Kevin Cook: A leader and campaigner

21 August 2015

Kevin Cook was an Aboriginal activist, a worker, a trade unionist, and an internationalist.  He was a leader and campaigner for the Aboriginal, migrant and co-operative communities. With his knowledge of these communities, he believed in the power of co-operatives to empower people. He had seen for himself how the education system was failing Aboriginal kids and decided to act to rectify it through the use of the co-operative model.

In 1975, he became involved in the Tranby​ Aboriginal Adult Education Cooperative College and with their​ support, he spent six months at Coady Cooperative Institute in Canada, meeting activists from Africa and around the world, building international networks. He returned to become General Secretary of Tranby​ and built it into a centre for adult learning and cultural revival. Young Aboriginal men and women travelled from across the country to undertake courses in basic literacy, community studies, business training and preparation for tertiary education.

Over time, he began to nurture the innovative role of Tranby​ in education, national and international politics and helped shape it into the high quality education centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students that it is now. The co-operative provided a strong social and political voice in issues that affect Indigenous people.

Even with deteriorating health, Mr Cook worked tirelessly in various organisations including with the campaign for land rights. He viewed rights for the Aboriginal community as a fight for all Australians and brought communities together. His support for the co-operative model in aiding Aboriginal  and migrant communities along with his contribution to social justice will be missed and celebrated in equal measure.

Kevin Cook 1939 – 2015