ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collections
HMSS 0361 Vic Rebikoff Papers
Scope and Content Notes
| Call Number | HMSS 0361 |
|---|---|
| Collection | Vic Rebikoff Papers |
| Date Range | 1980-1988 |
| Quantity | 0.36m (2 manuscript boxes) |
| Access Conditions | open |
| Copying Conditions | with attribution |
| Related Collections |
Victor Alexander Rebikoff, OAM (1944- ) was born Kuala Pilah, Malaya in a Japanese interment camp, his Russian born parents being resident in Malaya at the outbreak of World War 2.
The family made their way to Australia, via Singapore, in 1953.
Vic played a prominent role in the early Ethnic Communities Council movement in Australia and was instrumental in the establishment of the movement in the ACT.
This collection consists of Vic Rebikoff’s personal papers from his period of active involvement in the ACT Ethnic Communities Council, later the ACT Multicultural Council.
We are grateful to Vic for the following biographical notes relating to his professional career.
Tertiary Qualifications
BA in Administration and Sociology (University of Canberra)
Community Service Experience
In November 1979 joined the Ethnic Communities Council (ECC) of the ACT (later renamed the ACT Multicultural Council). Elected Secretary in 1980 and established the Council’s first city based office in 1982. Elected President in 1983 (and remained the Council’s longest serving President until 1992). During this time transformed the ECC into the peak ethnic organisation in the ACT representing the various concerns and issues raised by Canberra’s ethnic communities in relation to migration and multicultural issues with both Federal and ACT Governments. In 1980 initiated the first ever Multicultural Australia Day Festival which continued until 1996 as a one-day event promoting cultural harmony and Canberra’s cultural diversity. In late 1998 appointed as the Chief Minister’s representative to the newly established Canberra National Multicultural Festival Board.
Other achievements included the successful campaign to extend SBS television to Canberra between 1980-81 and during my term on the ACT Bicentennial Committee from 1986-88 initiated a series of International Days and Weeks in 1988 to take place during Australia’s Bicentennial year with the cooperation and support of Canberra’s ethnic communities, the ethnic clubs and the diplomatic missions.
Between 1990 and 1993 also served on the Federal Government’s Migration Settlement Advisory Council while from 1990-95 appointed as the Deputy Chair of the then Chief Minister’s inaugural Multicultural Advisory Council during which period and into the 90’s achieved substantial English as a Second Language (ESL) funding for both adults and children in addition to initiating a successful anti-racism campaign to assist young people of diverse cultural backgrounds in the ACT education system.
In 1992 elected as the Chairperson of Australia’s peak ethnic organisation, the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) and re-elected in 1994 for a final two year term. As FECCA Chair from 1992-96 was involved in an extensive range of initiatives and reforms besides advocating for improvements to migration and multicultural policies at the same time as enhancing the public profile of the organisation. During this period major achievements included the attainment of the first ever corporate sponsorship arrangements with the Commonwealth Bank and Telstra (following the reduction in funding), consultations with ethnic communities that included Access and Equity presentations (sponsored by a Federal Government Agency) in every State/Territory capital and regional centre that also contributed to FECCA’s review of all its policies and the introduction of the first ever Four Year Work Plan. April 1994 also saw a particularly important initiative being achieved-the coming together of national ethnic organisations from throughout Australia in the inauguralForum of National Ethnic Organisations that contributed to the Federal Government’s revision of multicultural policy as well as the Racial Vilification legislation. Of course as FECCA Chair another outstanding achievement (and a lasting legacy) was the establishment in October 1994 of FECCA’s National Headquarters (FECCA HOUSE) in Australia’s National Capital (at no cost to the Federation) after numerous negotiations and submissions undertaken two years earlier. It should also be mentioned that the official opening that was carried out by then Prime Minister Paul Keating and ACT Chief Minister Rosemary Follett was again fully sponsored by the same telecommunications company that supported the Forum of National Ethnic Organisations. Finally, it was at FECCA’s Melbourne Conference in November 1995 that the most significant changes ever undertaken to the FECCA Constitution were achieved, resulting in Regional Councils from every State and Territory being represented in FECCA and on the FECCA Board. At the conclusion of my term as FECCA Chair in December 1996, was honoured by members with Life Membership and a Testimonial Dinner for all that was achieved over this significant four year period.
While serving as FECCA Chair also served on the SBS Community Advisory Committee from 1993-95 which resulted in smaller ethnic communities gaining airtime, and as the FECCA representative on the Prime Minister’s National Multicultural Advisory Council between 1994-96 was instrumental in having a revision of the 1989 National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia and the issuing of the Report Multicultural Australia: The Next Steps which outlined practical measures for theTowards 2000 Committee.
From 1998-2000 made the first Patron of the ACT Multicultural Council (formerly the Ethnic Communities Council of the ACT) at its Annual General Meeting in the 20th year of the Council’s foundation. In 2007 became involved in the campaign to establish an ‘Immigration Place’ in Canberra and later accepted the role of Honorary Ambassador for this important project.
Having retired again from the ACT Government in August 2007 was then elected Chair of the Migrant Resource Centre of Canberra and Queanbeyan in September 2007 and as a result of a reduction in Federal funding, was successful in obtaining an annual grant from the ACT Government for the next 3 years. To reflect a number of changes made to the organisation was instrumental in having it renamed as the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS) of the ACT in September 2008. Then in September 2011 agreed to being elected Deputy Chair of MARSS with the term expected to expire in September 2013.
Public Sector Experience
Joined the Commonwealth Government in December 1965 and appointed to the Department of Foreign Affairs in August 1966. Posted to Portuguese Timor (now known as East Timor), Portugal, and Papua New Guinea and served in these countries between 1968 and 1974. (The posting to Portugal was essentially to set up a new Embassy in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon). In 1975 selected at short notice for a brief mission to Portuguese Timor to report on the political situation and arrange the evacuation of Australians (as well as other nationals) living in/transiting Timor following the coup and the outbreak of civil war -all of which was achieved over a ten day period during some difficult circumstances.
Promoted to the Department of Defence in 1977 as the Executive Officer responsible for all travel and transport arrangements for both civilian and Defence force personnel and from 1984-88 appointed the Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Coordinator that involved the development of the Department’s first EEO Plan and the introduction of a number of EEO initiatives that assisted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, people with disabilities and from diverse cultural backgrounds as well as women.
Subsequently promoted to the ACT Government in late 1988 as the first Multicultural Marketing Manager with ACT Tourism. Achievements included Canberra being promoted as the ‘multicultural capital’ to ethnic communities across Australia – as well as the production of the first multilingual brochure on major attractions besides arranging regular Canberra features on SBS television - in particular the development of culturally appropriate tourist packages which resulted in tours and visits by large numbers of Australia’s ethnic groups to the nation’s capital.
In 1992 accepted appointment as the Senior Adviser to the Chief Executive of the former Department of Environment, Land and Planning and contributed to improving the work environment for both staff and clients through the implementation of a pragmatic access and equity plan.
In 1995 appointed to the then Office of Ethnic and Multicultural Affairs in the Chief Minister’s Department and following promotion in the upgraded Office of Multicultural and International Affairs (as Manager-Multicultural Affairs), contributed and initiated a range of multicultural affairs measures in the ACT. Achievements included the establishment of a proactive Consultation Program with Canberra’s ethnic communities/organisations (to improve access to ACT Government services), the introduction of regular programs on both multicultural radio networks in the ACT to outline the range of services provided by the ACT Government (which in turn were translated by ethnic broadcasters in more than 30 languages), the development of the ACT’s firstMulticultural Seniors Directory (in selected languages) and the initial Multicultural Resources Directory. During 1995 contributed to the transformation of Canberra’s Multicultural Festival into a National Multicultural Festival and the success of the first expanded Festival held in February 1996.
In late 1998, retired from the ACT Government after some 33 years of government service in various Commonwealth and ACT Government agencies.
By February 2002 rejoined the ACT Government as a Senior Multicultural Adviser in the Office of Multicultural Affairs, after having developed the Labor Party’s Multicultural Affairs Policy for the 2001 ACT Election and became solely responsible in delivering a major priority of that policy on behalf of the ACT Government-the establishment of the first ACT Multicultural Centre in December 2005 in the heart of the city for use by Canberra’s multicultural communities-a lasting achievement and legacy.
Private Sector Experience
Following my first retirement in late 1998 and the establishment of Rebikoff & Associates (a multicultural consultancy company) appointed in March 1999 as the first Multicultural Adviser to Canberra’s largest independent law firm Snedden, Hall and Gallop and until September 2001 specialised in employment discrimination and migration matters. At the same time accepted appointment as a Multicultural Consultant to the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Office in Canberra during which time developed and implemented their first ever Multicultural Outreach Strategy to inform Australia’s multicultural communities of the important service provided by that Office which included presentations to ethnic communities in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.
Awards and Presentations
Awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for ‘Services to Migrants’ on Australia Day 1989.
In 1998 awarded a Diploma of Appreciation from the Polish Strzelecki Foundation for services to multiculturalism.
In 2004 on FECCA’s 25th Anniversary presented with a framed Certificate and Medal for contributing to Australian Multiculturalism.
In late 2007 on retiring from the ACT Government as a Senior Adviser in the Office of Multicultural Affairs presented with a specially framed Certificate from the ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs which stated: ‘Presented to Victor Rebikoff OAM for his significant contribution to Multicultural Affairs in the Australian Capital Territory’.
And in June 2011 at Russia’s National Day hosted by the Embassy of the Russian Federation was presented by the Chairman of the Russian Australian Representative Council and the Ambassador of the Russian Federation with a Russian Medal of Honour in serving the multicultural and Russian community throughout Australia including the maintainenance of the Russian culture.
Box List
| Box No. | Description | Quantity | Date Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | President's Reports to the Ethnic Communities Council of the ACT | 1 file | 1980/81-1993 |
| 1 |
Special subjects file containing correspondence, reports and newscuttings concerning
|
1 file | 1984-1993 |
| 1 |
Ethnic Communities Council of the ACT minutes and meeting papers of Executive, Council and AGM. May include bulletins, audited financial statements, correspondence, newscuttings |
2 files | 1981-1988; 1988-1991 |
| 2 |
Ethnic Communities Council of the ACT minutes and meeting papers of Executive, Council and AGM. May include bulletins, audited financial statements, correspondence, newscuttings |
2 files | 1992; 1993-1998 |
| 2 |
Ethnic Communities Council of the ACT papers. Includes reports, minutes of meetings, newscuttings, publicity materials, correspondence and newsletters. Topics covered included Multicultural Festival, Kurdish cause, expansion of SBS to Canberra, employment discrimination, Bicentiennial Year, accommodation for the Ethnic Communities Council, Migrant Needs Conference 1992, community services in multicultural ACT |
1 file | 1981-2002 |
| 2 |
Multicultural Festival; SBS extension and ACT Tourist Commission initiatives including 1991 International Winter Fest. Includes programs, newscuttings, publicity material, correspondence and reports |
1 file | 1981-1999 |
| 2 |
Conference on Migrant Needs, 1983; Campaign to restore English as a Second Language funding 1986; Conference on Multicultural Services 1989; Ethnic Community Theatre 1989 and Fiesta Capitale 1989.
Includes reports, newscuttings and publicity material. |
1 file | 1983-1989 |