Brave Old World: Victor Steffensen on The Present

Victor Steffensen is a descendant of the Tagalaka people through his mother’s connections from the Gulf Country of north Queensland, the co-founder of the National Indigenous Fire Workshops and the author of Fire Country: How Indigenous Fire Management Could Help Save Australia.

He’s a writer, filmmaker, musician and consultant applying traditional knowledge values in a contemporary context, through workshops and artistic projects. Much of Steffensen's work over the past 27 years has been based on the arts and reviving traditional knowledge values – particularly traditional burning – through mentoring and leadership, as well as on-ground training with Aboriginal communities and many non-Indigenous Australians.

Tammy Gilson, Wadawurrung ba-gurrk (woman) who lives on Wadawurrung Country, Tammy refers to her, ‘Nan’s Country’. Tammy acknowledges her ancestors and Elders who have walked before her.

Tammy works as an Aboriginal Inclusion Coordinator for the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) in the Grampians region and has extensive knowledge of cultural heritage and natural resource management including traditional fire burning practice and mapping cultural values. Tammy is also studying a Graduate Diploma in Land and Sea Country Management at NIKERI, Deakin University.

Tammy’s spiritual connection to her ancestors and country has guided her to revitalise and continue cultural practices today. Tammy is an award-winning fibre artist, in 2019 winning the RMIT emerging artist award for a woven flower basket at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne. 

Tammy has performed ceremony for Prince Edward, Bob Geldof, Xavier Rudd, Tanderrum and the AFL. Tammy is also the cultural ambassador for the Victorian Nature Festival, Ballarat Foto Biennale, and a Cultural Advisor for SBS mini-series, New Gold Mountain. All of which has transformed Tammy into a proud leader within Wadawurrung community.

Tony Birch is the author of four novels, five short fiction collections, and two poetry books. His most recent book is the novel, Women and Children (UQP).

Gheran-Yarraman is currently undertaking his Juris Doctorate at Monash Law Chambers and has completed his MBA (Executive) at RMIT Graduate School of Business and Law, where he gained a passion for Design Thinking and Cultural Intelligence. As a purpose-driven Indigenous professional, Gheran now utilises these proven innovation and design methods to create culturally smart opportunities for organisations who strive to become leaders in reconciliation and cultural competence, a future where First Peoples’ culture and heritage is not only valued and respected but integrated into our shared Australian way of life.

Gheran draws from 20 years of experience in operations and people management in the commercial sectors, as well in the not-for-profit sector, where he proudly served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Boon Wurrung Foundation Limited, the Boonwurrung community's representative body.

Jill Gallagher AO is a Gunditjmara woman from Western Victoria who has worked within, led and advocated for the Victorian Aboriginal community all her life. 

Since 1998 this has been through the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), now one of Australia’s largest and most effective state Aboriginal peak advocacy organisations. As CEO since 2001, Gallagher has led a major growth in the organisation’s status by working to raise its profile and to position it as the key body in addressing Aboriginal health issues.

In 2010, Gallagher was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women and in 2013 she was appointed to the Order of Australia in recognition of her strong and effective leadership in Aboriginal health.

Gallagher’s work was instrumental in achieving bipartisan support for the vital statement of intent – signed by Premier John Brumby in August 2008 on behalf of the Victorian Government – to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities.

Gallagher believes that for community to achieve its full potential, issues such as health problems must be identified and addressed. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, governed by community elected boards and dedicated to providing a range of health and community services, are best placed to fulfil the needs of the community and achieve equality of outcomes.

Her direct influence in improving awareness of health issues and access to dedicated services includes developing the comprehensive Well Persons Health Check program which began in 2000 and was run across Victoria, and a Koori Maternity Service program to help Aboriginal women access antenatal services and information. In 2007–2008 about 200 Aboriginal babies were born to mothers who had accessed the program.

As well as tackling health issues, Gallagher is passionate about Aboriginal culture, and Aboriginal culture being valued.

Prior to her work at VACCHO, she was a member of the Museum of Victoria and worked for the return of Indigenous skeletal remains and Indigenous cultural property. 

Gallagher has also sat on various committees including the Victorian Early Childhood Development Advisory Committee, the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria Indigenous Reference Group, the Child Death Review and the Cooperative Research Centre on Aboriginal Health, and the Premier's Aboriginal Advisory Committee.