Maribyrnong Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee (MRAPAC)

Sharyn is an Aboriginal woman who was put into care as a baby and separated from her family and culture. She has lived in the inner west for 35 years and has been an active member of the Maribyrnong Reconciliation Group since it started in 2011. Sharyn attends the Melbourne Indigenous Church and participates in NAIDOC week flag raising celebrations, and Indigenous and reconciliation initiatives at the Braybrook Community Hub. Sharyn has lived experience of being an Aboriginal person living in the City of Maribyrnong, and has had to stand up for herself and her family on countless occasions when injustice was occurring.

Karen is a non-Indigenous local resident who is actively involved in the Local Aboriginal Network and a range of initiatives supporting reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Karen works locally in health promotion and community development, and has been proactive in developing and implementing Reconciliation Action Plans across multiple organisations. She is the project lead for the Wellness Dreaming Project which trains aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers invested in the holistic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, focussing on what is strong, not what is wrong, with community

 Daniel, whose background is Papua New Guinean is a local resident who works a social worker and case manager within a clinical mental health service. His particular interest is improving cultural sensitivity and competencies across services, and working from a strength based perspective. As part of his current work, Daniel has the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander portfolio and is currently completing a train-the-trainer Aboriginal Mental First Aid course. 

Tanya is a proud Wiradjuri woman (western NSW) who has lived and worked in the municipality for many years. Tanya has worked as speech pathologist for 30 years, and is currently employed at Program Manager of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team at cohealth. With strong professional and personal commitment to local Indigenous issues, she holds strong values of respect, courage, social equity and innovation. Tanya is committed to improving opportunities for the Indigenous community to engage in cultural activities in culturally safe and welcoming spaces, and providing a strong advocacy voice for Indigenous people to strengthen connections to culture and community

Ngardarb is an Indigenous artist and respected local Aboriginal Elder. She was born and raised on the West Kimberley Coast in WA and her people are the Arriyol clan of the Bardi/Djawi tribe. Since arriving in Maribyrnong she has been an active participant in the Reconciliation Group for many years and was Maribyrnong Citizen of the Year in 2014. Ngardarb runs an Aboriginal arts group called Scattered Tribes Art which focusses on reconnecting with country, story and each other as the heart of the healing process. Ngardarb brings a wealth of cultural knowledge and experience to the Committee. 

Sherry grew up in Maribyrnong and is a Western Kuku Yalanji / Jabaguy / Okloa woman from Far North Queensland. She has a Diploma in Social Science specialising in Aboriginal Welfare, and currently works as the Coordinator of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry. Sherry’s community involvement includes being an Independent Visitor for Aboriginal youth in jail, membership of the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll selection panel, councillor on the Catholic Aboriginal National body and Board Member on Yingadi Aboriginal Corporation. 

Helen is a proud Wotjabaluk-Gunditjamara Indigenous woman living in Braybrook. She is from the Harradine - Clarke family who have been long known for speaking up regarding issues for the Indigenous community and is proud to continue this tradition for her people. Helen has a Certificate 4 and Diploma in Indigenous Welfare and was the first Indigenous cadet employed at Centrelink. She has worked as a Koori family support worker, Aboriginal community engagement officer, and in State and Federal Closing the Gap programs.

Roy is a Yorta Yorta Elder who was Maribyrnong Citizen of the Year in 2015. As a member of the Stolen Generations, he experienced extreme hardship during his upbringing which resulted in a number of major challenges in his adult life. Roy has a deep sense of humanity, and devotes his life to volunteering work to support Indigenous people. He has volunteered for many years with the cohealth Indigenous Food-share Program and the cohealth Kangaroos, as well Indigenous programs supporting young people in prison and people experiencing domestic violence. Uncle Roy is an active member of the Melbourne Indigenous Church and the “Scattered Tribes” Possum Skin Cloak Project.

Cassandra is an Associate Lecturer in Law at Deakin University and is honoured to sit on the Maribyrnong Council’s Reconciliation Action Plan Advisory Committee as a community member. Her experience in Aboriginal Affairs - which spans across the public and not-for-profit sectors- includes working as a legal researcher with the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Team at Amnesty International Australia and as a Policy Officer in Aboriginal Affairs Policy (Social Policy and Self-Determination), with the Department of Premier and Cabinet (Vic). Cassandra is committed to assisting in the development of a strong, respectful and empowering relationship with the Aboriginal community.