuine sense of purpose and a desire to achieve better, fairer financial outcomes for First Nations people who are frequently the target of unfair dealings and too often fall victim to these practices.
Lynda’s work in the financial sector has resulted in significant improvements in the way financial services engage with, assist and support First Nations people and community. She also plays a vital role in building the capacity of First Nations Financial counsellors and First Nations financial capability workers, and financial counsellors and financial capability workers who work predominately with First Nations People on the ground.
Lynda was the 2023 recipient of both the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year and NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year awards.
About the Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture
The Ruby Hutchison Memorial Lecture is held annually to coincide with the World Consumer Rights Day on 15 March.
The lecture is also held to commemorate Ruby Hutchison, founder of the Australian Consumers' Association, now known as CHOICE. For more information on Ruby Hutchison you can watch our 2021 Memorial Video.