Aboriginal Advisory Council of Western Australia

Marty Sibosado, Co-Chair

Mr Sibosado is a Bardi Jawi Traditional Owner and PBC member, whose family are Goolargoon Bardi, originating from Djarindjin Lombadina on the Dampier Peninsular, where they still live.

Mr Sibosado has a 20-year involvement in the Kimberley Aboriginal Regional Authority concept, through the KLC, and the many phases of the Kimberley Aboriginal regional authority modelling in that time with the latest model being the Kimberley Futures Empowered Communities. He has extensive knowledge of Native Title and has been a company manager and board member of Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation in Broome for 20 years. Serving as their business development manager, he is tasked with establishing Aboriginal business opportunities and developing young Indigenous business people.

Jenny Bedford, Co-Chair

Ms Bedford is a Nyinyi Jaru and Kija woman from Halls Creek who has extensive experience working in Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations in WA, NSW, and the NT. She has led program and policy approaches related to Aboriginal health at the local and regional level, with respect to the transition of remote health clinics and the integration of new and emerging growth areas to support Kimberley Aboriginal people and communities having access to high-quality, culturally safe health and well-being services.

Ms Bedford is currently the Deputy CEO of the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services in Broome and was previously the CEO of the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service in Perth.

Gail Beck OAM

Ms Beck has generations of continued maternal connection to the Bibbulmun nations of the south-west of Australia.

Ms Beck has a solid awareness of the stolen generations challenges due to her grandmothers being removed, and an awareness of the importance of connected families, including the wellness of the family unit and community. A nurse by trade who then branched out into community development field with and for her people.

Ms Beck is the Executive Manager – Cultural Integration, RUAH Community Services and proudly serves on City of Cockburn’s Aboriginal Reference Group and Djidji-djidi Aboriginal Women’s Corporation.

Ms Beck attained a BA in Community Management and Adult Education whilst raising her family. Gail is also a passionate volunteer activist opposing the destruction of family connections to each other and country, as well as promoting whole of family health and wellness. Ms Beck has extensive knowledge of native title having worked in the area for South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council for over 11 years.

Ms Beck was an ATSIC regional Councillor (Perth Metro Bibra Ward) and a member of the National Section 13 Women’s Committee. She co-developed NAIDOC Perth, where she volunteered for seven years.

2012 – OAM: For service to the Indigenous community of Perth through roles in the areas of health, social welfare and native title.

Rowena Leslie

Ms Leslie lives in Kalgoorlie and attained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Western Australia. 

Since graduating Ms Leslie embarked on a career that has led her to become experienced in working with law firms in the energy and resources sector, a career which culminated with her becoming the company owner and Chief Executive Officer of Kai Rho Contracting in December 2013. 

Ms Leslie is active within the Kurrawang Community in the Goldfields-Esperance region where she serves as the Vice Chair of the Kurrawang Aboriginal Christian Community and as a Board Member of Christian Aboriginal Parent-Directed Schools Inc. Ms Leslie became the inaugural chair of the Goldfields Aboriginal Business Chamber, an organisation dedicated to improving the visibility of Aboriginal businesses in the Goldfields region.

Preston Thomas

Mr Preston Thomas, known to some as Mr T. is the Chair of Kanpa Community, which is relatively close to Warburton and his home for over 30 years. Before coming to the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Mr Thomas spent 10 years with the WA Police Force as an Aboriginal Police Liaison Officer.

He is the Deputy Chair of the Ngaanyatjarra Council Aboriginal Corporation, Ngaanyatjarra Health and Ngaanyatjarra Services as well as the Deputy Chair of the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku.

Through a long association with the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA on the Executive Committee, Mr Thomas is the Chair of the Aboriginal Legal Service (WA and deeply committed to influencing the issues facing Aboriginal people. Mr Thomas is proud of the vital work done by ALSWA within WA’s justice system.

Mr Thomas additionally holds Director positions in the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (ACHWA), National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Aboriginal Strategic Advisory Group, Department of Communities.

Working with many organisations representing Aboriginal people is how Mr Thomas seeks to help with the issues that affect many Aboriginal people. He is committed to increasing the development of Aboriginal Western Australians.

Michael Ogilvie

Mr Ogilvie is a Whadjuk Ballardong and Yamatji man who has lived in Halls Creek for the past 17 years. He returned to Whadjuk Boodja in 2023 to join Social Reinvestment WA. He was the chairperson of the justice reinvestment site Olabud Doogethu in Halls Creek and has a passion to help young people and families, to support reforms in the justice system, and be a part of building better community resources.

Mr Ogilvie has worked with Garnduwa across the Kimberley in the sport and recreation area for several years. Through his travels, Michael has gained a great deal of experience in community networking, having established job connections and friendships throughout the Kimberley, Southwest, and Midwest regions.

Mr Ogilvie has completed studies at TAFE in Community Development, Employment Services and Career Development. Additionally, he has studied towards a Bachelor of Education at Edith Cowan University.

Tony Hansen

Mr Hansen is a Traditional Custodian and a nominated spokesperson for the Wardandi and Bibbulmun people of the Southwest with additional connections with the Minang and Wilman people of Wagyl Kaip. Mr Hansen is a current Director of Karri Karrak Aboriginal Corporation Native Title group.

Mr Hansen was born in Katanning in 1967 and at age three was forcibly removed from his family and placed into Marribank Mission Institution for the next fifteen years. He was released from Native Welfare in 1985.

Mr Hansen has utilised his lived experiences as a Stolen Generations man and as a senior Traditional Custodian to commit to Aboriginal advancement in matters surrounding Closing the Gap reforms at the local, regional, State and national levels for three decades. He has held roles with government agencies, including Western Australia Police Department, Human Services, Department of Communities Child Protection, and local government as well as advising and managing Aboriginal services in a range of non-government corporations.

Mr Hansen is currently Co-Chair of the Bringing Them Home Committee WA, Deputy Chair of the West Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation and is also a WA nominated Member of the Healing Foundation Stolen Generation Elders Reference Group Committee on a National Platform, advocating on all matters relating to Stolen Generations people and their families nationally and as an Advisory Member of the National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse, Queensland.

Irene Stainton OAM

Ms Stainton is a highly respected Nyoongar Elder. She has over 30 years’ experience in the State Public Service and has served as Registrar of Aboriginal Sites and Chairperson of the Aboriginal Cultural Material Committee, in addition to advisory positions at State and national levels.  Irene was appointed as inaugural Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Committee.

She was employed as General Manager of one of the largest WA based heritage consulting companies, is a past Member of the Human Rights Committee which developed the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report and has presented discussion papers to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland as an Australian delegate.

In previous roles, Ms Stainton has worked in the non-for-profit-sector and was employed as the Executive Director of the Family and Domestic Unit in WA.

Ms Stainton was Chairperson of the WA Museum’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee for 26 years and has contributed to the WA Museum as a Trustee for three separate terms of office.

She is a past member of the National Museum of Australia’s Indigenous Reference Group, and in 2019 was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame.

Ms Stainton is a past finalist in the WA Australian Person of the Year Awards and was recently the first Aboriginal woman to be appointed as a WA Museum Fellow.

2023 OAM:  for service to the Indigenous community through cultural leadership, and through health and social welfare organisations.

Joslyn Eades-Tass

Ms Eades-Tass is a culturally present woman, mum of two and a well-respected descendant of the Noongar Nation. She brings to AACWA a wealth of lived cultural knowledge, experience and competency to contribute to advocating for rights and positive impacts for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in strategic policy, regulatory & legislative reform. 

Ms Eades -Tass’ strong leadership attributes are guided by her core values of trust, integrity, honesty, courage and confidence that has been handed down by her line of generational ancestors, mentors and proud heritage.

Rebecca Blurton

Ms Blurton is a proud Noongar Australian member with strong ties to the Wheatbelt both through her Ballardong father and through non-indigenous multi-generational farmers on her mother’s side.

She has held executive, leadership and advisory roles with the likes of Department of Mines and Petroleum WA, Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Randstad, Transport for NSW, Jawun, Westpac and in industries such as AFL, construction, defence and mining.

After a national career working in Indigenous affairs across several sectors in both private, public and not-for-profit, Ms Blurton is now the Director and Principal Consultant of First Nations Affairs, her consulting firm with a mission to elevate First Nations voices and lived experiences, support self-determination and contribute to nation building in a just transition to net zero. She works with several climate focussed organisations nationally.

Ms Blurton is currently Deputy Chair for the Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) Advisory Committee, RAP Steering committee member with Coles, RAP Committee member with the City of Fremantle and Co-Chair of ASFI's First Nations Reference Group.

Rani Randall

Ms Randall is a Yamatji woman currently living in Geraldton. Her family are Malgana and Nhanda people from the Midwest and Gascoyne region of Western Australia. Ms Randall has demonstrated her passion and strong commitment to Aboriginal Affairs having started her career in the Non-Government Organisation sector working for the Geraldton Women’s Refuge, Crisis Care helpline and assisting Aboriginal families with tenancy and financial counselling support.

Ms Randall has worked for State Government for many years, working in areas such as Youth Justice, Aboriginal Training and Employment, Mental Health, and Aboriginal Health. She has held numerous senior positions within state government and is currently in the position of Regional Aboriginal Health Consultant with WA Country Health Service.

Ms Randall is a member of the Malgana Aboriginal Corporation and served on the board from 2017 - 2024, including the position of Chair for a two-year period.

Ms Randall is an active member in the Yamatji community, being an active participant with the Murchison Aboriginal Organisation Alliance and is member of the Midwest Aboriginal Women’s Working Group. She works in partnership with many organisations to address issues which affect the day to day lives of Aboriginal people, and is a strong advocate for both caring for country and addressing the social and cultural determinants which impact on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.  

Maureen (MK) Kelly

Ms Kelly has paternal cultural connections from one of the biggest families in the Pilbara, the Lockyer family, of Yinjibarndi and Ngarluma descent. She has cultural links to Woodbrook lore ground which her family members have been part of for generations. Her maternal links are from Turkey Creek to Beagle Bay in the Kimberley as her mother is from the Stolen Generations. 

Ms Kelly has had a broad ranging State public sector career over 38 years, working across Aboriginal affairs, justice, cultural heritage, land and Native Title negotiations, education and training, domestic violence prevention, alcohol and drug intervention and Aboriginal women’s issues amongst others.

Her aim as a recognised leader is to empower others, be generous in success and recognised for an inspiring lifetime of commitment to individual and community enhancement to provide high level and expert advice to the WA Government on key policies and priorities, based in a deep regard for the contributions of all people.

Damien Parriman

Damien Parriman is the Chief Executive Officer of KRED Enterprises Pty Ltd and the Ambooriny Burru Foundation Group. Mr Parriman has worked in the Native Title and Indigenous sectors in the Kimberley for 20 years through various roles with the Kimberley Land Council, Walalakoo Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC, Aarnja Ltd and KRED Enterprises.

Through these roles Mr Parriman has been directly involved with numerous large scale native title processes across the West Kimberley including Land Settlement and Resource Access Agreements.

Mr Parriman’s role at KRED includes establishing a sustainable economic base for members and ensuring that engagement with third party stakeholders under complex legal frameworks is consistent with the aspirations and objectives of the Members, whilst balancing the traditional cultural values that underpin our member’s Native Title Rights and Interests.

A Yawuru and Jabirr Jabir man, Mr Parriman has traditional connection to the Broome and surrounding areas in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Damien attended Secondary School in Perth where he also graduated from the University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Laws.