Our Leaders
First Nations Advisory Group
Orygen’s First Nations of Australia Advisory Group provides strategic advice to Orygen, based on the collective experience and knowledge of current and emerging realities and needs in First Nations communities. The group aims to promote First Nations collaboration in the development and implementation of any initiatives, policies or actions that may affect the lives of First Nations young people.
The group’s contribution ensures Orygen is culturally appropriate, effective and meets the needs of First Nations peoples.
Shawana Andrews is a Palawa Trawlwoolway woman and has recently been appointed Associate Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne. Shawana is a social worker and a public health researcher and has 20 years’ experience working in Aboriginal health across the health and higher education sectors in both clinical and academic roles. Shawana worked at the intersection of community and health/welfare systems during her clinical career which involved identifying health care gaps and developing culturally safe and community-driven solutions such as the Western region Aboriginal child mental health program and the Royal Children’s Hospital Aboriginal child case management model. Her current research interests include Indigenous health and mental health, Aboriginal women’s experiences of family violence and cultural revitalisation. She is currently a chief investigator for the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, a five-year program funded by the NHMRC to lead research into family violence and an associate investigator for the Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future Study, funded by the Lowitja Institute and NHMRC, which is co-designing perinatal strategies for Aboriginal parents experiencing complex trauma.
Josh Cubillo is a descendent of the Larrakia and Wadjigan peoples of the Northern Territory. Josh is passionate about Indigenous education and has been involved in the education sector for the past decade teaching History and developing Indigenous curriculum. With a keen interest in ‘Learning on Country’ pedagogy, Josh is seeking to understand how this concept can be applied to the urban secondary settings through his doctoral studies.
Josh currently works in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences in Indigenous development at the University of Melbourne and has an invested interest in embedding Indigenous knowledges into the curriculum across the faculty. Additionally, Josh’s role involves him working with the Associate Dean (Indigenous), to increase the Indigenous workforce in the faculty, increase student enrolments, and support Indigenous student transitions from undergraduate to postgraduate courses.
Joyce Doyle (Clark-Morgan)
Orygen Honorary Member
Joyce is a Yorta Yorta woman from Shepparton, Victoria.
Throughout her working life, spanning over 40 years, Joyce has had a significant positive impact on the health and wellbeing of her community. Working in areas of health, education, leadership and cultural recognition. Her strengths lie in the support she provides her community, encouraging empowerment and self-determination leading by example.
The strongest resources Joyce has relied on is the Rumbalara Football and Netball club which provides a core base for cultural identity and safety for the community. For Joyce, she says this journey has been slow and she has watched her community youth suffer in silence and rely on family strengths and support. She feels there is a huge gap in resources available to support the young people and their social and emotional wellbeing via a strong cultural setting such as Rumbalara Football and Netball Club.
Darcy McGauley-Bartlett is a proud descendent of Gunai Kurnai people of lake tyers in Gippsland Victoria and was born and raised on Dja Dja Wurrung Country. Darcy is currently the Team Leader of Aboriginal Health & Governance for Justice Health - Corrections Victoria. Darcy has experience in a number of areas from community engagement, Community Policing, Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing to Policy & Project development and review.
Most recently before joining the Department of Justice & Community Safety Darcy worked for Victoria Police as an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer in a Proactive Policing Unit running and creating a number of early intervention and prevention programs to engage young Aboriginal Youth and to prevent the progressing through the criminal justice system.
Darcy has also worked at an Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation as an Aboriginal Health Practitioner working with Aboriginal Men and youth to achieve the best possible health outcomes health and social outcomes.
Darcy is passionate about early intervention and prevention and creating systemic change that will help create better outcomes for Aboriginal young people and community.
Warwick Padgham is a Taungurung man and the program manger of the Indigenous Law and Justice Hub at the Melbourne Law School. The Hub focusses on two areas of law that are pressing importance for Indigenous peoples: Criminal Justice and Self-Determination. Further this to this, Warwick provides advice regarding Indigenous graduate development across the university and its partners, as well as working on projects and activities specific to Indigenous doctoral advancement nationally and globally.
Prior to his current role, Warwick was Manager Indigenous Student Programs at the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and is responsible for the recruitment and support of Indigenous PhD students within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at The University of Melbourne.
Dale Rowland is a proud Biripi and Wiradjuri man who is completing a PhD in Clinical Psychology on Kombumerri country (Gold Coast, QLD). Prior to starting his PhD, Dale had spent the past six years working as Learning Assistance Officer with the GUMURRII Student Success Unit at Griffith University. Dale has previously been an Associate Lecturer in the First Peoples Health Unit at Griffith University, and remains a research assistant and sessional tutor in the School of Applied Psychology. Dale holds student membership on the Australian Psychological Society - Indigenous Psychology Advisory Group and the Jilya Institute. Dale was the 2020 recipient of the Dr Tracy Westerman Aboriginal Psychology Scholarship Program and the Bendi Lango Bursary.
Dale is passionate about Indigenous education and mental health, particularly around best-practice, evidence-based service delivery when working with, and for, Indigenous communities. Dale has research experience in cultural safety training of university students, embedding Indigenous curriculum in health programs, and understanding mental health professional’s uptake of digital mental health technologies. Upon completion of his PhD Dale intends to work with communities to co-develop digital mental health interventions for the social and emotional wellbeing of the community.
Nicole Shanahan is an Arabana and Miriwung Gajjerong woman. She is the Manager of Indigenous Student Education within the Ngarara Willim Centre at RMIT University where she supports the success of our young people and works closely with our community to advance their education and career aspirations.
Nicole has worked within Aboriginal Community organisations and has over 20 years’ experience within the higher education sector. She previously worked in Aboriginal health research and community engagement and has an interest and experience in Communications, marketing and digital technologies. Nicole has a Bachelor of Arts (Indigenous Studies) and qualifications in Community services and Community development. She is a life member of 3KND Aboriginal radio station in Melbourne where she first started training and volunteered as a radio broadcaster over 15 years ago. Nicole is a Victorian Koorie Student of the Year award winner and more recently a recipient of the 2020 RMIT Vice Chancellors Leadership award.
Scott Wilson is a Gooniyandi man from Muladja community and a Gadgerong man from Kununurra. His parents moved to Broome which allowed him to grow up on Yawuru country in Western Australia. In 2006, Scott was sent to Hale boarding school in Perth to complete his secondary education. At the age of 16 he represented Australia with the National Indigenous football team in a tour to Papua New Guinea with the AFL.
In 2010, he was awarded Indigenous Youth of the Year, and went on to study at the University of Western Australia. In 2015, he graduated with his bachelor’s degree majoring in Anthropology, completing work placements with the Native Title agency, KRED Enterprises connecting with communities across the Kimberley. After graduating in 2016, Scott helped implement an early childhood program called “Our Mob as First Educators Program” in Broome. In 2017, he became an operator for FMG to understand the mining industry. In 2018, he was awarded a graduate program with Prime Minister and Cabinet, working with the Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government.
He now lives in Sydney working with various youth organisations, such as Aurora Education Foundation, Year 13, and headspace as an advocate for Australian youth mental health. Scott has a passion for creativity and storytelling and wants to produce content. He is currently balancing work with his own company, called Ice Cream Productions. His company is currently developing a web series, an Aboriginal Superhero universe and a cartoon series, alongside managing company events.
First Nations Statement of Commitment Coordinator
Oliver Tye
Oliver Tye is a Wardandi Noongar man with connections to the south-west of Western Australia. He is the First Nations Statement of Commitment Coordinator, bringing to this role experience in leading reform across organisational and service delivery settings to the benefit of First Nations.
Oliver holds a Bachelor of Science from the Australian National University and has worked in community control (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation) and government (National Indigenous Australians Agency) settings alike, learning from First Nations and non-Indigenous mentors simultaneously.
He has worked with grassroots programs and practice right through to high level policy and strategy to makes enduring change. As the First Nations Statement of Commitment Coordinator, Oliver aims to embed fundamental principles of the First Nations agenda into the policies and practices of Orygen, preparing the ground from which Orygen can grow its capacity to deliver on its First Nations Statement of Commitment.
Leah has worked in health promotion and public health research evaluation in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations since 2000. Leah’s work involves extensive community engagement that seeks to inform health program design, policy and the manner in which health programs are funded and evaluated.
As Orygen, Strategic First Nations Development Advisor, Leah works closely with community, including young First Nations people, to enhance young people’s social and emotional wellbeing.