FURBER, Harold

Harold Furber

Charles Darwin University would like to pass on sincere condolences to the family and friends of the late Harold Furber - his children Mel, Trish and Declan and sisters Margaret, Toni and Trish.

Harold was a passionate Central Australian leader who fought fiercely for what he believed in. An immensely proud Arrernte man, he was a member of the Stolen Generation and served many Aboriginal organisations in his pursuit for improved social and economic outcomes for all First Nations peoples.

To achieve this, Harold fundamentally understood the important role of improving educational opportunities. Working with others to drive a partnership between Batchelor Institute for Indigenous Tertiary Education and Centre for Appropriate Technology, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Desert Peoples Centre and was the inaugural Chairperson until his recent passing.

A passionate advocate of ‘two-way’, ‘intercultural’ learning, Harold played a significant role in the Desert Knowledge movement, and the establishment of the Desert Knowledge Precinct in Alice Springs. Serving on key stakeholder Boards including Desert Knowledge Australia and the Desert Knowledge Co-operative Research Centre, he was a signatory to the iconic Desert Knowledge Precinct Indigenous Land Use Agreement.

In recent years Harold fought tenaciously for a National Indigenous Art and Culture Centre to be built at the Desert Knowledge Precinct, something that sadly he did not see to fruition. Others will now continue to drive that vision.

Harold touched the lives of people at Charles Darwin University over the years, for many he was a personal friend and mentor. He was invited on to the CDU’s inaugural Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Advisory Council in 2010 and was an active and valued member on that Council for several years, including a period as Chairperson. Harold’s advocacy for Central Australia ensured that the VCIAC met at least yearly in Alice Springs. He will be long remembered as a man who not only advocated for, but took action to improve, the livelihoods of First Nations people.