September 27, 2026
Canberra ’26 Conference Report
On 21-22 September, we gathered in Canberra Australia to remember the day, 30 years ago, when Darwin man Bob Dent became the first person in the world to receive a legal, lethal, voluntary injection.
Marshall Perron’s Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was the law that made this possible.
Suffering from advanced prostate cancer, Bob Dent used Philip Nitschke’s Deliverance Machine to achieve a peaceful, dignified death. He died in the arms of his wife Judy.
Three more people would use the machine to die, before the law was effectively overturned by the Federal Parliament of Australia.
The Deliverance Machine would ultimately come to rest in the British Science Museum.
A film of the 2-day conference is currently in production and will be posted in the not-too-distant future.
Meanwhile, a few photos that show the flavour and passion of the conference.
The Conference was opened by singer, songwriter, poet Joe Dolce who roused the audience with a specially-penned edition of Waltzing Matilda.
Joe Dolce (Shaddapa Ya Face) Opens the Conference with his Trusted Ukulele
Homage to Marshall Perron – ‘ROTI Chief Architect’
Former Territory AG, Daryl Manzie, Remembers
Murray McLaughlin Speaks to ‘The Road to Nowhere’ as Max Bell is Mourned
Paul Thomas receives Bob Dent Award on Behalf of Bob Brown
Exit Canberra Chapter Coordinator Dr David Swanton with Philip Nitschke
Mexican Film Director, Analeine Cal y Mayor, introducing her documentary ‘Sweet Death’
Conference Collage
Waltzing Matilda or ‘That Old Euthanasia’ by Joe Dolce
