The state's longest serving Justice of the Peace, Trangie-born and Wongabion elder Bill Phillips, says 50 years is an achievement, but he wants to continue to serve people with ‘’No fanfare no bells and whistles, just to be valued for helping others.’’

Mr Phillips was among around 150 Justices of the Peace (JPs) from across the state to be honoured for their volunteer efforts at a ceremony at NSW Parliament on 7 March marking half a century of their service to the community. 

Mr Phillips is a trailblazer, one of the earliest Indigenous JPs in the state.

“I’ve been pretty active in the community my whole life," he told the Western Plains App.

“In my early thirties I was working as a union official in Sydney and when papers needed to be witnessed Aboriginal people didn’t really have anybody. So, I thought I’d sign up.’’

“As an Official Visitor I was able to assist inmates in a practical way by helping them get access to writing materials or other requests, and escalating issues," Mr Phillips said.

"They’re little things but they make a big difference. I tried to build rapport with staff who’d been in the system a while, and then they’d follow up with the inmates.

‘’I am active in country and born and raised in Trangie and sometimes it goes unheralded but that’s not important, its to help people from indigenous to non- indigenous communities,.

‘’I also help people with their documents signing them and sign references to improve their lives.’’

Uncle Bill signed up to become a JP at the age of 33 while working in Sydney, where he lived for 30 years.

However the process wasn’t exactly straightforward.

After submitting his paperwork, he received a call from the police asking him to come down to the station.

In a case of mistaken identity, a man known to local authorities had used Bill’s name and date of birth to mislead police.

Thankfully, his time as a JP has been far less dramatic since then.

Uncle Bill has long been a passionate advocate for Aboriginal rights and his role as a JP led him to a lifetime of service in the community to improve justice outcomes for First Nations people.

For five years Uncle Bill was part of Dubbo’s Circle Sentencing program, which involves Aboriginal communities in the sentencing process to reduce recidivism.

He was also an Official Visitor in NSW prisons for more than 10 years, providing support and advice to Aboriginal inmates at Wellington Correctional Centre and other locations in the state’s far west.

Uncle Bill was also the Chairperson of the Central Region Aboriginal Land Council and on numerous other committees, championing issues on behalf of his community.

His contributions have been recognised by agencies and leaders including the NSW Judicial Commission, Corrective Services NSW, prison governors and government ministers, mostly in a private capacity, through letters and other official correspondence.

These days, Uncle Bill spends most of his time with friends and family – including his 14 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren - and witnessing the odd document or two.

JPs are volunteers who certify documents for official or legal purposes. They provide an important service to the community and legal system, which is coordinated by the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

There are approximately 63,000 JPs across NSW and First Nations status started being recorded in February 2024.

DCJ has been running a campaign to recruit more Aboriginal JPs, with more than 600 sign-ups since the start of last year when approximately just 22 registered JPs identified as Indigenous.

Attorney General Michael Daley said “Justices of the Peace play a vital role in the community and Aboriginal JPs like Uncle Bill Phillips have long been a part of that.

“Mr Phillips has dedicated his life to advocating to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians caught up in the justice system and his story is a great example of where JP service can lead.

“Having a familiar face people can trust is integral to being a JP, especially for First Nations communities. That’s why we are focused on recruiting more Aboriginal JPs to provide these important services for future generations.”