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Natalie Ahmat: There's apprehension over Mr Turnbull's appointment to the top job from the heads of some of the country's peak bodies representing Indigenous family and children's services.
They've gathered in Perth for the sixth national conference hosted by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care, or SNAICC.
Ryan Liddle filed this story.
Ryan Liddle: With the new PM only sworn in yesterday, Indigenous leaders are hoping Malcolm Turnbull will pick up where Tony Abbott left off, and become a Prime Minister for Indigenous Australians.
Speaking to a packed audience at Perth's Convention Centre on the importance of family and children's welfare, The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner was optimistic about the change of leadership.
Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner: We just hope that Malcolm lives up to his word where he wants a new relationship with the Australian people. One where he goes and explains what the issues are, one where he listens and he should, like I said, be listening to us as well.
Mr Gooda says he is planning to meet with the Prime Minister as soon as possible.
Mick Gooda: The new message I'll be delivering to the PM is to listen to us, take us into your confidence. We are going to tell you things that you don't want to hear but you've got to listen to us, and if you're going to listen to all of the population, you've got to listen to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians too.
With the impact of last year's budget cuts still being felt deeply across the Indigenous sector, Antoinette Braybrook from the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service, is cautious about what the change might bring.
She re-iterated her call for funding boosts to Indigenous Legal Aid services.
Antoinette Braybrook, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service CEO: It is umm, a big shift and I don't know what that means for us, but from where I'm coming from we will still call for the re-instatement of our national program.
We will still call for the re-instatement of our national program
SNAICC director Sharon Williams says while there's always room for improvement, what lies ahead now is the tough job of building a strong relationship with the revamped government.
Sharon Williams, SNAICC director: We can always hope for improved services for Aboriginal people, greater program expansion for aboriginal community organisations but this is all so new so we are hopeful, and we anticipate great futures for our community organisations, but with every new government brings challenges with it as well.
