A self-confessed shy man with a fourth grade education, Jagera elder Neville was the first Aboriginal Australian to enter Parliament, sitting in both State and Federal Parliament for over 12 years.

When he finally turned his hand to politics after years on the road, he endured public 'token black' jibes, parliamentary loneliness, and corrosive conflicts within his own political party for crossing the floor on issues close to his heart.

Always choosing 'compromise over confrontation', Neville's vision was to work 'within the system'.