Personal
Hugh was born in 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 graduated from James Cook University
(JCU) – studying Enviro & Anthro/Arch (double major) in
Townsville and undertook post Graduate studies in Indigenous
Resource Management at the (NTU) now Charles Darwin University
(CDU). He has now lived in north Queensland, NT and the Kimberley
for over 12 years.
Professional
Before joining NAILSMA, Hugh worked for the Kimberley Land
Council (KLC) as a Native Title Project Officer in Fitzroy Crossing
and then 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). 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 previous work and research involved cultural site
management in north east Arnhem Land and far north Queensland.
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.
