When Thomas Mayo stepped onto the stage on Larrakia Country at the recent Hatchery First Nations Unlimited Leadership Summit recently a quiet settled over the room.

From the very first words, he honoured the strength of the Larrakia people and their long fight for justice.

"There is a proud history of leadership and activism here," he said.

"The Larrakia people have fought for what they deserve for a very long time." He reminded everyone that Darwin's story has always been shaped by resistance, community, and courage, and that the roots of today's activism stretch across generations.

Speaking of his own beginnings, he shared: "I was a quiet and unassuming bloke. I hardly said a word growing up. I never thought I would stand in front of a crowd like this."

He reflected on becoming a father young and suddenly understanding responsibility in new ways, even high up in the crane on the wharf.

"I started to be a bit more careful," he said. "Something had changed in me."

It was on the docks that he learned the deeper meaning of solidarity. The union movement, he said, taught him about justice beyond wages.

"Being part of the fight for something bigger, that shaped me," he explained.

That path eventually led him to Uluru, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

"I went looking for how we could do things better, because we just were not making ground," he said. "And that took me to Uluru."

When he spoke about the referendum, there was both pain and clarity in his words.

"Most Australians were going to vote Yes," he said. "But the disinformation machine ramps up every time we try to do something."

Yet he insisted that hope remains. "A majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people voted Yes. And young people overwhelmingly voted Yes. That gives me confidence."

Mr Mayo paused to acknowledge the quiet impact happening in schools across the country.

"What teachers are doing is making a difference," he said. "Sharing books, our stories, the truth about our history. That is shaping the next generation."

The heart of his message was about leadership.

"To be a leader, you have to be brave," he said plainly.

"When you stand up for the right things, you are not going to get love from the people who want to tear you down."

He talked openly about online abuse, media attacks, and racist harassment.

"There were death threats," he said. "But I knew who I was. That grounded me."

He explained that in Torres Strait Islander culture, leadership is about deep listening.

"A leader is someone who observes and listens," he said.

He urged leaders to keep an open mind. "Be prepared to have your mind changed... We never stop learning."

Throughout his presentation, Mr Mayo threaded powerful reflections with practical truth. From the Docks to the Frontlines, he said, change happens through courage and conversation. Lessons from the Referendum must strengthen resolve. The Courage to Lead is not about applause but endurance. Hope, Humility and What Comes Next will come from unity and collective action.

He reminded everyone that leadership is about courage, truth, and unity, and about holding onto hope even when the road gets hard. And there is hope, he said again, in our young Australians who overwhelmingly voted Yes, showing the kind of future they want to build. He warned not to take progress for granted because "we always achieve Yes after being told No".

Before leaving the stage, he acknowledged the strength of community, the women who hold families together, and the allies who stand up even when things are complex. He said the Larrakia story of endurance should guide the nation forward because leadership is service and justice is a long journey that needs every voice.

The campaign for justice and recognition continues.