Perth Voice Interactive

PROMINENT children’s magistrate, Noongar woman, and Fremantle local Kim Farmer was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame on Thursday. 

Ms Farmer is a qualified anthropologist and lawyer and has worked extensively in Aboriginal land heritage and native title. 

As a lawyer, Ms Farmer founded her own legal practice specialising in criminal, family, and child protection law, and has worked at the Aboriginal Legal and Aboriginal Family Legal Services.

She’s also the patron and vice-chairperson of the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation which was founded in honour of her late father and supports closing the education gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. 

Ms Farmer says she decided to go into law after working in native title and Aboriginal land heritage in the Kimberley, as well as a stint as a court officer in the Aboriginal Legal Service where she would advocate for Indigenous people in the criminal justice system. 

“Once I got into the courtroom, I realised how much I enjoyed it because there wasn’t a boring day, and I realised I had to go back to university to get my legal practice qualifications,” Ms Farmer said. 

“It was so dynamic… even now, years later, I still have the same sort of feelings as I did in those first few months.” 

Ms Farmer says she’s “been around long enough” to see gradual changes in the inequality of WA’s criminal justice system, but it’s “frustrating” to see how slowly that change is occurring. 

“Certainly at the Children’s Court, there’s an interest to understand why there’s a huge disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and such an overrepresentation in the criminal justice system,” Ms Farmer said. 

“I’ve seen that change, and I’ve seen a lot more understanding and respect for people that have intergenerational trauma, which particularly speaks to Aboriginal people. 

“Addressing intergenerational trauma takes decades for one generation, but for peoples where every generation have inherited the trauma of [their ancestors] the response is happening… the ripple effect is pretty minimal.” 

As patron of the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation, Ms Farmer says she’s seen firsthand the “dire” education gap between Australia’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous students. 

“Statistics are not narrowing to the extent that we want, but we have certainly created opportunities for so many young Aboriginal people over the decades.

“It’s still unfathomable that there can be such a huge disparity between Aboriginal children and all other Australian children,” Ms Farmer said. 

“We started really small, over 25 years ago in the Pilbara, and today we’re all throughout WA and Australia, with thousands of participants. 

“When we first started, it was considered an Aboriginal problem, but it’s not from the Foundation’s perspective; it’s about creating dreams and opportunities that our students can reach for, so the sky is the limit for them.” 

Ms Farmer says she is “very proud” and “a little embarrassed” by her induction as a famer.

“I’m very excited [to be inducted] …I’m better at talking about other people, so there’s a strong sense of awkwardness.

“I’m especially proud that I’m fortunate enough to have been able to go university and get degrees, which changed the course of my life. 

“I acknowledge my big achievements, but there were always small successes when working in my own legal practices as well, whether it was assisting people pro bono and be in that moment with them, and share their success or reflections of the outcomes they were getting.”

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER