issue five 2010
The new
inventor
Alison Page:
designer,
artist and
social activist
Cultivating
success
Ron Newchurch is sharing
his skills, knowledge and
business acumen to grow
a brighter future
Freedom of
expression
PRINT POST APPROVED PP510545/00601
Combining creativity
and cultural heritage
makes business sense
The dream
cycle
Home ownership as
a launch pad for
even bigger dreams
Inside issue five
03 The new voice: IBA cadet Sarah Neal on
finding, using and trusting your voice.
05 The new inventor: meet Alison Page,
business woman, interior designer, jeweller,
social activist and new mum.
Welcome
From the
Chief Executive Officer,
r,
Bruce Gemmell
08 Champions of Indigenous tourism: moving
Indigenous owned tourism operators to the
forefront of their industry.
11 Cultivating success: Ron Newchurch is
sharing his skills, knowledge and business
acumen to grow a brighter future.
14 The dream cycle: home ownership as a
launch pad for even bigger dreams.
17 The best of both worlds: traditional and
contemporary governance systems in sync.
19 Freedom of expression: combining
creativity and cultural heritage makes
business sense.
22 Celebrating Indigenous achievement:
highlights from IBA’s 2010 NAIDOC Week
celebrations.
Production Team
Editor-in-Chief
Editor
Deputy Editor
Designer
Zoe Craven
Bridie Henehan
Lucy McBride
Jessica Johnson, IBA
and Kylie Smith Design
Printed by Print Junction, Adelaide, an
Indigenous owned and operated company.
The entire contents of Inspire are copyright and
may not be reproduced in any form either in part
or in whole without the written permission of the
Editor-in-Chief.
On behalf of Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) welcome to issue five
of Inspire.
I joined IBA earlier this year as it approached its milestone of 20 years
as an Indigenous-specific commercial organisation. It is a privilege to
play a role in steering IBA’s course for the next decades in which our
nation aspires to close the identified gaps in critical areas of Indigenous
disadvantage.
Reviewing the content for this issue of Inspire has cemented my
appreciation of the role that IBA’s programs and services play in closing
these gaps. Inspire celebrates some of the many IBA clients working
towards economic independence and self-sufficiency. Many of these
clients are using their passion, skills and business platforms to proudly
share and promote their cultural identity and heritage. In doing so,
they are not only closing the gap economically, but also the gap in
knowledge and understanding about Indigenous culture.
The theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week was ‘Unsung Heroes: Closing
the Gap by Leading Their Way’. All of the clients profiled within this
issue - irrespective of age, background or experience - are leading the
way in their own lives. Their stories remind us that just one person can
make a huge difference. And they also remind us of the fundamental
importance of being able to exercise choice over one’s own social and
economic direction.
The pursuit of economic independence is one that requires (among
many attributes) ongoing sacrifice, determination, drive and tenacity.
That makes the achievements of the clients profiled here all the more
powerful and deserving of our praise.
We are proud that for 20 years IBA has enabled like minded Indigenous
Australians to make their own choices about participating in home and
business ownership or long term investment as avenues of economic
independence. And we look forward to bringing you more inspiring
stories in the next issue of Inspire, in April 2011.
To tell us what you think of the Inspire publication
go to http://www.iba.gov.au/contact-us/
To receive future issues of Inspire go to
www.iba.gov.au/subscribe/
To be removed from IBA’s mailing list email
[email protected]
October 2010
Cover image: Alison Page. Image courtesy of
Richard Weinstein.
IBA respects Indigenous cultures and has taken all reasonable steps to ensure
contents of this publication do not offend Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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The new voice
Who: Sarah Neal
From: Newcastle, New South Wales
Her story: Sarah is a young Gamilaroi woman
in the final year of her degree in Social Science
at the University of Newcastle. Sarah works
20 hours a week at a local restaurant, is
an active member of the Awabakal Local
Aboriginal Land Council, and is on the steering
committee of ‘Liveable Communities’, a New
South Wales Department of Health study
assessing Indigenous people’s access to health
services in the Newcastle region.
And once a week since January 2009, Sarah has
been making a six hour return trip to Sydney
to complete a cadetship with IBA. Cadetships
provide Indigenous university students with
practical work experience to complement their
tertiary studies and help them prepare for their
chosen career.
At 21 years of age, Sarah represents a new
generation of Indigenous Australians passionate
about determining their own future. Here she
shares her thoughts on the importance of
finding, using and trusting your voice.
1. On education: ‘I see
education as a right,
a freedom that opens
the door to all sorts of
possibilities’.
My Nan was part of the Stolen
Generation and was denied
an education. The importance
and value of education was
passed down by Nan to my
Mum, and now to myself, my
brother and sisters.
I see education as a right, a
freedom that opens the door
to all sorts of possibilities.
It all starts with education.
But many young Indigenous
people still don’t think of
further study or training as an
option. And I think we really
need to work on raising those
aspirations and expectations
for Indigenous youth around
apprenticeships, training or
tertiary study.
Sarah Neal at work in her cadetship role with IBA.
I’m involved with the School
to University Pathways
Project at the University of
Newcastle. We hold open
days for Indigenous high
school students. Always,
at the start of the day
these guys will say things
like ‘I’ll never get into
uni’ or ‘I’ll just do what
everyone expects me to
do, have loads of kids, be
unemployed’. And by the
end of the day many of
them will have realised
that further study really
is within their reach, and
that there are all sorts of
support systems available
for them to achieve that.
Being a part of putting that
idea into their head is a
really rewarding experience
for me.
2. On social activism:
‘This stuff isn’t just
a yarn, this really
happened’.
Mum has always made sure
we were aware of our family
and our Aboriginal history,
from the Stolen Generation
through to land rights and
black deaths in custody.
But I think it was when I was
doing Aboriginal Studies in
Year 12 that the depth of the
injustices our people have
faced – and are still facing
today – really hit home. At
that point I realised, wow,
this stuff isn’t just a yarn,
this really happened. It’s easy
to think it’s ancient history,
but it’s only forty or so years
since the 1967 Referendum.
You know Mum wasn’t
classified as an Australian
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: April
2010
3
3
citizen until she was nine
years old, and my Nan
couldn’t vote – that’s a reality.
them about their rights and
responsibilities within the
community.
I came out of high school
wanting to have a positive
impact on my community and
culture. I’ve nearly finished
my degree at uni, and hope to
use it to change perceptions
and opinions about
Indigenous Australians and
culture. I want to work at a
level where I get to influence
policy and programs for
Indigenous people.
4. On using her voice:
‘You can voice concerns
and tell people things,
but you also need an
evidence base’.
3. On finding her voice:
‘I wanted to have input
to the decision making
processes within my
community’.
Because of my family’s
involvement with the
Awabakal Local Aboriginal
Land Council I was dragged
along to meetings and
community events from an
early age! But in my final
year of school I decided for
myself that I wanted to get
more involved, so I applied
for membership when I was
18. I wanted to be a voting
member, to have input to the
decision making processes
within my community.
Now I vote alongside
other Awabakal members
on issues that affect our
community economically
or socially, and on the
appointment of board
members. By being involved
in that decision making I get
to hear from my elders about
the background and history
to the issues we are voting
on, which is really important.
I’m currently working on a
youth forum that’s aimed at
getting more young people
involved as active members
of the Council, educating
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4
Because of my studies in
social research and my
involvement with the Local
Aboriginal Land Council,
I was invited to join the
steering committee for
‘Liveable Communities’. It’s
a joint initiative between
NSW Health and local
Indigenous stakeholders.
I’m interviewing local
Indigenous people about
what sort of access they
have to health services,
healthy food, housing and
other resources. We’re
also looking at safety and
security issues in the area.
I didn’t fully understand
the importance of social
research before I started my
degree, but I have come to
appreciate that it can help
create change. Collecting
accurate information
can reflect what is really
happening in a community.
You can voice concerns and
talk to people about issues,
but a strong evidence base
can provide a platform from
which to lobby for change
to policies and program
development.
5. On trusting her voice:
‘Being at the Garma
Festival reinforced that
I’m on the right path’.
In August this year I went
with a group of uni friends to
the Garma Festival in north
east Arnhem Land. It’s all
about sharing Indigenous
knowledge and culture. I
was really inspired to hear
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: April 2010
talks by human rights
lawyers, and guys like Noel
Pearson who have fought
the fight before us. Being at
the festival reinforced that
I’m on the right path, and
there is meaning to all the
work I’m doing now.
A local Indigenous woman
gave me a painting of
her totem to thank me
for making the journey
all the way up there; that
was really special. I was
also inspired by other
young people I met there
who grew up in remote
communities, went away to
study and have now gone
back to their communities
to apply their skills. I
can’t imagine leaving my
home, but they’ve had the
determination to do it.
6. On juggling her many
commitments: ‘I’ve got
some really strong role
models…’
The stories about my Nan’s
strength, determination and
ability to get things done
have inspired me. Both my
Nan and Mum fought the
fight that has enabled me to
have the opportunities I do.
Mum raised four children
on her own with that same
determination. So I’ve got
some really strong role
models who have shown
me that hard work pays
off. They instilled in me
that if you want to achieve
something, you just do what
you have to do.
I’ve also got a supportive
partner and network of
friends who understand my
commitments, but also make
sure I don’t ignore the fun
and social part of my life. I
do Pilates and exercise to
keep fit, and like to hit the
town with friends…and then
of course there’s coffee!
7. On her future: ‘I’m
excited about the
unknown…’
I haven’t ruled out further
study down the track; maybe
a Masters in Education.
Meanwhile I have been
accepted into the graduate
development program at
the Australian Bureau of
Statistics. I’m going to be
working on population
statistics, immigration,
health, education and
housing issues. I’m really
proud that I’ve achieved that
through my own merits and
hard work.
I’m excited about the
unknown, both the
opportunities ahead of me
in my immediate future and
the possibilities I don’t know
about yet. But whether I’m
in a professional position or
not, I think I’m always going
to want to be involved in
advocating for social justice.
To find out more about a traineeship, cadetship or
graduate placement at IBA you can:
• go to www.iba.gov.au/about-us/working-at-iba
• email [email protected]
• FreecallTM 1800 107 107
The new inventor
‘Being Aboriginal has been a major advantage in my life. I’ve
spent my whole life celebrating it, and I will spend the rest of
my life screaming it from the rooftops.’
Alison Page is a designer and artist at the forefront of contemporary Indigenous
design in Australia. A Tharawal woman from La Perouse in Sydney, Alison brings her
unique Indigenous perspective to her roles as mother, interior designer, jeweller, social
activist and panellist on the ABC television program The New Inventors.
Alison started her home-based business in 2001 with a loan through IBA’s Business Development
and Assistance Program.
1. The bower bird
‘My mum is a bower bird, a big opshopper’, said Alison, ‘and my sisters and I
are all obsessive collectors too. I think it’s
the rush you get when you find something
unusual or fantastic, even some everyday
object. Growing up we were broke, but
we still wanted to be ‘groovy’, so we had
to develop our own personal styles, think
about our personal identity’.
During a visit to Canada in the third
year of her Bachelor of Interior Design,
Alison was introduced to the work of
First Nations Architect Douglas Cardinal.
She said: ‘Douglas was designing these
major museums of First Peoples. I saw
him injecting spirituality into his designs,
expressing traditional stories and
cultural values, and I thought wow, that
is it. That trip was definitely a turning
point for me’.
Alison continues to seek out inspiration to
inform her work. ‘I’m still a bower bird’,
she said. ‘I teach design at a technical
college, and will take my students out opshopping and tell them to pick something
that they think represents good design.
It might just be a shoe, or a piece of
crockery; there’s always something that
will make you stop and think’.
2. The new inventor
After graduating from university Alison
joined Merrima Design, Australia’s first
Indigenous architecture group. Merrima
collaborates with urban and rural
Indigenous communities to deliver
culturally appropriate architecture,
landscape design, interiors and public
art that tell the story of the local area,
its people and ancestors.
‘Our design philosophy at Merrima
connects us’, said Alison. ‘We all have
our own businesses now, but we still
get together to chew the fat about our
current thinking. And we’re now starting
to develop international networks of
Aboriginal architects and designers,
because a lot of Aboriginal values are
universal. So looking after land, that’s
a cultural value that translates to
environmentally sensitive design. And
activism – a building can be an act of
power in a community, it can be an act
of social justice that gives you a voice’.
Alison believes Australia needs to
develop its own unique style and
visual identity. Central to that identity,
she believes, should be a respect of
Indigenous culture and its focus on
connection. She said: ‘Connection
between family, between people and
the earth…that’s my spirituality. I
want ritual, and I want a sense of
connectedness. Because we’re all
tiny dots in the same universe, and to
understand that perspective and be
reminded of that perspective in everyday
objects and buildings is important’.
Since 2004 Alison has been a regular
panellist on the ABC television
program The New Inventors which
showcases Australian innovation.
She says the designs and ideas put
forward feed her own imagination.
‘It stops me from getting stuck in my
own little world’, she said. ‘I open my
design brief for the show and never
know what I’m going to get – roller
skates, underpants or a design for a
water tank!’
3. The artisan
Through her television appearances
Alison came to the attention of
Michael Neuman of prestigious
Sydney jewellers Mondial Neuman.
Michael invited her to collaborate on
a range of contemporary jewellery
blending Indigenous storytelling with
fine craftsmanship.
Alison said: ‘I was initially worried
about how it could work. But Michael
totally understood and valued
the contemporary expression of
Aboriginal culture. It took a couple
of years of collaboration working out
the designs and how the business
side could work. It was slowly, slowly
building trust – but I guess that’s
how I work with communities too.
And it has been a truly rewarding and
fruitful partnership for us all’.
The result is the Diamond Dreaming
range featuring locally sourced
Argyle pink diamonds and other
precious metals. Alison has designed
each piece to convey an aspect of
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5
From the Diamond Dreaming collection. Images courtesy
of Richard Weinstein. Left: Ngalawa Guwiyang (to sit
around the fire) pendant. Middle: Blue Moon pendant (in
white gold). Right: the Saltwater Freshwater ring.
everyday Indigenous life, with universal
relevance. The Saltwater Freshwater
ring, for example, represents the
meeting of ocean and estuary. She said:
‘So I was thinking about the mixing
of the waters being like two people
coming together in marriage. And
because the mangroves in estuaries
are where eggs are laid and new life
is nurtured, this ring has mangroves
engraved on it, and little diamond eggs’.
Alison’s ‘Totem’ necklace (pictured on
page 5), which represents Indigenous
connection to land, won a top award
at the 2008 Jewellers Association of
Australia Awards.
Alison believes her partnership with
Mondial Neuman, which is built on
trust and integrity, is a business model
that demonstrates how Indigenous
designers and manufacturers can
work together.
4. The social activist
Alison believes that supporting
Indigenous design is social activism
in practice. She said: ‘What I am doing
when I hand jewellery, designs or
buildings over to people is to engage
whole communities in social activism.
And by buying work from an Aboriginal
artist, Australians can engage in
positive social activism because
they are helping that person achieve
economic independence’.
Alison is passionate about
establishing a national Indigenous
design collective to facilitate more
partnerships between designers
and manufacturers. It is an idea she
took to Kevin Rudd’s 2020 Summit
in 2008 where it received positive
encouragement. She said: ‘There
6
issue five 2010
was a point at which I recognised
that I could continue to go out and
find someone to invest in Alison Page
doing her stuff, or I could try to work
with government and other agencies
to get a collective together through
which more Aboriginal designers could
benefit. I want to change perceptions
about Aboriginal art. I want to see
Aboriginal jewellery, clothing, interior
fabrics, wallpaper, carpets, lighting,
graphics and home wares as a part of
mainstream Australian design. I don’t
want to do all of it myself, but I want to
be part of it and be inspired through it.’
Since the summit Alison has been
piloting her idea for a collective on the
mid north coast of New South Wales.
Ten Local Aboriginal Land Councils
have formed the Saltwater Freshwater
Alliance to collaborate on an annual
arts and culture festival, skills
workshops and joint applications to
fund major projects that benefit artists
across the whole region.
Alison believes such coordinated
approaches could promote meaningful
employment opportunities and
economic independence for
Indigenous arts and craftspeople all
across Australia.
5. The frequent flier
Having moved from Sydney to regional
New South Wales, Alison understands
the challenges of running a business
outside a major city. She said: ‘After I
moved, I was operating my business
out of my spare bedroom, with a
computer, printer and scanner I got
through my IBA loan. Since then I’ve
been phoning, faxing, emailing, and
flying off when I need to meet clients’.
With advances in technology Alison
believes that more Indigenous
Australians in regional and remote
areas should consider a home-based
business as a means of overcoming
issues such as access to transport and
child care. She said: ‘For young people
especially, staying close to land and
family, and learning about your culture
and heritage, there are opportunities for
you to make money from being exactly
where you are. You could become a
cultural tourism operator, a children’s
clothing designer, or you could deliver
aged care services in a culturally
appropriate way, or work on the land in
regeneration. You have to think outside
the square, be really creative in your
thinking and keep your culture strong
and alive’.
Alison says that having access to expert
advice, information and support such
as that offered through IBA’s Business
Development and Assistance Program,
increases the likelihood of businesses
being successful over the long term.
She says she struggled with learning
new business and accounting systems,
but said: ‘You can learn to be a business
person in the same way you can learn
to be creative. I’ve taught myself MYOB
accounting, and I’m loving it because
I can stop being anxious about where
things are headed, I have the control’.
6. The mum
As a new mum Alison is back in
bower bird mode, critiquing everyday
household objects and dreaming
up improvements to solve practical
problems faced by new mothers. She
credits motherhood for her increasing
involvement in strategic economic
development initiatives. ‘I think more
outside my own square now’, she said.
‘I’m thinking about Alby and the world
he is going to grow up in. How unreal
for Alby to be an Aboriginal now. Yes,
there are some wicked problems out
there, but if we concentrate all our
energy into making our young people
feel good about themselves, having
strong cultural knowledge and being
economically independent, then all
those other problems go away’.
Alison Page wearing the Wumura (to fly) earrings and necklace from
her Diamond Dreaming collection. Image courtesy of Richard Weinstein.
issue five 2010
7
Champions of
Indigenous tourism
Image courtesy of James Fisher, Tourism Australia.
I
nternational travellers want to experience authentic,
top quality Australian Indigenous culture firsthand. However the number and variety of tourism
businesses and products available to choose from
can make it difficult to identify such experiences.
The Indigenous Tourism Champions Program (ITCP) is
an exciting new initiative providing select export-ready
Indigenous tourism operators with the opportunity to be
appropriately represented and profiled amongst global and
in-bound tourism networks.
The joint initiative between IBA and Tourism Australia
provides selected Champions with sales and marketing
support and training, as well as mentoring in tourism
best practice across service delivery, business operations,
administration and promotion. The Champions have the
opportunity to attend, and gain exposure through, trade
shows, new product workshops and launches.
Thirteen Indigenous owned and operated tourism
businesses have already completed the first phase of the
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issue five 2010
program, receiving mentoring and training to assist them in
positioning their products and services at the forefront of the
Indigenous tourism industry.
The ITCP will build confidence among the distribution
network that sells Australian Indigenous cultural
experiences, that small business operators and Indigenous
tourism operators in particular, are reliable business
partners with strong and unique industry knowledge.
The Chair of Tourism Australia’s Indigenous Tourism
Industry Advisory Panel, Aden Ridgeway said: ‘The
Indigenous Tourism Champions initiative will help to
generate unprecedented exposure of our better established
Indigenous tourism products, helping to enhance the profile
of the entire sector’.
Champions who successfully meet the criteria of the
program will be offered opportunities for more targeted
business mentoring and financial assistance in the future,
including the opportunity to showcase their products and
services at domestic and international trade shows.
Bookabee Tours.
Image courtesy of Tourism Australia.
Kakadu Culture Camp.
Image courtesy of Tourism Australia.
Meet the Champions
Read a profile of Worn Gundidj: Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve (page 10), or find out more about
the following Indigenous Tourism Champions:
Western Australia
South Australia
Aussie Off Road Tours – culturally inspired 4WD adventures
into the Kimberley region. (www.aussieoffroadtours.com.au)
Bookabee Tours – from half-day visits to Adelaide to
seven day tours of the Flinders Ranges and outback.
(www.bookabee.com.au)
Kepa Kurl Eco-Cultural Discovery Tours – of the south
east coast of Western Australia. (www.kepakurl.com.au)
Kojonup Visitor Centre incorporating Kodja Place –
offering visits to traditional places in the Perth region.
(www.kojonupvisitors.com)
Kimberley Dreamtime Adventure Tours – a
unique perspective on the Kimberley region.
(www.kimberleydreamtimeadventures.com.au)
Queensland
Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours - exploring the
traditional lands, mudflats and mangroves of Queensland’s
Cooya Beach with brothers Linc and Brandon Walker.
(www.bamaway.com.au/KukuYalanji.aspx)
Coorong Wilderness Lodge – accommodation, camping,
food and tours on Ngarrindjeri land, southeast of
Adelaide. (www.coorongwildernesslodge.com)
Adjahdura Land Culture Tours – promoting a traditional
understanding of the Point Pearce region of the Yorke
Peninsula. (www.adjahdura.com.au)
Northern Territory
Anangu Tours - offering insights into the culture
and law of the sacred Uluru area and its people.
(www.ananguwaai.com.au/anangu_tours)
Victoria
Kakadu Culture Camp - boat cruises, crocodile
spotting, cultural lessons and camping services based
at the Djarradjin Billabong in the Kakadu National Park.
(www.kakaduculturecamp.com)
Brambuk: The National Park and Cultural Centre – a
cultural perspective of the Grampians National Park west
of Melbourne. (www.brambuk.com.au)
Nitmiluk Tours - accommodation, tours, cruises,
canoeing and helicopter tours of the Nitmiluk Gorge.
(www.nitmiluktours.com.au)
Worn Gundidj: Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve – nature and
wildlife tours and a cultural experience within a volcanic
setting. (www.worngundidj.org.au)
issue five 2010
9
Spotlight on a tourism champion
Sky Taikato and Paul Kelly from Tower Hill Wildlife
Reserve accepting the 2010 Dardi Award for Worn Gundidj.
Image courtesy of Wayne Quilliam Photography.
T
he Worn Gundidj
Aboriginal
Cooperative
(Worn Gundidj)
was established with
a charter to provide
training and employment
opportunities for local
Indigenous people, and to
develop business enterprises
that benefit the community.
Worn Gundidj operate the
Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve
(Tower Hill), a popular tourist
attraction located near
Warnambool in regional
Victoria. Tower Hill is one
of 13 Indigenous tourism
businesses selected to
participate in the Indigenous
Tourism Champions Program,
a joint initiative between IBA
and Tourism Australia (see
story on page 8).
Located near Victoria’s Great
Ocean Road, Tower Hill sits
within a vast volcano crater
that is 11km in circumference
and 3.2km wide. The unique
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issue five 2010
614 hectare property
is made up of smaller
volcanic cones rising from
a lake bed inside a large
crater rim, and offers a
natural wildlife haven and
fascinating ecological
showcase for Aboriginal
history. It is regarded as an
international geological site
of significance, and its ash
layers and artefacts confirm
Aboriginal residence in the
area up to 30,000 years ago.
Visitors to the reserve
can experience a range
of activities including
a uniquely Australian
barbeque meal of native
foods and spices, Indigenous
cultural activities (involving
traditional crafts and
games, boomerang and
spear throwing) and visits
to bush food and bush
medicine sites.
John Collyer, Chief Executive
Officer of Worn Gundidj
attributes the appeal of
Tower Hill to the extensive
local knowledge and
enthusiasm of its staff, all
of whom have a personal
interest in and connection to
the area.
Worn Gundidj was recently
awarded the Victorian
Aboriginal Community
Enterprise category of
the 2010 Dardi Victorian
Aboriginal Business
Excellence Awards. The
award acknowledged the
significant training and
employment opportunities
that Worn Gundidj has created
in the region, its promotion
of Aboriginal culture both in
Australia and abroad, and the
success of Tower Hill.
Chief Executive Officer of the Worn Gundidj Aboriginal Cooperative,
John Collyer, at Tower Hill. Image courtesy of Tourism Australia.
For more information about Worn Gundidj: Tower Hill
Wildlife Reserve visit www.worngundidj.org.au
Cultivating success
‘Be careful what you water your dreams with…
Water them with optimism and solutions and you
will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout
for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity
for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to
nurture your dream.’
- Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist philosopher
A
t two o’clock each morning, the mini
metropolis that is the Adelaide Produce Market
experiences its own version of rush hour. As
South Australia’s main fruit and vegetable
distribution centre, around 185,000 tonnes of produce (with
an estimated wholesale value of $600 million) pass through
its system each year, with more than 1500 traders doing
business within the facility each day.
In 2005, Narungga man Ron Newchurch negotiated his
way through the chaos of the market’s boom gates, trucks,
forklifts and stalls, seeking an outlet for the herbs and
vegetables he was growing at his Yorke Peninsula garden.
Carrying a few small boxes of produce, Ron remembers
feeling overwhelmed and out of place but, having driven
through the night to reach the market, was determined to try
and gain a foothold in the local industry. ‘I was embarrassed’,
said Ron, ‘but I had nothing to lose. And it’s just fortunate
that I ran into these two people, Juliet and Nigel, who said
they would have a look at my stuff’.
Adelaide to make deliveries. ‘I wasn’t making any money’,
said Ron, ‘because I would spend it on petrol. But I was trying
to build up my reputation as a grower, and they were testing
my commitment. And after three months the orders and the
business we were doing started getting bigger’.
Today, the Newchurch family and the owners of Rainbow
Fresh Direct have formed a strong friendship and strategic
business relationship that is built on trust and mutual
respect. Central to their relationship is a shared vision to
cultivate opportunities for more Indigenous families and
communities in the South Australian region to achieve
economic independence.
Doing the groundwork
Ron’s own opportunity occurred when his family secured an
extended lease on their Yorke Peninsula property. Despite
warnings from horticultural specialists that nothing would
grow on the arid coastal land, the family established a native
foods market garden, Bookyana Enterprises.
Ron said: ‘We wanted to stay on this land, and so did our son
Kirk. I’ve always been passionate about growing things, but
had never been given those sorts of opportunities. So when
we were given an opportunity to have a go at it, and make a
living out of it, well we took it’.
With the help of extended family, Ron and Liz turned and
nurtured the arid soil, installed irrigation systems, and
‘Juliet and Nigel’ are Juliet Giangregorio and Nigel Tripodi,
constructed wind breaks to protect their crops from the
owners of Rainbow Fresh Direct, a family owned business that coastal elements.
grows and supplies produce for the South Australian market.
The couple agreed to trial Ron’s produce and for three months With a loan provided through IBA’s Business Development
and Assistance Program they purchased a delivery van, and
he made numerous round trips from the Yorke Peninsula to
issue five 2010
11
installed a commercial water tank. However, the fledgling
Australian native foods industry proved a difficult one in which
to gain a foothold, and after two years Bookyana changed its
focus. ‘We needed cash flow’, said Ron, ‘so we switched to
growing commercial herbs and vegetables. Now we are getting
bulk orders; we pick it, wash it, pack it and away it goes –
quick turnover. We know this land, we rotate our growing and
we know what works. And we have become successful at that’.
Taking root
Ron believes that keeping Bookyana at a manageable size has
contributed to its success. He said: ‘We could go two or four
times bigger, but we have kept it this size for now because we
make enough money off what we do. I believe if you work hard
at managing what you have, then success follows you’.
‘It took a while – it was trial and
error, and we threw a lot of stuff
out in the beginning. But we had to
get ourselves right, get our business
right. Because we love where we
live, and what we do here, and
having family around and working
together in the fields. And now
that we have this right, we can take
ourselves out to help others’.
built on trust and honesty. Bookyana have always been open
to taking on our feedback about their produce and they have
a willingness to improve. That can be difficult for growers,
especially those that have been doing it for many years, but
the Newchurch family will listen, observe and try’.
Of the family’s approach to taking on such feedback Ron
said: ‘It took a while – it was trial and error, and we threw a
lot of stuff out in the beginning. But we had to get ourselves
right, get our business right. Because we love where we live,
and what we do here, and having family around and working
together in the fields. And now that we have this right, we
can take ourselves out to help others’.
Transplanting the knowledge
Ron was approached in 2008 by the Department of Education,
Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to provide
training in market gardening to other South Australian
Indigenous families and communities, with a view to creating
a local growers network. ‘There’s plenty of land and plenty
of water down here’, said Ron, ‘but what’s not around is the
training and employment. So I was keen to give it a shot. My
job is to go around communities, both my own and then Mount
Gambier and the west coast. And I work with communities
and design the plots, design the irrigation and teach them all
the skills, like the time to plant, how to package it all and the
process of getting food to market in quality condition’.
From IBA’s network of business consultants, the family
chose David Muller who has extensive experience in working
with local Indigenous communities, and within the South
Australian food and primary production sectors.
David has provided ongoing strategic business support and
mentoring, and attributes Bookyana’s success to a continual
review of goals and resources. He said: ‘We’ve rewritten the
business plan twice, and we have a monthly reporting and
accounting structure in place. I’m also a sounding board for
Ron – we’ve had a lot of coffees here in Adelaide! Ron’s pretty
grounded, but he’s also a visionary. He has some good ideas
that we bounce around. The casual approach to a formal
process seems to work well. I try and put some process
around his ideas as well as helping at the strategic level:
so if you want to achieve ‘this’, what’s the framework to get
you there? Have you got the human capacity, the financial
capacity, and how much of yourself have you got to give to it?’
Juliet Giangregorio believes the Newchurch family’s
persistence, hard work and willingness to learn sets them
apart. She said: ‘The most important thing in any business is
your networks, and developing strong and loyal relationships
12
issue five 2010
(L:R ) Ron, Kirk and Liz Newchurch check the quality of herbs
headed for the Adelaide Produce Market.
Ron Newchurch directing work at the Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation, Mount Gambier. Image courtesy of David Muller.
Through his partnership with Rainbow Fresh Direct, Ron
has been able to provide the Indigenous growers network
with a guaranteed outlet for its produce. And in extending
their supply relationship to the network, Juliet and Nigel
have been able to guarantee their own access to quality
produce, particularly seasonal herbs and vegetables
that thrive in the cooler temperatures of the regional
areas. Juliet says her family’s involvement in the initiative
also provides great personal satisfaction. She said: ‘It
is refreshing to be involved in any venture Ron embarks
on, as he has so much passion and drive. He is genuinely
committed to whatever he is involved in’.
Of Ron’s involvement in building the growers network,
David Muller said: ‘DEEWR would be hard pressed to
find someone else who can go out there and do these
things, because Ron has the standing and credibility.
He’s very strong in his connections to the Indigenous
communities. And it’s not easy for someone to go into new
country. There’s plenty of people around who know how
to establish and grow a market garden, but to be able to
relate to community is different’.
Ron says he finds satisfaction in the gradual and systemic
change he witnesses around him. He said: ‘We’re talking
about people who haven’t had opportunities or choices.
And they’re grabbing onto this and saying we want to be
part of it. I can teach skills that get them working with the
earth, creating strong family ties and communities. And
you see such big changes in people. I see these families
and communities working from six in the morning until
seven at night. And then their faces when that first lot of
produce goes off to market… What makes me feel good
is knowing that, because of my business, ten or more
families and communities across South Australia are
reaping the same benefits I am reaping’.
Plotting a better future
‘I’m always watching and learning’, said Ron. ‘I’m always
thinking what can we do next, how can we do things better?’
Improving the nutrition and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians
in remote communities is Ron’s next focus. Through a new
initiative called Nunga Produce (‘Nunga’ being a term of selfreference for many of the Indigenous peoples of southern
South Australia), Ron has again teamed up with Juliet and
Nigel to supply high quality fruit and vegetables to Indigenous
communities at more affordable prices. Of the new initiative
Ron said: ‘This could create employment for our people in that
market, too. We could bring in Nungas for the packing and
forklift training. It could be Nunga worked and Nunga owned’.
‘What makes me feel good is knowing
that, because of my business, ten
or more families and communities
across South Australia are reaping
the same benefits I am reaping.’
In creating opportunities for his family, his own and local
Indigenous communities, Ron is increasingly required to
travel away from home. Son Kirk has now taken over as farm
manager at Bookyana. Ron says he has found it difficult to step
back from a hands-on role, but said: ‘The kids have their own
ideas now. I might say I want it done my way, but I know I have
to step back. My business and my family will always be my
priority, but I’ve got a lot of other things I want to do as well,
and I know Liz and Kirk can run the place without me’. Striding
across the garden Ron suggests: ‘If I’m lucky maybe they’ll still
let me drive the truck up to the produce market!’
issue five 2010
13
The dream cycle
Since 1975, IBA’s Home Ownership
Program has assisted more than
14,000 Indigenous Australians
in exercising choice over their
social, economic and housing
circumstances. The program offers
concessional home loans and aftercare support to eligible clients.
The program relies heavily on self
financing, with new lending funded
from loan repayments and the early
payout of existing loans. Eligible
applicants are therefore placed on
an Expressions of Interest Register
prior to being invited to apply for a
home loan.
Nat (surname withheld) from
New South Wales, and Paul Kelly
from regional Victoria, while total
strangers and located in different
parts of the country, shared a
dream to achieve home ownership,
build economic independence and
determine their own futures. Here
they share their personal home
ownership journeys.
14
issue five 2010
A
into Department of Housing
accommodation. I saw that
happening, and didn’t want
that for myself so I started
saving early for my own place’.
To keep her dreams intact,
Nat kept a private journal in
which she recorded goals
that included finishing Year
12, securing a fulltime job,
buying a car, and owning her
own home. She said: ‘My own
parents were quite elderly,
and even when they were
pensioners they were still
renting, and still having to
move at a moment’s notice
until they were eventually
priced out of the market and
Paul Kelly’s childhood was
similarly marked by personal
challenges. A Gundtitjamara
man from regional Victoria,
Paul suffered the loss of the
family home to fire, and the
death of both his father and
an older brother before the
age of five. Separated from
his mother and siblings, he
spent the next nine years
living in a series of foster
homes and hostels, moving
from school to school. He
said: ‘I never knew where I
was going to be living one
year to the next. I witnessed a
lot of bad things, had no real
possessions, little education,
and can’t even remember
opening a Christmas or
birthday present until I was in
my teens – and that was from
my wife Nicole’.
s a young
woman
growing up in
the western
suburbs of Sydney, Nat
always had big dreams for
herself. Working against
those dreams, however, was a
lack of positive messaging as
to what she was capable of,
and what she should aspire
to. Nat said: ‘People would
put me down, but there was
just something in me that
dreamed bigger than that’.
Back in Sydney, Nat did finish Year 12, did secure a fulltime
job, did buy a car (an ‘old bomb’ by her own admission)
and in 2002 secured a loan through IBA’s Home Ownership
Program which enabled her to purchase a unit in Sydney.
‘It’s a bit like when I bought my
first car; no-one in my family had
ever owned a car, so I didn’t know
how to put petrol in it and I had
to get a petrol pump attendant to
show me. So to me, IBA are like
that petrol pump attendant; they
walk you through the process and
make you feel supported’.
Paul meanwhile was equally determined to set a new
course for his life, and becoming a father in his mid-teens
only increased his determination to achieve stability and
security for himself and his family. Paul undertook first
work experience, and then training to become a tour guide
at the Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve near Warnambool (see
story on page 10). He said: ‘I wasn’t going to have my
child experience the kind of hardship I did, and both my
wife Nicole and I were adamant that as young as we were,
we would do whatever it took to provide a secure living
environment for our children, and be positive role models’.
The Kelly family’s home under construction in Dennington,
Victoria 2007.
For both Nat and Paul, the Great Australian Dream of home
ownership represented a break from a cycle of disadvantage.
Nat says that, in her own case, being placed on the
program’s Expressions of Interest Register provided a first
glimpse of her home ownership dream, and the 18 months
she spent on the register proved an advantage. She said:
‘Being on the waiting list made it all a bit more real. It was
like, ok, now I need to get my act together, get my finances
sorted, do some research, get ready for buying a home. So I
started having conversations and asking questions. And I got
really good at listening to the stories of other home buyers
and filing away bits of information’.
Paul and his wife (now in their mid-20s, and with three
children aged three to ten years) say the twelve months
they waited for a loan provided an opportunity to make an
informed choice to build rather than buy. He said: ‘We did
the research and decided to design and build a house that
worked just for us. That way we could decide everything
from the type of bricks to the colour of the carpet, and all
the other details that would make it uniquely ours. From our
research we know that we’ve bought in a growth area and its
development will add value to our house, which benefits the
kids in the future’. The family secured their IBA loan in 2007,
purchased land in Dennington (outside Warnambool) and
constructed their own home.
Paul remembers the process of finalising that loan, buying
the land and building the family home as being equal
parts daunting and exciting. He said: ‘We knew that if we
approached a mainstream bank there was no way we’d have
been able to meet the deposit requirements, or afford the
interest rates. So we made the call to IBA and they talked
us through everything we needed to do. The process was
pretty overwhelming, but then we would drive past our new
property every day and watch all the changes taking place,
and it just gave us such hope, and a feeling of pride and
accomplishment’.
Similarly, Nat says that despite dreaming of owning a home
from an early age, she was still daunted by the financial and
legal process of settlement and says the intensive support
of IBA’s home lending team was invaluable. She said: ‘IBA
sit you down and talk through your fears, talk through all
the aspects of home ownership. Many mainstream banks
don’t understand that (as Indigenous Australians) we are
coming from generations who have never owned homes,
and there’s basic information we simply don’t know. It’s a bit
like when I bought my first car; no-one in my family had ever
owned a car, so I didn’t know how to put petrol in it and I had
to get a petrol pump attendant to show me. So to me, IBA
are like that petrol pump attendant; they walk you through
the process and make you feel supported. And part of that
support may be helping you decide that you’re not ready,
that you need a couple more years on the waiting list until
you’ve saved more money, or gained the maturity to take on
home ownership’.
issue five 2010
15
Nat and Paul’s individual stories illustrate why home
ownership is high on the Australian Government’s agenda
for closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage. Nat says
owning her own home has given her a sense of stability,
security and control over her life. And her skills in financial
planning have impacted on other areas of her life. After
five years of aggressively paying off her home loan, and
concerned at having all of her wealth tied up in one asset,
she explored diversifying her investments. Once again she
sought the advice of friends and financial planners, and
undertook her own research. Nat said: ‘Talking to other
people, I came to understand that my home could be a
source of equity, that it could create future wealth and
options. That’s when I left IBA, refinanced my home loan
and used the equity to buy some blue-chip shares’.
Like many IBA home owners, Paul and his wife have stayed
ahead of their required loan repayments in order to pay
off their loan faster, and give themselves a financial buffer.
However, Paul also acknowledged: ‘We know that the
money we pay off our loan goes back to IBA which means
they can then offer a loan to someone else. And we want as
many people as possible to share this opportunity to own
their own home’. Paul sees their home as a platform from
which to build further wealth, and is already planning to
build a new home in Dennington within the next five years.
‘We’re in such a great financial position now’, he said ‘and
we’ve got the confidence to chase our other dreams in life’.
Paul still can’t quite believe he has achieved his dream
of a secure and stable home environment. He said: ‘I’m
somewhat like that man on the television advertisement
who stands in front of his home admiring his roof. Every
day when I arrive home from work, I still take a few
seconds to look at our house and feel so extremely happy
and proud of what we’ve achieved. It’s important that
others look at young people like my wife and I and know
they can achieve their dreams through hard work, sacrifice
and determination’.
‘And what I didn’t realise is that it’s
not just about owning a home, it’s
actually about making an investment
in bigger things – in a future.’
Of having achieved the goals she penned in her journal
so long ago, Nat said: ‘Owning a home was the last of
those goals, and about five years into paying off my home
I realised I had an opportunity to reassess and push my
dreams even further. So it has really started a whole
new life cycle for me, which has included my first ever
experience of overseas travel. And what I didn’t realise is
that it’s not just about owning a home, it’s actually about
making an investment in bigger things – in a future’.
The Kelly children enjoyed exploring their new house as it took shape.
16
issue five 2010
The best of both worlds
I
ndigenous communities around Australia are
increasingly embracing contemporary corporate
governance structures for their representative
organisations. With strong financial and
administrative frameworks in place, these representative
organisations are better placed to leverage business
and investment alliances with government and industry
to generate ongoing revenue, training and employment
opportunities for their communities.
Balancing the expectations and interests of their
community – which includes acknowledging traditional
cultural and social governing structures – with mainstream
corporate governance systems and state legislation
requirements can pose big challenges for Indigenous
communities. In South Australia, however, the Ngarrindjeri
nation - which is comprised of 18 clans and some 4000
members - have implemented a corporate governance
model for both their peak body and subsidiary investment
company that is so far striking the right chord with all
stakeholders.
‘Once Indigenous people have
developed representative structures
and governance processes that make
cultural sense to them, governments
and other stakeholders can make a
major contribution to their sustained
legitimacy and effectiveness….’1
The Ngarrindjeri are the traditional owners of the lower
Murray River and Coorong areas of South Australia. In
2008 they entered into an innovative and strategic regional
partnership agreement with state and federal government
agencies, including IBA. A key aim of that agreement was
to identify and develop sustainable income, training and
employment opportunities for Ngarrindjeri people, with an
early activity being the establishment of the Ngarrindjeri
Regional Authority (NRA) to represent the interests and
concerns of the clans.
The governing board of the NRA has been appointed using
representatives from existing Ngarrindjeri community
organisations, each of which manages and promotes a
particular cultural or social issue. This structure allows
clans to express their views and concerns, and address
broader community issues of native title, land management
and cultural heritage.
Peter Marin, a senior consultant with MLCS Corporate
Pty Ltd (MLCS) in Adelaide has worked closely with the
Ngarrindjeri throughout the agreement process and said:
‘The Ngarrindjeri are a very proactive community, and they
have been preparing themselves for this sort of structure for
around ten years. They have their own very strong cultural
governance system called the Tendi (or Parliament) where
representatives are nominated to act on behalf of the clans.
This assisted in the formation of the NRA’.
Reporting to the NRA, a separate subsidiary company
Ngarrindjeri Enterprises Pty Ltd (NEPL) has now been
established to focus on identifying and pursuing business
opportunities and developing regional tourism.
The board of this subsidiary company was intended to be small
(6-8 members) and strategic, include youth representation to
allow for succession planning, with board appointments based
on business acumen, skills and experience.
Peter Marin said: ‘That kind of structure was a challenge for
a community that usually appoints such positions on family
lines, age or standing in the community, but because they were
willing to embrace something new, they now have a really
good mix of young people and more experienced, older people.
That is going to be a key strength for them going forward’.
NEPL Business Manager Lynton Keen agrees: ‘The
Ngarrindjeri have the right perspective on things. They are
not doing this for themselves, but for their kids, grandkids
and great-grandkids. It’s really exciting to be a part of
because the Ngarrindjeri are so forward thinking. They are
well respected and have a voice, but can now show that they
have a strong structure underneath as well’.
Over its first few months of operations, NEPL board members
received mentoring and training from MLCS. Peter Marin
said: ‘Good corporate governance involves directors knowing
their rights and responsibilities. It means communicating
back to the community, operating with transparency and
openness, and maintaining clear policies and procedures.
And IBA are very supportive of that level of mentoring and
business planning’.
With their governance structure bedded down, the NEPL
board are now looking towards business and investment
opportunities that will generate long term, sustainable income
to allow their community organisations to become more selfreliant in terms of funding and expenditure. The company has
already entered into an exciting new strategic partnership
with the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia to acquire
the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Adelaide Hills (see
story page 18).
1
Indigenous Community Governance Project: Summary of Year
Two Research Findings, p.10, 2007, Reconciliation Australia.
issue five 2010
17
A natural choice
N
garrindjeri
Enterprises
Pty Ltd
(NEPL) is
the investment arm of
the Ngarrindjeri Regional
Authority (NRA), which
is committed to creating
sustainable income,
training and employment
opportunities for the
Ngarrindjeri nation. The
18 clans that make up
the Ngarrindjeri are the
traditional owners of
the lower Murray River
and Coorong areas of
South Australia.
In an exciting and strategic
partnership with the Royal
Zoological Society of South
Australia (Zoos SA), the
Ngarrindjeri have acquired
the Warrawong Wildlife
Sanctuary, located at Mylor
in the Adelaide Hills.
With loan assistance
through IBA’s Business
Development and
Assistance Program,
the Ngarrindjeri have
purchased the land and
existing buildings at
Warrawong, while Zoos SA
have purchased – and will
continue to operate – the
sanctuary business.
The sanctuary was
established in 1969 on
35 hectares of bushland
habitat and is home to
more than 100 species of
birds and native mammals,
many of which are Ngartji
(special friends) to the
Ngarrindjeri people.
18
issue five 2010
At Warrawong visitors
can get up close to some
of Australia’s unique
marsupials, birds, snakes,
lizards and insects, and
observe the platypus in
its natural habitat. Aside
from self-guided walks,
the sanctuary offers school
tours and overnight stays,
nocturnal guided tours,
dawn walks and daily
animal shows. A conference
and education centre,
restaurant, retail outlet, and
accommodation in 14 airconditioned eco huts offer
visitors a diverse range of
experiences.
With advice and mentoring
from MLCS Corporate
Pty Ltd in Adelaide
(one of IBA’s network of
business consultants),
the Ngarrindjeri have
developed a five year
strategic business plan,
and cemented the terms of
the partnership agreement.
Under that agreement the
Ngarrindjeri will lease
the Warrawong land and
buildings to Zoos SA for a
period of up to 45 years,
generating an annual
income.
Of equal significance,
however, are the
opportunities for
employment and training
and the scope for adding
value to the existing tourism
and cultural operations of
the Ngarrindjeri nation.
Zoos SA currently operate
the Adelaide Zoo and
Monarto Zoo in South
Australia. Through its
employment and delivery
arm, Ngarrindjeri Ruwe
Contracting, the Ngarrindjeri
will supply Warrawong and
other Zoos SA properties
with staff trained in land
revegetation, rehabilitation,
and seed propagation.
And leveraging Zoo SA’s
strong marketing experience
and resources, including a
28,000-strong membership
database, the sanctuary will
benefit from ongoing Zoos
SA promotional activities.
The Ngarrindjeri currently
operate five tourism sites
across the Murraylands
(including the Coorong
Wilderness Lodge). Through
such strategic partnerships,
the Ngarrindjeri hope
to establish a cultural
tourism trail that provides
visitors to the region with a
comprehensive experience of
their culture and history.
Ngarrindjeri Business
Manager Lynton Keen said:
‘It would be ideal for visitors
to South Australia to have
a Zoos SA experience, and
a Ngarrindjeri experience
as part of their stay. So it’s
about how we can assist
each other, and what we can
learn from each other. We
have formed a joint steering
committee that is getting
into the nitty-gritty of how
we can work together on
employment and tourism
opportunities to ensure
we maximise the multiple
benefits to both parties’.
Read more about the
Ngarrindjeri Regional
Authority (page 17).
The sanctuary offers overnight accommodation in 14 eco-huts
within a bush setting.
Freedom of expression
D
avid, Luke and Sarah Booth have a tendency to
finish off each other’s sentences. That’s hardly
surprising, given that they have lived, worked,
travelled and performed together all their lives.
Originally from the Wambaya people of North East Tennant
Creek, the siblings spent the formative years of their
youth touring Australia with their parents’ educational and
performing arts group Waltjapiti.
With years of cultural education, training in traditional and
contemporary dance, music tuition and storytelling already
behind them, it was a logical choice for the younger Booths
to establish their own performance company. David, Luke and
Sarah formed Imbala Jarjum (Imbala), with permission
to represent the culture and history of the Peramangk
people of the Adelaide Hills. Since 2004, they have been
presenting cultural and educational performances and
workshops to schools, tourists and corporate audiences
across South Australia.
In 2009, the Booths sought to add a new arm to their
operations by purchasing the Ancient Earth Indigenous Art
Gallery in the South Australian tourist town of Hahndorf.
However their initial loan application through IBA’s Business
Development and Assistance Program was assessed as
too high based on IBA’s own valuation of the business.
But in working with IBA staff and Andrew West - a local
businessman and one of IBA’s network of business
consultants - the family were able to negotiate a revised
valuation and secure a business loan. Of that process
Andrew West said: ‘The guys were really disappointed when
they got knocked back, but they were determined not to
give up. IBA acknowledged that, and together we found a
workable solution that everyone felt comfortable with’.
‘The guys were really disappointed
when they got knocked back, but
they were determined not to give up.
IBA acknowledged that, and together
we found a workable solution that
everyone felt comfortable with.’
By converting the backyard of the gallery into a performance
space that replicates the Australian outback the Booths
have created a cultural hub that celebrates and promotes
Indigenous art, performance and education, much as their
parents did before them.
‘The majority of people I see going into business want
independence’, said Andrew. ‘It’s not just about money – it’s
about a way of life. But what they need to come to terms
with is that the independence of being in business is not
issue
five 2010
issue four
: April
2010
19
19
the same as ‘freedom’, because being in business involves
enormous responsibilities and hard work’.
David, Luke and Sarah agree that respecting each other’s
individual strengths and talents has helped in structuring the
new business. Luke said: ‘In the same way we complement
each other when putting together choreography or composing
music, it’s about bringing out the best in each other. So David is
good with marketing, Sarah is strong on administration and I’m
good with management. And we have gradually been working
out techniques for managing both arms of the business while
making sure we don’t burn out from the workload’.
All three agree that the physical and mental strength they
draw from performing has enabled them to cope with that
workload. However they credit the passion for learning
instilled by their parents as being crucial to their ongoing
success in business. As a member of the Stolen Generation,
and denied an education when she was young, their mother
Jeanette was adamant her children maintain their studies
during their early years of touring. Luke said: ‘Mum saw
education as a way for us to achieve independence, strength
and pride. So aside from our mainstream education, she
and our father helped us fall in love with our culture through
stories, art and dance. Once we got a taste of that, our
identity, it made us want to learn more. And even today all of
us are involved in furthering that education through study or
our own creative projects’.
Working so closely together can create tension, but David
said: ‘It’s about getting problems out into the open, good
communication and keeping a sense of humour. We’re so busy
we even schedule our arguments, which we can joke about. It’s
like, don’t talk to me, we’re not arguing until two o’clock!’
Andrew says he has already seen major changes in David,
Luke and Sarah as business people. ‘My role has been to
support and mentor them through these early ups and
downs of being in business’, he said. ‘But you have to learn
quickly in order to survive, and they have done that. They
have been prepared to listen, to act and put structures in
David, Sarah and Luke Booth with their mother Jeanette
(second from right). Image courtesy of Andrew West.
20
20
issue four
five 2010
issue
: April 2010
place. One of the big issues for any new business is cash
flow – just getting your head around the idea – because
being in business requires a fundamentally different way
of managing your income and expenses. Right at the start
these guys worked out, that at the moment, the business
will only support two wages and they have three directors.
So Sarah is working at the local school and earning her
main income there for the time being’.
Building and managing strong relationships is key to long
term business success, and those skills were tested recently
when the tourist town of Hahndorf experienced a downturn in
visitor numbers. Andrew said: ‘Every business goes through
a difficult patch, and these guys hit that a few months back
when the effects of the global financial crisis finally filtered
through, and the number of international visitors fell. But
Luke was quick to get on the phone, talking to creditors,
keeping those relationships strong. And they’re now building
up relationships with other operators in the town, looking at
how they can join forces during those difficult times’.
‘We draw our strength from our
culture, our identity and our family.
And this is how all Aboriginal
families were hundreds of years ago
– all living and working together.’
Of dealing with those ‘difficult patches’ Sarah said: ‘I knew
when we signed up for this that whatever happened, we
would get through it together. Each morning when the boys
come past my house, we know it’s a new day and we just
give it all we’ve got. So if it’s slow in the shop, David will
go out and play the didj (didgeridoo) on the street to make
us stand out, or Luke will get on the phone to organise a
performance, or we’ll get out the back and rehearse or
choreograph a new piece’.
David, Luke and Sarah all agree that integrity and respect are
fundamental to their approach to business, performance and
family. David said: ‘We draw our strength from our culture,
our identity and our family. And this is how all Aboriginal
families were hundreds of years ago – all living and working
together. But there does need to be a lot of trust, that’s really
important. Thankfully we all have the same beliefs, values
and intentions for where we want to head’.
As young parents themselves, all three are determined to
build a financially secure business that will benefit their
children and future generations. Luke said: ‘But we want a
culturally strong business, too, not just for our kids, but for
other young people who might want to become leaders in
the community and promote their culture. And through our
business we want to show our kids and other Indigenous
people that when you’re chasing a dream, you don’t let
anything stand in your way’.
David and Luke Booth (back row) with the next
generation of Booths. Image courtesy of Andrew West.
issue five 2010
21
Celebrating Indigenous achievement
N
AIDOC Week
celebrations
are held
across
Australia each July to
acknowledge the history,
culture and achievements of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples.
The 2010 National NAIDOC
theme was ‘Unsung Heroes
- Closing the Gap by Leading
Their Way’, acknowledging
the many quiet achievers
within the Australian
Indigenous community.
Whether proudly sharing
and promoting their identity
22
issue five 2010
and heritage, or achieving
economic and social
independence for themselves,
these Indigenous Australians
inspire their family, friends
and often whole communities
or networks to do the same.
commitment is the hosting of
an annual business-focused
event. The 2010 IBA NAIDOC
Week Breakfast was held
on 9 July at the Melbourne
Convention and Exhibition
Centre. Guest speakers
included the Minister
for Families, Housing,
IBA is committed to
Community Services
developing and promoting
and Indigenous Affairs
Indigenous events and
(FaHCSIA), the Hon. Jenny
achievements, and its own
Macklin, as well as IBA
extensive participation in
Chair, Dr Dawn Casey and
NAIDOC Week is one of the
ways in which it demonstrates Alison Page, a designer and
artist who is at the forefront
this commitment.
of contemporary Aboriginal
design in Australia. Other
Reconciliation is at the heart
guests included senior
of IBA’s programs, services
executives from prominent
and activities, and a core
Indigenous organisations
including FaHCSIA, the
National Congress of
Australia’s First Peoples,
Reconciliation Australia, the
Indigenous Land Council,
World Vision Australia, the
Indigenous Leadership
Network, the Victorian
Aboriginal Community
Services Limited and IBA
staff from around Australia.
Elsewhere around
the country IBA staff
demonstrated their support
of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander communities
by attending local NAIDOC
events (see photos overleaf).
issue five 2010
23
Helpful and friendly IBA staff are located Australia-wide. Find your local office below, use our online
locator tool at www.iba.gov.au/contact-us/locator, or FreecallTM 1800 107 107.**
Australian
Capital Territory
New South
Wales
Queensland
Tasmania
Brisbane
Hobart
National Office
Sydney
Street: Ground Floor Bonner
House East, 5 Neptune Street,
Woden Canberra ACT 2606
Street: Level 9/300 Elizabeth
Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Street: Level 13/144 Edward
Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
Street: Hobart Corporate
Centre, Level 3/85 Macquarie
Street, Hobart TAS 7004
Postal: PO Box 38, Woden
ACT 2606
Phone: 02 6121 2700
Fax: 02 6121 2730
Phone: 07 3008 8300
Postal: GPO Box 1236, Hobart
TAS 7001
Phone: 02 9207 6350
Fax: 07 3211 0399
Phone: 03 6270 2252
Fax: 02 9212 4398
Cairns
Coffs Harbour*
Street: 59 McLeod Street,
Cairns QLD 4870
Postal: PO Box K363,
Haymarket NSW 1240
Northern
Territory
Street: 17 Duke Street,
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Darwin
Postal: PO Box 1335,
Coffs Harbour NSW 2450
Street: Suite E/Level 1,
49 Woods Street, Darwin
NT 0801
Postal: GPO Box 394,
Darwin NT 0801
Phone: 08 8936 1080
Fax: 08 8941 2085
Alice Springs
Street: Level 2 Jock Nelson
Building, 16 Hartley Street,
Alice Springs NT 0871
Postal: PO Box 111,
Alice Springs NT 0871
Phone: 08 8959 4283
Fax: 08 6246 6313
South Australia
Postal: PO Box 10906, Adelaide
Street, Brisbane QLD 4000
Postal: PO Box 2499, Cairns
QLD 4870
Phone: 07 4048 8480
Fax: 03 6270 2223
Victoria
Melbourne*
Street: Level 3 Casselden
Place, 2 Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 02 6648 5800
Fax: 07 4031 0766
Fax: 02 6648 5888
Mt Isa*
Grafton
Street: 42–44 Simpson Street,
Mt Isa QLD 4825
Phone: 03 8620 3275
Postal: PO Box 2416, Mt Isa
QLD 4825
Western
Australia
Street: Shop 9, King Arcade,
22-26 King Street, Grafton
NSW 2460
Postal: PO Box 266, Grafton
NSW 2460
Phone: 02 6643 5944
Fax: 02 6643 5077
Tamworth*
Street: Unit 2/180 Peel Street,
North Tamworth NSW 2340
Postal: PO Box 684, Tamworth
NSW 2340
Phone: 07 4747 3055
Postal: GPO Box 9820,
Melbourne VIC 3001
Fax: 03 8620 3274
Fax: 07 4747 3077
Perth
Rockhampton*
Street: Level 7/140 St George
Terrace, Perth WA 6000
Street: Level 1/CQU Building,
Corner Fitzroy and East Street,
Rockhampton QLD 4700
Postal: PO Box Z5271,
St George Terrace, Perth
WA 6831
Postal: PO Box 550,
Rockhampton QLD 4700
Phone: 08 9229 1400
Phone: 07 4724 0024
Fax: 08 9481 3815
Phone: 02 6701 9000
Fax: 07 4921 3659
Broome*
Adelaide*
Fax: 02 6701 9014
Street: Level 18, ANZ Building,
11 Waymouth Street, Adelaide
SA 5000
Townsville*
Street: 1 Short Street, Broome
WA 6725
Wagga Wagga
Street: Level 4/235 Stanley
Street, Townsville QLD 4810
Postal: PO Box 613, Broome
WA 6725
Postal: PO Box 2018,
Townsville QLD 4810
Phone: 08 9192 7855
Postal: GPO Box 9820, Adelaide
SA 5001
Street: 70 Baylis Street,
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Phone: 08 8400 2000
Postal: PO Box 786,
Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Fax: 08 8400 2010
Phone: 02 6932 3330
Fax: 02 6932 3339
Phone: 07 4760 1060
Fax: 07 4724 1394
Fax: 08 9193 5958
Kununurra*
Street: Lot 2250 Coolibah
Drive, Kununurra WA 6743
Postal: PO Box 260, Kununurra
WA 6743
* Denotes offices co-located with an Indigenous Coordination Centre.
** Calls to 1800 numbers from your home phone are free. Calls from
public and mobile phones may be timed and charged at a higher rate.
Phone: 08 9168 2817
Fax: 08 9168 3317