Andrew Morgan Jackomos PSM

Uncle Andrew Jackomos is a proud Yorta Yorta man with connections to the Gunditjmara, Taungurung and Boandik nations. He also has Greek heritage from the eastern Mediterranean Island of Kastellorizo.   

Uncle Andrew, born in 1952, is one of 3 children to Merle Jackomos OAM (nee Morgan) and Alick Jackomos OAM. Both were prominent social justice advocates in the Aboriginal rights movement, predominantly through the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People (FCAATSI) and the Aborigines Advancement League.

Uncle Andrew has worked across the Australian and Victorian Governments since the late 1970s, leading First Peoples’ community development and social justice policies and programs and driving self-determination through partnerships and community development.    

He became an inaugural member of the Treaty Authority in 2023. The Authority is responsible for overseeing the historic Treaty negotiations in Victoria, supporting negotiating parties to navigate the conversations needed to realise treaties across the state. 

Uncle Andrew was the Inaugural Victorian Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People from 2013 to 2018. During his tenure as the Commissioner, Uncle Andrew was responsible for advocating for change and overseeing the provision of Victorian Government services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. He focused on the most vulnerable, with an interest in child protection, youth justice and homelessness.    

As Commissioner, he led 2 inquiries into the experience of Aboriginal families and children within Victoria’s child protection system. This was to better understand their interaction with the system and to provide opportunities to improve the service response. Recommendations from Uncle Andrew’s reports as Commissioner led to key changes within the child protection system.    

Uncle Andrew was the Director of the Koori Justice Unit in the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) from 1999 to 2013. He provided leadership on the development and ongoing work of the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement between the state government and Aboriginal community.    

His achievements include significant reform to the justice system in Victoria through establishing the Aboriginal Justice Forum, Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committees and Local Aboriginal Justice Action Committees. 

Uncle Andrew was also a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Koori Court network within the Magistrates’, Children’s and County Courts. The Koori Courts are emblematic of Uncle Andrew’s focus on systemic and structural reform and his passion for building an ongoing capacity for change in the justice system.  The Koori Courts have had a profound positive impact on Aboriginal people appearing before the court.  

Uncle Andrew was a key player in successfully advocating for the establishment of Wulgunggo Ngalu Learning Place, a support service for Koori men serving community corrections orders. The service aims to reduce community order breach rates with support from Aboriginal Elders and mentors.

Uncle Andrew was the Special Adviser on Aboriginal Self-Determination to the Victorian Government in 2018. As part of this role, he led the development of the 11 Guiding Principles of Self-Determination to guide Victorian Public Service action to enable self-determination. 

In 2023, Uncle Andrew became the Principal Advisor of the Dhumba Murmuk Djerring Koori Unit, following a distinguished career in the Victorian and Australian Public Services. Until recently, Uncle Andrew was also a board member of the Koorie Heritage Trust and Kaiela Institute in Shepparton. He remains a board member with Victoria Legal Aid.   

Uncle Andrew has a passion for supporting, leading and inspiring young Aboriginal public sector staff to contribute to systemic reform and to the empowerment of Aboriginal people. During his time at DJCS, its Aboriginal workforce grew to over 120 Aboriginal staff. Many of these staff now occupy senior executive roles across the Victorian Public Service and the Aboriginal community-controlled sector.   

Uncle Andrew has had a distinguished career in the Australian Public Service. He was Victorian State Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission from 1991 to 1995. He also occupied senior positions in the Australian Government Department of Employment, Education and Training, Aboriginal Hostels Ltd and was Regional Manager, North Queensland for the Aboriginal Development Commission (ADC) from 1982 to 1985.  

Uncle Andrew is especially proud of his work in leading the establishment of Palm Air during his time with the ADC. Palm Air was an Aboriginal community-owned company in Townsville which provided air services to the Palm Island Aboriginal community. Palm Air went on to train Aboriginal pilots for national air carriers.   

With achievements and honours too many to mention in his field, Uncle Andrew is an outstanding and accomplished man with a tireless commitment to the future of his community.