Vic indigenous elder Dr Alf Bamblett dies

Victorian indigenous elder and anti-discrimination pioneer Dr Alf Bamblett has died.

Premier Daniel Andrews has paid tribute to "Uncle Alf", who was Victorian Commissioner of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission from 1991 to 1995.

He was Victorian Aboriginal of the Year in 1994, and inducted to the Victorian Indigenous Honour Roll in 2011.

Uncle Alf grew up on a NSW Aboriginal reserve and worked as a fruit picker, plasterer and a touring boxer before finding his home in Melbourne's Fitzroy.

"Angered by the prejudice and poverty he saw there, Uncle Alf's determination to end the divide between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people was galvanised," Mr Andrews said in a statement on Monday.

"His legacy in fighting injustice will endure and his dedication to achieving equality will not be forgotten."

Uncle Alf was also instrumental in establishing the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, and helped to secure the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

A Yorta Yorta, Bangerang and Wiradjuri man, Uncle Alf died on Saturday, aged 71.