What's your job about?

Currently, I work in the Kimberley Engagement Team, where we coordinate the efforts of the Agency in the region to ensure that Ab​original and Torres Strait Islander peoples are heard, recognised and empowered.

I play a key role in a variety of capacities, including grants management, community engagement, information sharing, and creating corporate policies within my team. We even play a part in influencing what kind of Indigenous Affairs policy comes out of the nation’s capital! By putting our communities at the forefront of our work, working in genuine partnership, and delivering with authenticity and purpose, we give Indigenous Australians a say in the decisions that affect them.

I was incredibly lucky to be included in some trips out to help with setting up the boards of local communities earlier in my time in the team. Learning about best practice and good governance procedures, and then seeing them applied in practice, is one of the big highlights of my time here so far.

What's your background?

When I was born, my parents were living on Palm Island in North Queensland, and I lived there until I was 3. We moved to Townsville at that point, and I spent my primary and high school years there growing up enjoying the tropical sun!

Spending these years away from my extended family, who mostly lived in Victoria, grew my appreciation for the times when we were together. So, when it came time to choose a university, I opted to move down to Melbourne. Studying languages and International Relations fostered my desire to understand the world, and that’s what pushed me to live overseas, both in France and Japan, at different stages during my 20s.

Upon returning to Australia, I was impassioned to refocus on the difference I could make in my own country. With that, I applied to the NIAA entry level program and was lucky enough to be accepted!

It’s mindboggling to think that it’s already been a year since that moment, but upon reflection, I feel as if my life has been nudging me towards this kind of career in ways that, at times, I didn’t notice. And now that I’m here I feel a strong sense of purpose in my everyday work…the challenge then becomes turning that purpose into the change that we want to see in the world!

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Absolutely! The APS encourages people from all walks of life to seek out a career in the public service. What is key to working in my space specifically is a high level of cultural competency and an understanding of the fact that the challenges faced by First Nations peoples in this country are varied and complex.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

The coolest thing about my job is most certainly the fact that I get to operate as the direct link between the Agency and community! Building relationships and seeing my work play out in the real world is incredibly rewarding.