Lionel Fogarty, an Indigenous Australian poet and political activist, died on February 13, 2026.
Also published as Lionel Lacey, he was born in 1958 on an Aboriginal reserve at Barambah, now called Cherbourg, in Queensland, where he grew up. He was of the Yoogum (Yugambeh) and Kudjela peoples.
From his teenage years, Fogarty was involved in Aboriginal activism, including work with the Aboriginal Legal Service, Aboriginal Housing Service, Black Resource Centre, Black Community School and Murrie Coo-ee. He later worked mainly in southern Queensland on issues including land rights, Aboriginal health and deaths in custody.
Lionel Fogarty (1958 – 12 February 2026), also published as Lionel Lacey, was an Indigenous Australian poet and political activist.