Dr. Liesa Clague (Chair)
Dr Liesa Clague, a descendant of the Yaegl, Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr peoples from the North Coast NSW on her mother’s side, and Celtic Manx heritage from the Isle of Man on her father’s side. Liesa acknowledges her nursing and midwifery profession, and the health sector experiences that she has worked in. Liesa comes with 29 years’ experience of networking with different health professionals and teaching organisations.
Liesa would like to see more collaboration happening rather than the silo approach for the different sectors and organisations. She feels that there is a need to create an environment of connection to the skills and problem-solving activities to achieve more positive outcomes for the communities she has worked in. Her knowledge lies in qualitative data analysis.
Liesa uses the perspective of an Aboriginal philosophical approach called Gan’na a Bundjalung word which means hear, think, feel, and understand. The philosophy draws upon an Australian Aboriginal concept, which exists but has different meanings across Aboriginal language groups. It involves the processes of deep and respectful listening.
Jeffrey Samuels (Secretary)
Jeffrey Samuels is a contemporary Aboriginal Australian Artist. Jeffrey is a founding member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative. In his art practice, Jeffrey has always sought to affirm his “Aboriginal identity and cultural heritage and its artistic expressions” and his dedication to community well-being.
In 1984 Jeffrey participated in Koori Art ’84 at Artspace, Sydney, one of the seminal exhibitions that marked the emergence of the urban Aboriginal artists’ movement in Australia. He has participated in a number of Boomalli exhibitions over the years including Boomalli Breaking Boundaries (1989), Blackroots: Koori Indigenous Gay and Lesbian Art (1997), and the solo exhibition Stylin-Up (2000).
In 2000 Jeffrey was commissioned to recreate a painting for the Nature Segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. His work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Australia, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Flinders University, the Australian Museum, City of Sydney, Andrew Forrest private collection and the National Museum of Australia.
Jeffrey travelled to China in 2007-2008 and was one of the Artist members of Boomalli who was invited to be a part of the Australian delegation at the Guangdu International Art Fair. Jeffrey facilitated workshops and created a Reconciliation Artwork in 2016, as part of St Vincent's Hospital Reconciliation Art Project. Most recently, Jeffrey's work "Gadigal Acknowledgement Respect" was featured on the cover of the International Convention Centre's Reconciliation Action Plan. A detail of the artwork can be seen on the entrance doors to the Convention Centre at Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Euphemia Bostock
Bundjalung-Munajali woman Euphemia Bostock is a Founding Member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative, for which she designed the Boomalli logo. She has worked across a variety of media including textile, sculpture and printmaking since the 1960s.
Euphemia, and her brothers, Lester and Gerald, were founding members of Sydney’s Aboriginal Black Theatre in 1972. Her clothing designs were showcased in Paris at the Au Printemps Department Store exhibition - Australis Down Under. Other exhibitions include the Museum of Sydney’s Bamaradbanga (to make open) in 1999, and Tactility – two centuries of Indigenous textiles and fibre at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in 2003. In 1999 a section of Euphemia’s most recognisable work, the Possum Skin design screen print, was reproduced on an Australia Postage Stamp.
Euphemia’s works are held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia, Powerhouse Museum and the National Museum of Australia. In 2001 Euphemia produced a collaborative Reconciliation Sculpture with artist Jan Shaw for Macquarie University’s Sculpture Garden.
Paula Maling
Paula is a Yidinji (Far North Qld, Ambrym Family) and Worimi (NSW Mid North Coast Bugg Family) woman who grew up in Sydney in and around Redfern and La Perouse Aboriginal communities.
For the past 25 years, Paula has worked within the Indigenous Media, Arts, Television and Film industries and held positions at SBS Radio Sydney, Triple J Sydney, ABC Television Sydney & Melbourne, Koori Radio Sydney, various NSW government departments, CAAMA NT and TEABA NT.
In 2007 Paula created Maling Productions, an Indigenous Television Production Company, who have produced an array of productions including live sports panels and events, children’s programs, short documentaries and community service announcements.
Paula is also currently at the University of Technology Sydney, where she holds the position of Research Associate at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research. Whilst working here, Paula has supported various initiatives and programs within the Cultural Resilience and Nation Building Hubs.
Paula holds appointments on a number of community organisation boards, such as the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative and the Health Worker Aboriginal Corporation.
Hayley Pigram
I am a Darug woman from the Sydney area. I was born and raised on my traditional homelands in the southwest of Sydney and have always had a close connection to my culture and Country.
As an urban Aboriginal Artist, my art takes many forms to reflect my culture. While I often enjoy utilizing a dot style of painting, I pair this with bright colors and unusual mediums. I feel this pairing represents myself as an Artist who has a deep traditional spirituality, yet lives a modern lifestyle. My art tells the story of a modern woman with an ancient heritage.
Much of my art practice is a reflection of my journey towards an understanding of healing and hope. It also allows me a way to express my deep connection to my family, their stories, their pain and our anger. Art gives a visual language for stories too complex for words to ever represent.
In 2015 and 2016 I completed my certificate III and IV in Aboriginal Cultural Arts at Eora TAFE. In 2018 I completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Sydney College of the Arts. In 2019 I completed my certificate in Aboriginal Mentoring.
In the past year I have conducted a Recycled Weaving workshop, spoke on a NAVA panel about artist led initiatives and exhibited in the Hobiennale at Moonah Arts Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. My artwork ‘Three Boys’ is currently on a billboard on the M4 as part of an NRMA campaign connecting road signs to Country.
Jim Alexander
Jim Alexander is a manager, policy analyst and researcher with experience across commercial, government and the not-for-profit sectors.
He was Chief Executive of the Copyright Agency for seven years, a not-for-profit organisation working with Australian and International authors, visual artists, publishers and their representative organisations. He was until 2016, Vice-President and Treasurer of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), based in Brussels, a Board member of the Australian Copyright Council and a Board Member of Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Cooperative. He is a Fellow of the Research Society, Australia.
Currently, as a Director of PA Partners he has undertaken consultancy projects for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and IFRRO assisting in the establishment of collective management organisations in Asia and Africa as well as undertaking research studies into distributions of copyright licensing fees to visual artists.
Previously Jim has had wide experiences from a number of Australian and international appointments with research organisations including Nielsen Research, where he was Managing Director, Research, Australia from 1990 – 1995 then Managing Director, International Research from 1995 – 1998 and from 1999 – 2005 Jim was CEO at Australian Market Research.
Jim also previously worked in government in policy analysis and evaluation positions (Policy Advisor in the NSW Department of Health; Policy Advisor to the Minister for Health and Deputy Premier; Director of Social Research & Evaluation in the Department of Community Services) and as an academic at both Sydney and Macquarie Universities, lecturing in education.
Di Yerbury
Emeritus Professor Di Yerbury was Vice Chancellor of Macquarie University (Jan 1987 - Feb 2006). There she was also Founder/ Director/Curator of its gallery; the initiator and chair of national reviews on university museums and collections; and a champion of Indigenous education.
Di was the CEO of Australia Council from 1984-86 and President of the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, now Universities Australia (2004-5). Di Yerbury is currently the Deputy Chairperson for the Symphony for Life Foundation and a Patron for the Australian Youth Orchestra.