The Cowra community is mourning the loss of one of its most influential sons, Paul Coe - a proud Wiradjuri man, born at Erambie Mission, who went on to become a nationally recognised Aboriginal land rights pioneer and fearless advocate for justice.
Mr Coe passed away on Tuesday, 29 July 2025 - leaving behind a powerful legacy of activism, leadership, and change that began here in Cowra.
Born on 4 February 1949 at the Erambie Mission, also known as '32 Acres,' Paul Coe made history as the first Aboriginal student at Cowra High School to pass the Higher School Certificate and be elected a school prefect. His drive for excellence and equity only grew stronger when he became the first Aboriginal person to study law at the University of New South Wales.
His legal education sparked a lifelong commitment to Aboriginal rights, which saw him play a leading role in some of the country’s most significant moments of activism. He was instrumental in the 1967 Referendum campaign and went on to help establish the Aboriginal Legal Service in 1970 and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972.
Cowra residents and The NSW Aboriginal Land Council (NSWALC) have paid tribute to Mr Coe’s extraordinary contributions, describing him in a statement issued a day following his passing as a “legendary fighter for our people.”
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“Paul was an incredible fighter and will be remembered for generations to come,” said NSWALC Chairperson and Councillor for the Sydney/Newcastle Region, Raymond Kelly.
“He has changed the lives of Aboriginal people across the nation, helping to establish the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the Aboriginal Legal Service and pointing out uncomfortable truths about police brutality and institutional racism,” he said.
“On behalf of the Land Rights Network and NSWALC, I send my deepest condolences to Paul’s family at this very sad time.
We will continue to uphold his legacy for years to come," Mr Kelly said.
Mr Coe’s work for Aboriginal land rights in NSW was extensive. He served on the first interim NSWALC Council and became Treasurer when NSWALC was officially established under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act in 1983. His service earned him one of the inaugural “40 Years Strong” Chairperson’s Awards from NSWALC in 2017.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Coe paid tribute to many others who stood with him in the movement — including his sister Isabel Coe, her husband Billie Craigie, Linda Craigie, Gary Foley and others — acknowledging that “NSWALC would not be what it is today” without their efforts.
The Coe family’s legacy of activism runs deep. Paul Coe often spoke of the influence of his parents, Les and Agnes Coe, both respected fighters for Aboriginal rights and key figures in the land rights movement.
In the 1970s, Paul Coe emerged as a leader in the Aboriginal rights movement which had found its center in Redfern, Sydney. He also contributed to community efforts like the Redfern All Blacks football team, and organised marches and campaigns that made national headlines; including a protest against the Vestey Company (linked to the Wave Hill Walk-Off) and the symbolic planting of the Aboriginal flag on Dover Beach in England to challenge the doctrine of 'terra nullius,' an action now commemorated with a permanent plaque.
Mr Coe also launched a landmark case, Coe v Commonwealth in 1979 seeking recognition of Aboriginal people as the original inhabitants of Australia. Though the case was dismissed, it laid important groundwork for the historic Mabo decision of 1992, which overturned terra nullius and recognised native title.
A true pioneer from Cowra who never stopped fighting for his people, Paul Coe will be remembered not only as a national leader, but also as someone who carried the strength of his Wiradjuri roots into every courtroom, protest, and policy battle he took on.
Mr Coe's legacy continues as Cowra mourns the loss of one of its own.
