View of King George Sound, Albany, site of the first European settlement in Western Australia, 1826
Eric Hayward BJuris LLB Grad Dip Ed.
Justice on Noongar Boodjar
Biography
Eric is a passionate and experienced justice advocate in Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, speaking at the Perth Invasion Day rally. He joined the West Australian Greens party after the disappointment of the Voice referendum to ‘make a difference’, campaigning for the WA Greens in Cannington at the state election in March 2025. Eric achieved a positive 9% swing towards the Greens, as one of the most successful Greens candidates
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_results_for_the_district_of_Cannington
Eric also campaigned for the Greens in Tangney, at the 2025 Federal election. Eric stood in one of the most heavily advertised seats in the nation and from 'the smell of an oily rag' improved their primary vote from the last election
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_results_for_the_Division_of_Tangney
In 1991 Eric was the first Noongar to complete a University of Western Australia Law Degree and he was awarded the WA NAIDOC Aboriginal student of the year. In 1992 he was admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
After working in the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Health, Aboriginal Affairs and Native Title, Eric graduated in 2002 from Edith Cowan University, as a Teacher. From 2003-2018, he worked as a Primary School teacher in difficult to staff schools throughout regional Western Australia including Esperance, South Hedland, Mid-West, East Avon, Bunbury, Collie, Brunswick Junction and the Muludja Remote School outside Fitzroy Crossing.
Eric is a father of six children and three grandchildren, with paternal Noongar connections to the Southern Noongar Kaneang and South Eastern Wudjari clans. In 2017 he was recognised as an Elder, by the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council.
From 2019 to 2021, Eric’s career transitioned from Education back to Law. Whilst living in Alice Springs he delivered Community Legal Education in Tennant Creek and Central Australia, as Coordinator of Law and Justice Projects for the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.
In August 2021 Eric re-entered the legal profession as an practicing Solicitor with the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia, where he worked until June 2024. His Legal Aid highlights include experience as a Duty Lawyer in Perth Magistrates Courts and delivering Community Legal Education in Harvey, Bunbury and Busselton.
In 2024 and 2025, Eric was a UWA, Law School guest lecturer and casual History lecturer. Eric’s post graduate research topic is British colonial justice practices in the South West of Western Australia from 1829 to 1842, investigating the involvement of Public officials and the Military in massacres of Noongar people.