Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel
On 15 December 2008 Council appointed the City of Sydney’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel made up of community and industry professionals, youth and elders. The purpose of the Advisory Panel is to provide advice to inform the policies and operations of the City of Sydney in relation to matters of importance to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
In 2011 the second term of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel commenced and 15 members were selected to meet four times a year. The current members bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the Advisory Panel and their advice has contributed to the City’s relationship with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the city of Sydney’s local government area.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Statement
At a meeting of the Full Council on June 27, Council resolved to include the following sentence in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander statement in the City’s 10 year Corporate Plan and Budget:
Despite the destructive impact of this invasion, Aboriginal culture endured
This follows robust debate and strong advice from the City's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel.
The Panel made very clear that the Aboriginal community felt very strongly about including the word 'invasion.'
In response to those very strong concerns, the Lord Mayor proposed a new version that included the word invasion.
The motion was passed by majority following a debate amongst Councillors, with many members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in attendance.
The Council and City of Sydney recognises that, by acknowledging our shared past, we are laying the groundwork for a future which embraces all Australians, a future based on mutual respect and shared responsibility for our land.
Current Members
Larissa Behrendt
Professor Larissa Behrendt is Kamilaroi/Evaleyai, and is a Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney. She graduated from the University New South Wales Law School in 1992 and has since graduated from Harvard Law School with her Master of Laws and a Doctorate of Laws. She is Chair of the Bangarra Dance Theatre and a board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Larissa is also the Alternate Chair of the Serious Offender Review Council.
Fay Carroll
Fay Carroll is a Wiradjuri woman born on Eora country in Sydney. Fay was raised in Redfern and spent most of her growing years in the Redfern community. She was also a long time resident of Woolloomooloo for 14 years raising her family. Her commitment to education is evident in the 19 years she has spent with the NSW Department of Education. Fay brings with her a wealth of grass roots community knowledge and education to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel. Fay is a respected community elder and has close associations with all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the inner city.
Donald Clark
Don Clark is a long time resident of both Redfern and Waterloo. Over the years, Don has been involved in Aboriginal rights, social justice, disability and gay rights and has a wide range of experiences and knowledge of those issues that effect Aboriginal communities. He has previously been member of the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, Indigenous Social Justice Association Inc. and the Disability Services Aboriginal Corporation, the Disability Council of NSW, and a member of the UTS Academic Advisory Panel. Don brings research, organisational development, negotiation and communication skills to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Advisory Panel.
Merindah Donnelly
Merindah Donnelly is a Wiradjuri woman from the Gamillaroi community of Tingha NSW. At age fourteen, Merindah moved to Sydney to pursue a professional career in classical ballet, attaining one of one of the highest internationally recognised dance qualifications, with the Royal Academy of Dancing (ARAD). Merindah has sought to become an effective spokesperson and ambassador for human rights and has attended international conferences on Indigenous people’s rights, self determination, social justice and climate change, including the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Merindah currently works for the Australia Council for the Arts as the Indigenous Program Officer in the Market Development Branch.
Kay Dundas
Kay Dundas is a proud Kamilaroi Woman from Coonabarabran and has worked in the family and community sector through outreach, court support (both children and adults) and health for over 30 years. Kay has a Bachelor of Health and Science and Community Development. Kay brings a wealth of community and family knowledge to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel from working at the grass roots level. Kay has facilitated various programs from Infants, Youth to Adults. Kay is currently the Aboriginal Family and Community Support worker for Walla Mulla Family Community Support in Woolloomooloo. Kay has sat on various boards such as Nangamay and Walking Together Aboriginal Women’s Program through Parole and Probation.
Kathryn Farrawell
Kathryn Dodd Farrawell has lived in Glebe with her husband Darrell and three children for over 29 years after moving to Glebe in 1972 from Rockhampton QLD. Kathryn's Grandmother Ruby was a Kaarnju women from Cape York and her father Reginald Dodd, was a Biri man from North QLD. Her grandmother, father and mother Katie were detained on Yarrabah, Palm Island Mission and Woorabinda Reserve under the QLD Aboriginal Protection Act. Kathryn was an Aboriginal Education Assistant at Glebe Public School for sixteen years and is an accomplished artist, who was a finalist in the 2009 Dobell Art Prize for Drawing. She also loves to be involved in community art projects.
Sara Hamilton
Sara Hamilton is a Gamilaroi woman who was born and raised in Sydney, NSW. Sara currently works as the Youth Programs Coordinator at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) where she is responsible for coordinating programs for local youth and young people visiting the centre from out of the area. Sara’s past role was at Young Achievement Australia where she worked as an Indigenous Program Manager in the national Business Skills Program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants. Sara’s passion for sport, education and the community is evident in her past activities and achievements. Along with this, her interest in education led her to study at Sydney University where she completed a Diploma in Education (Aboriginal).
Millie Ingram
Millie Ingram is a Wiradjuri woman born in Cowra NSW and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Wyanga Elders Group in Redfern and is an active member of the Redfern community. Millie was the Assistant Secretary of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs during the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and was a Regional Councillor for the Wiradjuri Region of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. Millie brings with her experience in the areas of women’s issues, child care, aged care, education and policy development.
Dianne Jarrett
Dianne Jarrett is a Dunghutti woman, born in Bowraville, NSW and has been living in the Waterloo community for the past 18 years. She is a mother of four and a grandmother of two and has been known for her voluntarily involvement with various stolen-generation issues and family history research in her community for many years. She is currently heavily involved with the heritage research related to the Bomaderry Children's home where she spent many years of her childhood. She is passionate about promoting awareness of and access to government services to her people and promoting the diversity and complexity of Aboriginal issues within the wider Australian community.
Dillon Kombumerri
Dillon Kombumerri is a Yugemir man born in Brisbane and is the Indigenous expertise leader within the NSW Goverment Architects office. He has over 18 years experience delivering many award winning culturally sensitive design projects for Aboriginal communities. Dillon produced the preliminary concept designs for the Sustainable Sydney 2030 Eora Journey. Dillon hopes to promote to the wider community awareness of Indigenous culture and in doing so advocating for an increase in student numbers for enrolling for courses in Architecture and the Built Environment. By being a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel, Dillon hopes to raise awareness of the enormous potential; within the local Aboriginal community to contribute to the future viability and vitality of the City of Sydney.
Christopher Lawrence
Chris Lawrence is Noongar man from Perth and has a Masters in Applied Epidemiology from the Australian National University and has been previously recognised with a Career Development Award (Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW) and a NHMRC Capacity Building Grant. In 2008/09 he received the National Indigenous Australian-American Fulbright Scholarship and attended Harvard University. Chris is currently a Research Fellow doing his PhD at The George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney. His research work focuses on diabetes and heart disease particularly looking at lifestyle risks to type 2 diabetes. Chris works closely with the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern and is a founding member of the National Centre in Indigenous Excellence (NCIE).
Shireen Malamoo
Shireen Malamoo is an Aboriginal/ni-Vanuatu artist, singer and active community leader, born in Ayr North Queensland and currently living in Redfern Sydney. Shireen has worked in and been involved in Aboriginal affairs on both a local and national level all her life and these experiences have significantly influenced her artwork. Shireen was a former ATSIC Commissioner (1991-1993) and sat on the NSW Parole Board for 9 years (1994 - 2003). Shireen has extensive experience in the management of non-government services for the Aboriginal community including the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Media Association and the Aboriginal Medical Service in Townsville.
Paul Morris
Paul Morris is a Dunghutti man who was raised in the Kempsey community and later the Redfern community. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan LALC and was the former Manager of Namatjira Haven Drug & Alcohol Healing Centre and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Durri AMS and Director of his own consultancy business. He is currently working on committees at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney University and Sydney Harbour Stakeholder Working Group among others. Paul is also a former student of Tranby and has gone on to successfully complete a Masters of Indigenous Studies at Southern Cross University and a Graduate Diploma of Health Management at the University of New England. In addition to this he has formal qualifications in Business Governance and Quality Management.
Bronwyn Penrith
Bronwyn Penrith is a Redfern community member with a lifetime commitment to Aboriginal rights and community wellbeing. She has held executive positions on local Aboriginal Community organisations. Bronwyn is an experienced elected representative on local, State & National Women Organisations. She holds the Diploma of Business (Aboriginal Governance) and as a result of her experience and training she has developed and facilitates cultural awareness workshops. A trainer for Certificate level Mentoring with Diversity, Bronwyn also works as a mediator and is an accredited Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
Darrell Sibosado
Darrell Sibosado is a Bard man from Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsula of the Kimberley coast. Darrell has a 20 year history in arts management and production and has worked with such organisations as the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board and Boomalli. He is currently the Production Coordinator at Gadigal Information Service and is responsible for the Yabun Festival, Klub Koori and other events. Darrell believes that the arts are integral in the maintenance of Indigenous cultures. He is a firm believer in the importance and power of public artworks to reflect and reinforce the cultural make up and ideologies of the community, who we are, the journey we have been on to get here and how we - as a community - aspire to head into the future.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Panel will be coordinated by the City of Sydney’s Aboriginal Community Development Officer.
More Information
Melodie Gibson
Aboriginal Community Development Officer
City of Sydney
PO Box 1591
Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: 02 9246 7289
Email: mgibson@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
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Last Updated: Tuesday 28 June, 2011
