Our Directors

Uncle Joe Sproats MA, M Soc Pol, Dip Hosp, Cert 1V TAE, MAPS, AIPA

I have been working professionally with First Nations people for the last thirty years and identify through my great grandmother Charlotte Barber, as a Ngarigo man and an Australian South Sea Islander descendant from Lifou Island. I am actively involved in a number of areas including tourism as a Queensland Tourism Awards judge and expert advisor with the First Nations Tourism Plan Working Group (Queensland Tourism Industry Council); advocacy as a member of the Wantok Strategy Team with the Australian South Sea Islander Port Jackson Association; health as a psychologist with Wakai Waian Healing and member of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA) and culture based training through Dreamtime Learning.

I am now spending much of my time developing a Tribal Revival Program with Ngarigo Nation and other groups who are interested in creating parallel pathways of development with Ngarigo Nation. 

Awarded: Highly Commended Winner, Queensland Reconciliation Awards (Business)  with Dreamtime Learning (2015), Australian Tourism Awards winne Noorla Resort (2007, 2009),in North Queensland and Queensland  ‘Halls of Fame’ for The Rocks Guesthouse and the Noorla Resort over time 1997-2009,

Nomination:. Outstanding excellence in Heritage Conservation, National Trust Queensland (2007) and Gold Award in Heritage Conservation (2007).

Jason Fieldhouse

I am a proud Ngarigo man through my great, great grandmother Charlotte Barber who was born on Mt Cooper Station on the Monaro in 1864. I was born in Sydney and currently live in Burleigh Heads in Queensland. I acknowledge and respect the Elders and people past and present of the Yugambeh language region.

My qualifications include a BA Applied Science Natural Resources and Their Management and certificates in plant propagation, environmental systems ISO 14001, quality systems ISO 9001, occupational health and safety, workplace training, and auditing.

I have worked in environmental, quality and system roles in tier 1 construction and operation companies with major federal and state funded infrastructure projects. This has included the Prospect Water Filtration Plant post the giardia water quality and media incident, Cronulla Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade, Shannon Creek Storage Facility construction, NSW Ballina Bypass, Woolgoolga to Ballina Bypass, as well as Western Australia Wheabelt and Pilbara Regions roads and bridges maintenance and minor capital works.

I have also worked in local, state and federal government agencies across three states including the NSW Department of Environment and Conservation in Strategic Planning and Environmental Education as well as a Ranger with local government and Yarrabah Aboriginal Community Council (voluntary). 

I consult and provide inputs and systems for improved soil, plant, animal and human health with microorganism and integrated animal systems. 

Professor Jaky Troy

Professor Jakelin (Jaky) Troy is a Ngarigo woman and is Director, Indigenous Research at The University of Sydney. She is a trained linguist, anthropologist and secondary teacher and has worked in Indigenous programs in the public and academic domains for many years. Key positions occupied in her long career include Director of Research, Indigenous Social and Cultural Wellbeing (AIATSIS), Assistant Professor of Education at the University of Canberra, Director of the NSW Aboriginal Languages Research and Resource Centre, Chief Anthropologist NSW Aboriginal Land Council and Director of various programs in native title, land rights, language and culture in the former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

Jaky is currently focussed on documenting, describing and reviving Indigenous languages, including her own language, Ngarigu, and has been a leader in the establishment of languages curriculum for schools in Australia and her projects have included developing the first NSW Aboriginal Languages Syllabus K-10 and as a lead writer for the Australian Curriculum Languages, and particularly for the Framework for Teaching Aboriginal Languages and Torres Strait Islander Languages. She is also interested in the promotion and use of Indigenous research methodologies and community engaged research practises.