Deborah Mailman.Sitthixay Ditthavong
Hall of Fame inductee Deborah Mailman says she’s feeling “good, emotional. I’m feeling a whole lot of things, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster the past week”.
Crucially, she said she was still “figuring out my speech”.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said, revealing she had been sitting on her induction for the past month. “When the announcement happened, it was a huge relief because then I can actually go and scream it from the rooftops.”
But despite the very personal nature of the honour, Mailman was quick to acknowledge those who had helped her along the way.
“It represents 34-plus years of working in the industry. It acknowledges the work that has been done for me and the people who made a moment like this happen,” she said. “It shows the changes that have happened in the industry for a while now, where the investment has been in First Nations storytelling. I mean, have a look at the nominees tonight, how good is that?
“In the time that I’ve been in this industry, doors have been kicked down, and now we’ve got so many of our directors and producers doing fantastic work.”