Katherine Mahoney

2024 Cohort

Pronouns: she/her

By raising and amplifying the voices of Aboriginal children and young people to decision-makers in government, Katherine is informing lasting and meaningful change.

Katherine is a passionate advocate for social justice, with a career dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people. Katherine grew up on the beautiful lands of the Anishinaabe peoples in Ontario, Canada, and now makes her home living and working on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Wadawurrung people.

As a Senior Adviser to the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, Katherine plays a vital role in advocating for the rights, safety, and well-being of Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria, Australia. She directly supports the work of the Commission to address the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the child protection, out-of-home care and youth justice systems, advocating for practices that promote self-determination and cultural connection.

“I hope to bolster and support the work of Aboriginal people to influence a systemic shift in focus, from tertiary systems to early help.”

Social change work

Katherine is committed to informing policy and legislation that enables authentic self-determination, by engaging with Aboriginal children and young people, their families and communities. Katherine recently co-ordinated the engagement for the Koori Youth Justice Taskforce, which examined the care of all Aboriginal children and young people in contact with the youth justice system at a set point in time. She wrote two chapters in Our Youth, Our Way, the Commission for Children and Young People’s systemic inquiry into the over-representation of Aboriginal children and young people in the youth justice system, which was tabled in parliament with 75 recommendations to government.