A Call to Action

Nathan has been living in the indigenous world for most of his life.

His parents advised him early on that if he wanted to live in another’s world, he needed to assimilate.

This is the ethos he has lived by - it permeates throughout his personal and business life.

Nathan was born in Victoria, spent his early childhood in Papua New Guinea, then his family moved back to Australia. He lived and worked in the Northern Territory for more than 30 years, and then relocated to Western Australia in 2019 to work with Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation (DAC).

His work life started as a 13 year old on Goulburn Island in the Northern Territory, doing monthly stocktakes for his father who was the manager of the shop there for Arnhem Land Progress Association. In 1999 he began a new career with the Northern Territory Department of Justice - but after 11 years he resigned from that position, frustrated by the lack of progress in tackling the real problems and challenges due to indigenous disadvantage. He moved to Local Government as a Coordinator for the Night Patrol program in the West Arnhem region, and he worked in that space for the next 10 years with several Regional Councils in the Northern Territory which included Council Service Managers and Area manager roles.

Nathan is now proud to be the CEO for DAC and strongly believes in the direction that this organisation wants to go. DAC is leading the way as a voice for Indigenous Australians in the areas of self-determination and self-empowerment. Nathan regards it as an honour to be serving this organisation and being part of its present and future.

Djarindjin means “people living on the hill” in the Bardi language. Nathan lives and breathes the organisation. He is in the Community 24/7. He was profoundly disappointed by the failure of the recent Voice to Parliament referendum - he saw the failure of the referendum as a double whammy for the Djarindjin Community.

DAC started in 1984/85 as a breakaway from the Lombadina  Catholic Mission. In 1892, Bishop Gibney and the Pallottine Priests purchased a 100,000 acre pastoral property. Djarindjin Community people were once part of the Lombadina Catholic mission - during the 1980s the Federal Government instigated the homeland movement, and the old people that were living on the sand dunes and around the mission decided they wanted to have their own community.

Djarindjin Community is on the Northern tip of the Dampier Peninsula in the West Kimberley’s of Western Australia - about 200 kms from Broome.

Self-determination, self-empowerment and financial independence are not just words or concepts; they are values and principles that have guided their lives through the decisions they have made for the future of their community. These three core elements are interrelated and mutually reinforce each other. They can help them overcome the many challenges they face as a community, such as land tenure issues, competing government priorities, cultural preservation (especially in this ever-changing technological world), environmental protection, health and education gaps, unemployment, and abject poverty. These core elements can help them realise their potential as a community, such as their rich culture and history, their strong connection to country, their diverse talents and skills, and their entrepreneurial spirit and RESILIENCE.

‘Resilience is something we are good at, the more we get kicked down the stronger we are when we get back up. We don’t subscribe to the notion that we should be seen and not heard. We believe that the world is gonna hear us coming before they even see us. And we have always worked that way. We are not risk adverse, we are always willing to look at the hard decisions and make our move based on all the information available to us. The decisions we have made over the last 10 years demonstrate our resolve to continue to move forward and upwards…We hope that …we can inspire you to join us in this journey and maybe help facilitate your own community’s strength, happiness and prosperity.’

The Community’s VISION is to be financially sustainable, have a clear plan for the future that will enable their next generations to be empowered with self-determination. Their MISSION is to create a sustainable future for their community, one that allows them all to take care of their country and to thrive as a Community. Their OBJECTIVES are to provide good governance, improve their quality of life, protect and care for culture and country, and build capacity and employment.

‘We often have to comply with government policies and programs that do not align with our own goals and aspirations as a community. So we challenge the status quo and we say ”just because it is does not mean it has to be”. We have turned down government funding due to them wanting us to provide programs that they themselves had created, to which in their wisdom they believed would be beneficial to our community. Numerous times the government has tried to ply us with funds and suggest that we should do this or we should do that. Djarindjin does not flow with the fish as the shark chases, Djarindjin swims against the flow and refuses to be corralled into a net.’

‘Self-empowerment is essential for the Djarindjin Community because it enables us to take charge of our own lives and futures. It allows us to pursue our dreams and aspirations, whether they are personal or collective. It also allows to cope with the difficulties and uncertainties that we may encounter along the way.’

DAC has shown its self-empowerment in many ways and has managed the business interests of the Bardi and Jawi people for over 30 years in the Djarindjin Community. For example, DAC provides the following for the Community of Djarindjin and the Dampier Peninsula:

A Community Store; Djarindjin Roadhouse and CAMPGROUND (Camping with Custodians Campground opened in May 2022), Roadhouse Accommodation units are also available; Dampier Peninsula Refuge and Safehouse; Community Resource Centre, Print Shop and Café; Youth services; Training Centre; Community Health and Support Program (Aged Care); Early Childhood Parenting program; Mens Shed; 50% Shareholder in Kooljaman Wilderness resort; AND THE DJARINDJIN AIRPORT.

Djarindjin Airport Pty Ltd (DAPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary company of DAC. The airport operates a hot refuelling service, the only civil operation of its kind in the southern hemisphere, all operated with local indigenous people, servicing the heavy helicopters that transport passengers, goods and medical evacuations to and from the oil and gas platforms in the Browse Basin for customers such as Shell and Inpex. The helicopters that are being refuelled are known as Sikorsky (S92) heavy helicopters. They are the largest civilian helicopters on the market and are capable of carrying up to 19 oil and gas workers. These are large aircraft, pumping as much as 1800 litres of JETA1 fuel. The airport business is a $12 to 15 million operation, revenue income from access fees at the airport and from Jet A1 fuel sales. All profits after paying salaries and operating expenses and putting away some profit for capital and operational expenses, flow back to DAC to be used for the benefit of the community. The airport refuelling operation is recognised throughout the oil and gas industry as a significant accomplishment by the Djarindjin community. DAC and DAPL have forged strong cross co-operations with the LNG and helicopter companies, something that previously did not exist. ‘We are proud of how far we have come and for the privilege to be part of a global enterprise.’

Nathan summarises as follows: ‘But dreams and visions alone are not enough. Empowerment has become the cornerstone of the DAC and DAPL’S success. We sought to empower our members through education, skills development, and embracing cultural heritage. By harnessing our individual strengths and talents, we have fostered an environment of self-reliance, where each member contributes to the collective growth of our community. This empowerment is not limited to economic independence alone, but also encompasses social and cultural empowerment, ensuring the preservation and celebration of our unique identity.

Today, we are witness to the fruits of our labour - we believe we are an example of what can be achieved against all odds. We have emerged from the confines of limited resources and constant handouts to develop sustainable enterprises that support our community’s needs and no longer requires the hand of poverty to rise. Our success is a testament to our hard work, our unwavering determination, and our refusal to be defined by our circumstances.

But our story of Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation, Djarindjin Airport and Djarindjin Community is not just a tale of collective triumph. It is a call to action. It serves as a reminder that no matter how small or unknown a community you may be, with vision, empowerment, and the will to work together, any barrier can be overcome.’

Some challenges faced by Nathan and the Community have already been mentioned. The main challenge is summarised by Nathan (with perhaps some tongue in cheek or a wry smile) as ‘working within the bureaucratic processes, navigating through the never simple systems and sharing with the community, explaining to the community why white men run things the way they do which sometimes appear counter intuitive and perhaps contrary to common sense’.

Learnings that Nathan has gleaned along the way revolve around being open, not taking in one’s own pre-conceived ideas; listening to, hearing not just words but actions too. Nathan admits that he has learnt a lot about himself through the roles he has undertaken.

Nathan joined The CEO Institute about 12 months ago, and attends meetings via Zoom. He says that he has gained a huge amount of benefits and tips along the way from speaking to other like-minded members, and being able to use other members as sounding boards - he finds his fellow members very supportive which he has greatly appreciated.

When he is not working in the Community, Nathan enjoys riding his Indian Chief motorcycle and driving around in his 200 Series Landcruiser; he exercises (though perhaps not as much as he should have lately); he enjoys reading; and in an earlier life was a professional musician, playing guitar and singing in a band.

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