Aboriginal Advisory Board

Lauren was born in Darwin and has both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family, growing up in Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, with family and connections across the Territory. Lauren has significant experience across the health sector, including in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and across legislative reform, policy and strategic reform. She is the Chairperson of the Darwin Aboriginal and Islander Women’s Shelter and a member of the Darwin Combined Aboriginal Organisations Local Decision Making. Her experience supports the drivers of reform needed in government, community and legislation to increase and strengthen Aboriginal representation within DFSV system.

Kim is an Aboriginal man living in Darwin with experience working locally and nationally across a range of mental health and Aboriginal wellbeing projects, that seek to improve the outcomes for Aboriginal people. He is passionate about improving cultural safety, Aboriginal social and emotional wellbeing and intergenerational trauma-informed practice and healing in domestic, family and sexual violence prevention and response work. He was nominated as Deputy Chair, by the Board members, and is also an inaugural member of the Lived experience Advisory Council to Australians first National Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner.

Anthony is an Aboriginal man that lives in Darwin and has worked in the Aboriginal health sector for over 30 years in the Northern Territory, including experience in urban and remote communities.

Anthony has also held the role of Chairperson at Danila Dilba Health Services. Throughout his work he has overseen a number of programs and services that support Aboriginal people experiencing domestic and family violence.

Byron is an Aboriginal man, born and bred on his grandmother’s country in Darwin. Byron is a Detective Sergeant with the NT Police and has significant experience across domestic, family and sexual violence.

He has held the role of Katherine Family Safety Framework Chair, supporting a cross-organisational response to high risk domestic and family violence cases. Byron is passionate about shifting focus to prevention, rather than just management of domestic, family and sexual violence.

Daphne is a senior leader in the remote Aboriginal community of Ngukurr, holding governance roles with Yugul Mangi Development Aboriginal Corporation since 2008. Daphne also works on the Ngukurr Family Violence Prevention Working Group and Strongbala Pipul Wanbala Bois Komiti to support social and emotional wellbeing and family violence prevention in Ngukurr. Across all of her work, she aims to honour her ancestors, past and present, to create a safe, strong, vibrant and sustainable community for future generations.

Connie is an Aboriginal woman from Alice Springs who holds a number of leadership roles in Alice Springs, the NT and now National, including the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group, NT Youth Round Table, Local Decision Making, Alice Springs Youth Action Plan and the First Nation National Steering Committee. She has presented to communities, leaders and conferences around Australia advocating on behalf of Aboriginal women about their experiences of domestic, family and sexual violence. Through the Tangentyere Women’s Family Safety Group she works with other members to plan together and find solutions to prevent violence against women and children.

LT is a Barkly Aboriginal woman from the Warlmanpa language group north of Tennant Creek. She has over 25 years’ experience supporting organisations across Borroloola and Barkly region developing strategies and solutions to address domestic, family and sexual violence. She has undertaken research on culturally responsive strategies to address domestic and family violence in the Yarpakurlangku Region. She is a community leader, dedicated to providing culturally safe support and healing for women, children and families experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence.

Rhoda is a senior Aboriginal women from Galiwin’ku who holds leadership roles across her community. She is a teacher and an integral member of Galiwin’ku Women’s Space, advocating for people identifying as women who experience domestic, family and sexual violence through the Yolŋu Gurruṯu Case Management. Rhoda has also played a major role in supporting Goŋ-Däl (Gong-Dal or GDAC, meaning strong hands) of Gapuwiyak to establish a Gurruṯu (kindship) based management for domestic, family, and sexual violence in Gapuwiyak and surrounding homelands. She is a strong advocate for ground up community-led initiatives and two-way learning systems, and has spoken across the Northern Territory about how these work at Galiwin’ku Women’s Space.

Rhoda also works for ARDS, focusing on mediator and working on dispute resolution. She has done her training on RAMF and Directors board meeting workshop in Nhulunbuy.

Rhoda also likes doing lots of research on both worlds.

Ms Gamble is the Executive Director of the Domestic Family Sexual Violence Reduction Division at the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities. She has a range of experience in strategic services, law reform and partnerships in the public sector, managing policy and advocacy in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector, and as a lawyer at the NT Legal Aid Commission, Domestic Violence Legal Service and Aboriginal Legal Service of WA.