Archie RoachYesterday, Archie Roach was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia medal in a posthumous service.
ARIA and PPCA have congratulated the supremely influential artist on the honour, with the ARIA and PPCA CEO, Annabelle Herd commenting, "Archie Roach was such an important storyteller and critical contributor to Australia’s cultural history.
"His powerful and unifying body of work, as well as his tireless dedication, is more than deserving of our highest national honour. Today we celebrate his talent, impact and legacy as we extend our thoughts to his family, friends and all those impacted by Archie’s incredible life."
Archie Roach passed away on 30 July 2022, following a spell of long illness at Warrnambool Base Hospital, surrounded by his family and loved ones.
The news was revealed via a statement posted to his Facebook page from Amos and Eban Roach on behalf of the Roach Family.
"Archie wanted all of his many fans to know how much he loves you for supporting him along the way,” the statement said.
"We are so proud of everything our dad achieved in his remarkable life. He was a healer and unifying force. His music brought people together.”
Roach's catalogue and activism took him to considerable heights, including being inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in 2011. He was also honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list as a Member of the Order of Australia and was named 2020 Victorian Australian of the year.
Last year, two pillar-shaped monuments were erected on the shores of Lake Bonney at Barmera to honour him and his wife, Ruby Hunter, who passed away in 2010.
In August 2022, family, friends and fans paid tribute to the legend, gathering in the streets of Collingwood, Fitzroy and St Kilda as Archie Roach, escorted by the Southern Warriors Aboriginal Motorcycle Club, Amos and Eban Roach, made one final journey through the streets of Narrm/Melbourne on his way to Warrnambool, his final resting place.
Find the eleven Archie Roach musical moments we will never forget here.
Noongar woman Bumpy won the Archie Roach Foundation Award for Emerging Talent at the 2022 Music Victoria Awards. On the night, there wasn’t a dry eye in sight as Uncle Kutcha Edwards performed his own rendition of Old Mission Road, paying tribute to the late, great Uncle Archie Roach - before the state of Victoria looked back at the critical music figures that we lost in 2022. While he didn't intend to perform, we're grateful he did.
