Aunty Joanne Selfe
Aunty Joanne Selfe a Gadigal woman born in Sydney. A founding member of Warringa Baiya (the NSW Aboriginal Women’s Legal Service) she sat on the Youth Koori Court as an Elder for a number of years.
The implementation of the recommendations of The Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (and The National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families) formed the direction for her work.
Aunty Joanne was Deputy Chair of the NSW State Reconciliation Committee (1995-2000) and Chair of the Reconciliation Events Committee (1999-2000) Corroboree in 2000, roles that culminated in The Bridge Walk for Reconciliation, where more than a quarter of a million people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 28 May 2000 to show their support for meaningful reconciliation between Australia’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
With extensive experience working across the public sector, private enterprise, community-based organisations and higher education working in areas as diverse as health, women, information technology, sport, economic development, criminal, social and economic justice. She was the first Aboriginal Director of the Indigenous Services Unit in Corrective Services (NSW), in the mid 1990’s.
Today, Aunty Joanne works on the NSW Judicial Commission’s Ngara Yura program. The Ngara Yura program was developed in 1990’s as a response to the final recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody that judicial officers should receive instruction and education on matters relating to Aboriginal customs, culture, traditions and society. A unique role and one that continues to direct her to the intersection of Aboriginal people and the justice system.
She works with Gunawirra as the Women’s Cultural Advisor and in her spare time continues to work with young people in her community sharing the very knowledge systems and skills, she learnt from her mother, Elders and community knowledge holders, she is also a master grass weaver.
Uncle Graham Toomey
Graham Toomey is an Aboriginal Artist and Designer from the Wurrumunga Clan of the Wiradjuri and Wongaibon Aboriginal Nations of Western NSW. Graham’s artworks capture the very constitution of his Ancient Culture and his Dreaming. He says “My Dreaming is my Identity as an Aboriginal man and my connection to my creators, ancestors, history, homelands, traditions, practices, beliefs, values, lore and memories. My Dreaming also is my strong connection to the earth, it’s water and to all living things.”
Graham is the CEO and Artist for Gunawirra in Sydney, which as an organisation that aims to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities to break the cycle of hardship.
Graham also runs a Culture and Art Gathering at Redfern Community Centre, which covers Traditional and Contemporary Aboriginal Art along with covering many aspects about his culture. As an artist Graham’s credits include co – creating, designing and presenting ‘Aboriginal Message Stick’ to Prince Harry for Queen Elizabeth, Creating and designing 30 Boomerangs for “playingforchange’ global organisation, Being a finalist in 2013 and 2014 NSW Aboriginal Parliament Art Award and the Fishers Ghost Award and having a variety of commissions from Sydney ACCOR motels, Darling Harbour and The Rocks, CBD.
