Personal
Hugh was born in Wagga Wagga and grew up around the Murrumbidgee
River. After schooling in Geelong and studying Business (Marketing)
in Melbourne, Hugh taught as an assistant teacher in schools in
Oxford, Zimbabwe and New York. He travelled to South America and
then worked in Venezuela for an archaeological & cultural
heritage organisation. Hugh has now lived in north Queensland, NT
and the Kimberleys for over 10 years.
Professional
Before joining NAILSMA, Hugh worked for the Kimberley Land
Council (KLC) as a Native Title Project Officer in Fitzroy Crossing
and as the Fitzroy River Catchment Management Coordinator in the
KLC’s Land & Sea Management Unit. Hugh’s previous
work experiences include coordinating an Indigenous ‘Youth at
Risk’ Program called the Yiriman Youth Project at the
Kimberley Aboriginal Law & Culture Centre (KALACC) for three
years. This project was a community owned and culturally driven
activity facilitating ‘back to country’ programs in
youth leadership, land management and sustainable livelihoods
programs. Other work and research involved cultural site management
in north east Arnhem Land and far north Queensland. Hugh graduated
from James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville and undertook post
Graduate studies in Indigenous Resource Management at the Charles
Darwin University (CDU).
Position
Hugh is the coordinator for the Indigenous Community Water
Facilitator Network (ICWFN). His principle responsibilities include
establishing a community based network of six facilitators to
advance Indigenous engagement in research and management of
tropical rivers, water use and conservation across northern
Australia. The aims of the ICWFN are to act as a catalyst to ensure
that Indigenous interests are articulated, encouraged and
incorporated into water policy decisions, management plans and
water allocations. Facilitators will be placed in the Ord and
Fitzroy River catchments in Western Australia, Daly River Catchment
in the Northern Territory and Gregory, Mitchell and Wenlock River
catchments in Queensland.
