Senator Dodson is a Yawuru man from Broome in Western Australia who has dedicated his life building constructive relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

He is a past recipient of the Sydney International Peace prize and has extensive experience in Aboriginal Affairs, previously as director of the Central and Kimberley Land Councils and as a commissioner in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

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He also served as inaugural chair of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation and as co-chair of the Expert Panel for Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians.

The Light on the Hill dinner is held each year to honour one of Bathurst’s favourite sons, former prime minister Ben Chifley.

The dinner was first held in 1985 to mark the centenary of Chifley’s birth and has become a highlight on the NSW ALP’s calendar every year since.

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Previous speakers have included all ALP prime ministers that have followed Chifley – Gough Whitlam, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard – along with a number of premiers, federal MPS and significant contributors to Australian society such as Gabi Hollows, Noel Pearson, Don Watson and Father Frank Brennan.

This year’s dinner will be held on Saturday, October 20 at Bathurst Panthers from 6.30pm.

Tickets [$85 and $65 concession] will soon be available from the NSW ALP website and Books Plus. RSVP is Friday, October 12.