We Decide the Future So we have one for the next generations

Belinda is a descendent of the Ngiyampaa people of New South Wales on her paternal side, whose land extended over 6,600 square miles (17,000 km²), south of the Barwon and Darling rivers, from Brewarrina to Dunlop, including Yanda Creek to the source of Mulga Creek and the Bogan River. Her maternal side is Barkandji, which inhabited an area of 7,500 square miles (19,000 km²), including the Darling River, the town of Wilcannia, the Paroo River and Broken Hill. Sissy King is her sister.  Belinda has lived on the Darling River all of her life. She experienced a happy childhood and grew up with a loving mother, father, grandmother, two sisters and two brothers. Belinda is a widow and mother of six children and a grandmother of eight children. She has been a continuous member of Rotary Club Australia since high school and worked at St Therese Infants Community School as a Teachers Aid for four years. In 1999, she undertook the role of cooking lunches for the children.  Belinda has completed a hospitality course and worked in the Wilcannia Club Hotel as a bartender for five years. In 2018 she worked at the local coffee shop.   She is committed to standing against the distortion of our traditional and sacred Aboriginal hunter-gatherer culture. She is opposed to fake Aboriginal people and the failed Aboriginal leadership groups, particularly the harm she has seen them cause in her community and elsewhere. Belinda believes the most important issue in Aboriginal communities is affordable and quality housing. She wants you to know, she loves her Aboriginal cultural heritage and her Scottish ancestry and would love to know more about it.. .

Alan Coe is a resident of Lakes Entrance, Victoria. He is from a large Aboriginal family, a descendant of the Wiradjuri people, which is considered the largest Aboriginal group in New South Wales. It is estimated the Wiradjuri tribal lands were around 127,000 square kilometres or 49,000 square miles, ranging on the east from above Mudgee through Orange, close to Bathurst and east of Cowra, Young and Tumut, south to the upper Murray at Albury and east to Tumbarumba. Their southern borders run to Howlong and the western borders traversed Billabong Creek to beyond Mossgiel and extended southwest to Hay and Narrandera. Condobolin southwards to Booligal, Carrathool, Wagga Wagga, Cootamundra, Parkes, Trundle, Gundagai, Boorowa, Rylstone, Wellington and Carcoar, all lie within Wiradjuri lands.  Having turned his life around, Alan now works part-time in volunteer roles for his community. He also works with government departments and statutory authorities, focusing on the needs of Aboriginal communities. He is a mentor in Victorian prisons and works as an engagement officer with Aboriginal pre-release inmates, focusing on their employment prospects. Alan is a member of two local Aboriginal Boards: The Barrier Breakers: Disability Advocacy and the local Aboriginal Art gallery, Wurrinbeena.   Alan is committed to improving the position of Aboriginal Australians. In 2019, he was privileged to receive two awards: Victorian Department of Justice, Aboriginal Elder of the Year and Regional Aboriginal Justice Advisory Committee, Aboriginal Elder of the Year. Alan believes both awards reflect the importance of his people and the Aboriginal communities he works closely with

Kathleen is a descendent of the Budjiti people. She was born in Quilpie and raised in the red dirt of her Currawinya ancestral country, which is located in south west Queensland. Budjiti country is within Queensland’s Bulloo and Paroo Shire Councils and encompasses the towns of Eulo and Hungerford. It also takes in the Paroo River, Currawinya National Park, Caiwarro Waterhole, Dynevor Lakes, Boorara Lakes and Currawinya Lakes. The Mulga semi-arid lands are striking landscapes, composed of dune field features, granite boulders, sand plains, dissected tablelands, clay pans and salt pans. They are also replete with valuable water sources including saline lakes, freshwater lakes, riverine waterholes and ancient mound springs.  Kathleen describes herself as reliable, determined and committed. Despite not finishing high school, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts and completed a law degree while undergoing treatment for cancer.  She obtained a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice and was a small business owner before she was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland. She has worked for the Queensland Government, Queensland Parliament and Federal Government.  Married with two children, Kathleen lives in Queensland’s beautiful Garden City of Toowoomba. She moved home to country to be her mother’s full-time carer, which is the cultural calling of the oldest daughter in her family. She praises her mother for her exceptional storytelling skills, humility, courage and determination.  Kathleen is a recognised leader in her community and is known as an advocate for the improved conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. She was the first Indigenous lawyer to be appointed to The Advocacy and Support Centre (TASC) and she provides legal services to seniors who are concerned about and/or affected by elder abuse, mistreatment and/or financial exploitation. She is passionate about empowering older people living in her community at a time of life when they need someone to respectfully listen and provide support. She shares her knowledge, including her legal expertise, openly with our elders.

Lillian Crombie is a descendent of the Pitjintjara (Yungkuntjara) people, from lands in South Australia’s northwest, extending across the border into the Northern Territory, south of Lake Amadeus and across to the west close to the Western Australian border. Today about 4,000 Anangu people live in small communities and outstations on these tribal lands.  Lillian revealed a talent for dance and acting at an early age. She was the first Aboriginal professional ballet dancer, who trained in classical, modern, jazz and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dances. She studied at leading Australian performing arts institutions and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York.   A trailblazing Australian actor, in 2019 Lillian won the Equity Lifetime Achievement Award for her achievements in the Australian entertainment industry. She has had many feature-film roles, including in Baz Luhrmann's highly acclaimed film, Australia. Her television and theatre production credits are extensive and include Lucky Miles. Mystery Road, The Secret Life of Us, and Rainbow’s End, to name just a few.  Lillian is known for her generosity. In 1988, she contributed to the establishment of the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association as part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander founding dance group. She founded and chairs the Lillian Crombie Foundation, which supports travel and communication costs associated with funerals for those in a financial crisis and/or need. The Foundation also offers referrals to grief counsellors and financial counselling services.  Lillian lives in Adelaide, South Australia, and enjoys running dance and drama workshops with local kids at Port Pirie, Port Augusta and surrounding regions.

Steven is a descendent of the Yungkuntjara people whose tribal lands stretch from northwest South Australia, and extend across the border into the Northern Territory, south of Lake Amadeus and across to the west, close to the Western Australian border. Steven is also a descendent of the Gurindji, which is an Aboriginal name for people of northern Australia, whose tribal lands cover 460 square kilometres or 290  square miles, south west of Katherine in the Victoria River region of the Northern Territory. Steven also belongs to the Arrernte traditional language group of Alice Springs, which is the centre of Arrernte country. Arrernte country runs along the far west as Mutitjulu and Kings Canyon and as far east as the western edge of the Simpson Desert.   His grandfather, Cassidy Uluru, is a well-known Uluru artist who is the son of the Keeper of the Rock. He is also part of the Aboriginal-owned not-for-profit, art centre belonging to the Mutijulu community. As one of Cassidy Uluru’s oldest grandchildren, Steven has inherited senior responsibilities and is considered a leader in his community.   Steven has worked as a drug and alcohol Case Management Officer in Alice Springs for six years. His previous roles involved providing transport for nurses and doctors to remote desert communities. He has worked as an interpreter and has been a cultural tour operator at Ayers Rock. He also worked as a Sport and Recreation Officer, looking after children in gyms and providing them with healthy snacks at the canteen. A talented boxer, in 1988 he narrowly missed (by only one fight) selection for the Seoul Olympics.  Steven is a proud grandfather of five and lives in Alice Springs with his wife. He is committed to being a good role model and encouraging young men to live healthy and fulfilling lives without drugs and alcohol.

Joseph is a descendent of the New South Wales south coast's Yuin people on his paternal side, whose lands stretch from Merimbula to the southern head of the sea entrance on the Shoalhaven River. He also has Gunaikurnai heritage, whose lands stretch from the Gippsland coastal and inland areas to the southern slopes of the Victorian Alps and Dja Dja Wurrung lands in Bendigo. His maternal Aboriginal heritage is from the Warrimay people on the mid north coast of New South Wales, whose lands stretch from north of Forster to Port Stephens, into Gloucester and the Barrington Tops. Joseph is in his 20s and lives and works in Sydney. He completed high school at St Ignatius College, Riverview,  in Sydney and went on the Kokoda Track immersion. Recently he took a break from higher education studies to gain work experience in sales.   Joseph is fortunate he was raised on wholesome Aboriginal cultural practices from both sides of his family. From an early age, his father taught him ancient Aboriginal hunter-gatherer skills such as diving, fishing and bush survival skills.  Joseph is committed to helping Aboriginal people and making a difference.