Our Board
Gina Milgate
Chair Person, SharingStories Foundation
Gina is a descendant of the Kamilaroi Nation in north western New South Wales on her mother's side and the Wiradjuri Nation in western New South Wales on her fathers' side. Gina has highly developed expertise and hands-on skills across academia, research, education, stakeholder engagement, leadership, public sector policy, professional learning, and human rights. With a career spanning 20 years, her work has been invited, respected, and shared across Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States of America, Canada, and Europe. The wisdom Gina shares from community through to board level is measured, reflective, and relational to diverse and deep contexts.
Gina's academic background in strategic management, marketing, and organisational behaviour provides a solid grounding for her to lead confidently and competently from self through to the system. Her past work has influenced people, policy, practice, and processes. Gina's work is anchored in rights-based, strengths-based, and place-based approaches and balanced with values of relationships, integrity, empowering others, wisdom, and new ways. Gina is committed to enabling learners to feel a sense of belonging and ensuring they have agency in their learning journey. The strategies she uses to support First Nations and western learning approaches demonstrates how cultures can collaborate effectively in the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and reconciliation.
Gina was awarded the University of New England Alumni Achiever of Year for her practical contributions to education and wellbeing in Indigenous communities across Australia. She was nominated for the Department of Education and Training Employee Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to leadership and as a driver of innovative change.
Gina Milgate
Liz Thompson
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Liz Thompson is deeply involved in guiding the work of the foundation within Indigenous communities and is the organisation’s Executive Officer. She also works alongside senior knowledge authorities and partner communities implementing community-based cultural mapping programs.
A producer of media with over three decades experience creating stories for radio, television and print. Her work includes the series, Sharing Our Stories books created through a collaboration with 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. The series won the 2009 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing and was voted the best resource produced across primary, secondary and tertiary publishing in the country.
She has directed documentary films for ABC/BBC including Breaking Bows and Arrows, an exploration of reconciliation in Bougainville after the civil war. The film won the United Nations Media Peace Award for Best Television and The AIBD World Award for the Promotion of Conflict Resolution and the Grand Jury Prize at the 3rd International Festival of Oceania Documentary Film. More recently, Liz was awarded the 2021 Impact 25 Judge's Choice Award for Innovation from Pro Bono Australia. Liz has produced numerous feature-length programs for ABC Radio National, online content, stories for international print media, and has published of over 30 books. Liz possesses a PhD from La Trobe University, focusing on self-representational digital media practices in remote Indigenous communities.
Liz Thompson
Daniel Browning
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Daniel Browning is an Aboriginal journalist, radio broadcaster, documentary maker, sound artist and writer. Currently, he produces and presents Awaye!, the Indigenous art and culture program on ABC RN, a specialist radio network of Australia's national broadcaster. Awaye! surveys contemporary Indigenous cultural practice across the arts spectrum.
With a degree in visual arts from the Queensland University of Technology, Daniel is also a widely published freelance arts writer. He is a former guest editor of Artlink Indigenous, an occasional series of the quarterly Australian contemporary arts journal. In addition, Daniel is the curator of Blak Box, an immersive sound installation in the newly redeveloped Barangaroo precinct on the western foreshore of Sydney Harbour. Daniel is a descendant of the Bundjalung and Kullilli peoples of far northern New South Wales and south western Queensland.
Daniel Browning
Dr Caroline Aebersold
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Dr Caroline Aebersold has worked in leadership positions in the not-for-profit sector for over 20 years. She was the CEO of The Song Room, successfully leading the organisation for 12 years, providing face-to-face education programs to over 10,000 children weekly in high need communities, including new arrival refugees, Indigenous children, those with special needs and other young people at risk. Prior to this, Caroline worked as a Psychologist, specialising in suicide prevention in a range of roles including managing mental health services, teaching and consulting to government, community and corporate clients. Caroline is passionate about addressing social disadvantage, particularly with a focus on evidence-based programs and systemic reform to transform marginalised communities.
She holds a degree and postgraduate qualifications in Sociology and Psychology, as well as a Doctor of Human Rights Law from Monash University. Aside from her executive experience, Caroline is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has served on several not-for-profit Boards, including the Diplomacy Training Program, Suicide Prevention Australia and the Australian Psychological Society, and has developed deep expertise in corporate governance and strategy.
Dr Caroline Aebersold
Rhea Dillon
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Rhea Dhillon is a senior litigation lawyer at Phi Finney McDonald with extensive experience in class actions and mass tort litigation and a developing practice in discrimination. She represents workers claiming underpayment, people who’ve been misled about their investments and individuals who have suffered racial discrimination. Rhea also has experience in public affairs and communications, having worked with an agency delivering campaigns and strategic advice to not-for-profit organisations and unions. In 2005, Rhea graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Australian Indigenous Studies. Rhea is honoured to be able to serve the Board of this wonderful organisation.
Rhea Dilllon
Shane Boseley
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Shane is a Gunnai man of the Mongta and Thorpe Families, a descendant of apical ancestors Charles Gluingkong and Kitty Rivers and Dan Bungyl Tambo and Kitty Wangung and of the Brabralung and Krauatunalung clans of the Gunaikurnai Nation.
Shane is a Business Operations leader with extensive experience across Corporate, Not for Profit and Tertiary sectors.
Shane has a strong passion for amplifying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and culture and finds himself thriving in roles where he can mix this passion of advocating for community and cultural heritage with his business strategy, operations and people skills to drive better outcomes for our people into the future.
Shane is the Chief Operating Officer for the entirely Indigenous-led Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, administered by The University of Queensland.
With the aim of transforming the lives of Indigenous Australians, the Centre undertakes innovative research focusing on the most critical and enduring social, cultural and economic challenges and opportunities for Indigenous communities.
Shane leads the Centre’s national operations and is responsible for the Centre’s high-level strategic, operational and performance planning to enable the Centre to achieve impact across its research goals, objectives, and translation programs.
Shane Boseley
Tim Goodwin
Board Member, SharingStories Foundation
Tim Goodwin is a member of the Yuin people of the south east coast of New South Wales. Tim is currently a barrister in Melbourne. He graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with Honours in 2007 and from Harvard Law School with a Master of Laws in 2012. Tim served as Associate to Justice North of the Federal Court of Australia from 2008-09, and as Associate to Justice Bromberg from 2009-10.
Tim is a Board Member of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth and the National Apology Foundation. Further, he is a Trustee of the Roberta Sykes Indigenous Education Foundation.
Tim Goodwin
Our Team
Sharon Williams
CEO
Sharon identifies as a Pitta Pitta woman. She was born and lives on Yaggera and Turrabul Country (Brisbane). Sharon has a Bachelor of Education with a major in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
She has worked for the Queensland Department of Education for 27 years and has developed and implemented a range of initiatives that have supported and improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
In her role as CEO, Sharon is overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation. She is also responsible for developing strategic partnerships with like-minded organisations, as well as overseeing the development of SharingStories education strategy.
Sharon Williams
Liz Thompson
Head of Special Projects
Liz Thompson is deeply involved in guiding the work of the foundation within Indigenous communities and is the organisation’s Executive Officer. She also works alongside senior knowledge authorities and partner communities implementing community-based cultural mapping programs.
A producer of media with over three decades experience creating stories for radio, television and print. Her work includes the series, Sharing Our Stories books created through a collaboration with 14 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities. The series won the 2009 Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing and was voted the best resource produced across primary, secondary and tertiary publishing in the country.
She has directed documentary films for ABC/BBC including Breaking Bows and Arrows, an exploration of reconciliation in Bougainville after the civil war. The film won the United Nations Media Peace Award for Best Television and The AIBD World Award for the Promotion of Conflict Resolution and the Grand Jury Prize at the 3rd International Festival of Oceania Documentary Film. More recently, Liz was awarded the 2021 Impact 25 Judge's Choice Award for Innovation from Pro Bono Australia. Liz has produced numerous feature-length programs for ABC Radio National, online content, stories for international print media, and has published of over 30 books. Liz possesses a PhD from La Trobe University, focusing on self-representational digital media practices in remote Indigenous communities.
Liz Thompson
Harmony Domaille
Education and Senior Program Manager
Harmony Domaille is a Taribelang Bunda woman living and working on Yaggera/Jagera and Turrabul Land. She has a Bachelor Degree in Education (Secondary) and Creative Industries (Drama) and has additionally completed her Masters of Educational Leadership in Indigenous Leadership.
Harmony has worked in various educational settings including state schools in regional Queensland, Montessori schools, Flexible Learning Centres and Arts programs for both primary and secondary school-aged students.
With over 15 years experience in education in Australia and overseas, Harmony has a diverse range of skills in both curriculum and pedagogy, with a passion for trauma-informed practice, storytelling, project-based learning and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.
In her role as Education and Senior Program Manager, Harmony is working in collaboration with cultural Custodians to develop educational resources for Jajoo Warrngara: The Culture Classroom.
Harmony Domaille
Brooke Small
Senior Program Manager
Brooke grew up on the Far South Coast of NSW and has lived and worked around Australia. She has a Bachelor of Contemporary Music from Southern Cross University, a Diploma of Music from Box Hill Institute, and a Postgraduate in Arts Management from Deakin University. She was also awarded a 12 month Creative Producing Mentorship through Creative Australia (Australia Council for the Arts) with the Artistic Director of Ten Days on the Island.
With extensive experience in creative producing, program design and management, and event management, Brooke has a passion for producing creative projects that educate and inspire us to explore our shared sense of place and identity. She has managed a diversity of visual arts and performing arts programs and festival events including Program Manager of Community Engagement on the year-long Centenary of Canberra festival. Brooke's other passion has been working cross-culturally, collaborating with First Nations communities across Australia for nearly 12 years on community and cultural development projects.
In her role as Senior Program Manager, Brooke leads the co-design process and management of a range of digital storytelling, skills development, and mentoring programs in the CREATE stream and the project management of multi-touch books, interactive display panels, animated films, and a digital keeping place in the SHARE stream. In 2022, she managed the national launch of Jajoo Warrngara: The Culture Classroom at Federation Square in Melbourne.
Brooke Small
Sheree Jacobs
Branding and Communications Specialist
Sheree is a Torres Strait Islander woman, born in Cairns, Far North Queensland with family and ancestral links to Erub Island in the Torres Strait. Sheree has worked for a number of regional and international not-for-profit organisations delivering programs, in both grantmaking and fundraising to support social impact and outcomes.
From 2008-2011, Sheree worked for The Christensen Fund as an In Region Consultant and possesses a Masters of Communication from Griffith University. Commencing in early 2019, her role encompasses the creation of communication platforms for SharingStories to share the work of Indigenous people with all communities.
Sheree Jacobs
Georgia Boe
Program Manager
Georgia Boe is a Meanjin (Brisbane) based art consultant, curator and project manager. She has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Queensland and holds a Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Within her past roles, she has worked on Hawai'i Triennial, Honolulu, 2025; documenta fifteen, Germany (2022); Gwangju Biennial, South Korea, (2022), Sharjah Biennial, UAE (2023), Biennale of Sydney (2020); and presentations at the Sydney Opera House, (2023) Tate Modern, London (2023), Castello di Rivoli, Italy (2022), Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia (2021) and exhibitions at Australian and international institutions.
Georgia Boe
Mawana Cora
Business Administrator
Mawana Cora is a proud young Gangulu and Ngalakan woman who was born on Turrbal and Yuggera Country (Brisbane, Australia).
Mawana possesses a Certificate III in Business and was awarded runner up Trainee of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards. Mawana volunteers at the Yourtown Youth Advisory Group, collaborating with many organisations including the Kids Helpline to advocate for young people of all cultural backgrounds and representations.
Mawana is currently studying a Bachelor in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith College which she is due to complete in 2023.
Mawana Cora
Madhu Narayan
Finance and Administration Manager
Madhu commenced work as the Finance and Administration Manager in 2016. In the past, Madhu has worked as an Accountant in various commercial practices across New South Wales. She possesses a Bachelor of Mathematics from University of the South Pacific, and obtained her Masters in Accounting in 2009 from University of New England. She is a current CPA and supports the foundation through high level administrative and financial management.
Madhu Narayan
Isobel Knowles
Design and Animation Lead
Isobel Knowles is an award-winning artist and animator. Her multidisciplinary practice spans short film, interactive installation, cross-platform performance, music, painting, photography and illustration. Her most recent achievements include winning the 2010 Premier of QLD’S National New Media Art Award, being given an Award of Distinction at the 2012 Arts Electronica Festival and publishing a children’s book with Thames and Hudson.
Isobel has worked across many facets of SharingStories programs including animation facilitation, co-curation, design and mentoring new facilitators. Her extensive experience has brought new and exciting skills to all visual projects.
Isobel Knowles
Van Sowerwine
Digital Development and Systems Lead
Van Sowerwine is a media artist who work with stop-motion animation to create interactive installations and short films. Her work, often created in collaboration with Isobel Knowles, has been shown at film at art festivals across the world including at Cannes and Sundance. Van also works with motion graphics, video editing and digital and interaction design and has extensive experience in education in the corporate, vocational and higher education sector.
Van has worked designing and creating interactive digital multi-touch books with SharingStories communities and mentored SharingStories digital designers. She is passionate about helping communities find the most effective ways to maintain and share language and stories using digital technologies.
Van Sowerwine
Lakshmi Jayan
Evaluation Officer
Lakshmi was born in India and raised in the United Arab Emirates and Australia. She earned a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Queensland, gaining extensive experience in consulting and research.
Lakshmi assisted in the co-design of a population health dashboard, completed an analytics internship at HIMSS, and is a co-author in multiple papers. As a passionate advocate, she has provided strategic advice to social enterprises and non-profits through 180 Degrees Consulting and supported students as a representative of the Public Health Association at UQ.
In her role as an Evaluations Officer, she aids the foundation by monitoring progress, contributing to strategy, and evaluating the impact of projects across the organsation.
Outside of work, she enjoys dancing and spending time outdoors.
Lakshmi Jayan
Ocean West
Funding Officer
Ocean has a long history as a philanthropic fundraiser. He brings over 20 years of grant writing and not-for-profit fundraising experience to support SharingStories financial and strategic growth.
He has degrees in music and arts from the University of London and the Royal Academy of Music. Ocean also played in the London Symphony Orchestra while building a career in arts administration and fundraising through the directorship of a classical music festival in Australia. He won the 2011 NSW AbaF Giving Award as an individual nominee.
In recent years, Ocean has focused on community causes and is particularly passionate about working with SharingStories to deepen his understanding of the diversity of First Nations peoples, histories and cultures.
Ocean West
Cian Sanders
Videographer
Cian is an experienced videographer and photographer who has worked in Meanjin’s commercial and art industries for the previous decade.
His passion for creating engaging and purposeful multimedia content has led him to work alongside Meanjin’s leading arts organisations and for prominent First Nations artists. His productions have been featured in regional and national print publications, online media outlets and his documentation of Megan Cope’s Kinyingarra Guwinyanba was featured in ABC’s Art Works.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Photography from the Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University, in 2018.
Cian Sanders
Our Facilitators
Fleur Elise Noble
Animation Facilitator
Fleur is a Director/Creator of visual-based theatre experiences, a maker of all things visual, and an artist with a passion for creating work with young people. She works with the mediums of drawing, painting, sculpture, animation, film, puppetry, projection and performance. She studied on full scholarships at art schools in Adelaide (ACSA) and New York (NYSS), and has worked with many arts, theatre and multimedia professionals around the world. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards for her work. Fleur’s most renowned work to date is her visual performance ‘2-Dimensional Life of Her’, which has been invited to perform at over 40 venues and festivals around the world. 2D Life of Her was also selected to represent Australia at the 2011 World Congress of Theatre for Young People in Denmark.
Within workshop environments, Fleur works with a combination of traditional and multimedia art forms. She designs the workshops to fit with the equipment/ facilities that the students have available to them, allowing them to continue to develop their skills post-workshop.
Fleur Elise Noble
Emily Johnson
Design Facilitator and Mentee
Emily Johnson is a Barkindji and Birri Gubba woman originally from Broken Hill NSW. Her father is from Wilcannia, western New South Wales and mother is from Cherbourg, Queensland. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in 2015, Emily went on to complete her Honours in 2016, at the University of Sydney. Emily’s body of work and research paper received First Class honours which led to being selected as a Charles Perkins MO Award recipient in 2017.
Emily is employed as a Program Assistant at Carriageworks since 2017, and has continued on as a Program Producer in 2018. As a visual artist, Emily has developed further digital design and illustration skills, through her work with SharingStories Foundation.
Emily Johnson
Liam Gerner
Musician and Sound Facilitator
Liam Gerner is a guitarist, singer songwriter based in Melbourne, originally from the Flinders Ranges South Australia. Liam studied guitar for 10 years with American guitarist Mark Goldenberg (Jackson Browne) and has toured his story songs and played guitar throughout Europe, USA and Australia with artists including Vika and Linda Bull, Ryan Bingham, Paul Weller, Jason Isbell, Elton John, Robbie Fulks, Pnau and The Eurogliders.
Liam has released two albums and a book of original songs ‘Ukulele Songs By Kids For Kids’ and made music for theatre and the screen. Liam is passionate about learning and teaching music and founded Ukulele Song School Australia to encourage kids to write their songs. In his role with SharingStories Foundation, Liam facilitated the recording of the soundscape for Woonyoomboo the Night Heron with students from the Nyikina Mangala Community School.
Liam Gerner
Nathan May
Sound Facilitator and Mentee
Nathan May is from the Arabunna Clan and has been at the Adelaide Conservatorium doing a degree in music. He recently joined the SharingStories Foundation crew as a mentee and is now a highly valued member of the team. Nathan is a talented musician and recording artist who graduated in 2014 with an Advanced Diploma in Aboriginal Studies in Music. He received the Elder Conservatorium Of Music Director’s Award in both 2013 and 2014 and was accepted into a Bachelor’s Degree in Music in 2015. He is a creative musician and composer across a range of styles, equally at home as a folk/country style singer/songwriter/guitarist, as an accomplished drummer, and as a rapper/hip hop producer. NITV profiled Nathan for a program in its Unearthed series. After training with SharingStories Foundation he now works on SharingStories programs as a music and sound facilitator supporting workshop participants in the writing, recording and production of their own songs and soundscapes using Garageband and ProTools . Nathan has worked with the Wamba Wamba, Paakantji, Nyikina Mangala and Adnyamathanha communities.
Nathan May
Kate Matthews
Art and Animation Facilitator
Kate is a multidisciplinary creative practitioner and educator. She works across narrative and documentary video, animation and writing, with strong interests in co-creative practices, collaborative storytelling and screen education. Her works have screened internationally. She has worked extensively with cultural, community and education organisations, recently as a Public Programs Producer and Educator at ACMI and a Teaching Associate at MADA.
Kate Matthews
Michael Jalaru Torres
Michael Jalaru Torres is an Indigenous fine art photographer, designer, filmmaker and poet. He is a Djugun-Yawuru man with tribal connections to the Gooniyandi/Jabbir Jabbir/Ngarluma peoples. He draws inspiration from the unique landscapes and people of the Kimberley region, which feature prominently in his work. Michael’s photography explores contemporary social and political issues facing Indigenous people, drawing on his own stories and personal history. He creates conceptual and innovative portraiture and abstract landscape photography. Although he is a self-taught photographer, he regularly experiments with different mediums, and he is interested in expanding his photography into installations and motion work, pushing the boundaries of conceptual photography.
Co-designed with Lead Mentor Michael Jalaru Torres, the mentorships will be delivered in a culturally safe learning environment in Broome, and provide employment pathways for young First Nations peoples in cultural leadership and digital media roles.
Michael Jalaru Torres
Timmy Church
Videographer
Timmy Church is a videographer with experience in camera works, editing, drone flying and mentoring. Timmy has been involved in many productions including work for NITV, The Fighting Gunditjmara, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (Treaty Campaign), Medibank, North Central Catchment Management Authority (NCCMA), Wayapa, Richmond Football Club (Digital Storytelling), Inner South Health Service (St Kilda), The Koorie Heritage Trust and Rumbalara Football Netball Club. As a videographer and cultural advisor for SharingStories, Timmy makes it his purpose to work closely in partnership with the community to ensure his work best represents their requests.
Timmy Church
Shirley Drill
Cultural Facilitator
Shirley Drill is a Gija woman of Nagarra skin and a Traditional Owner of Purnululu Country, south east of the Warmun Community. Her bush name is Yurlutal.
Shirley is a strong community leader, with an independent mind grounded in her culture but very much able to understand and move in and out of gardiya (whitefella) world.
Shirley has painted with Warmun Art Centre since its inception in 1998, and is currently on its board of directors. Strong in language, law and culture, Shirley has worked extensively on Gija language with the linguist Frances Kofod, the Warmun Community Council and the Kimberley Land Council.
Shirley Drill
Kevin Atkinson
Cultural Facilitator
Kevin Atkinson is an Elder of the Moiradu Clan of the Bangerang Nation, who grew up on Cummeragunja and still lives on Country in Shepparton. He is proud of his culture which has been passed down to him through his elders. He has expressed his culture through art, such as tool making and painting, and now passes his cultural knowledge on to the next generation through his work including SharingStories’ programs. Kevin has worked all of his life in the Aboriginal community, in roles in housing and cultural heritage management.
Kevin Atkinson
The Three Tribal Groups
Cultural Facilitator
There are Three Tribal Groups that care for the Willandra Lakes region, the Paakantji, Muthi Muthi and Ngiyampaa people. Each group has unique characteristics regarding language, culture and customs. The Willandra Lakes Region Aboriginal Advisory Group has 9 members, 3 elected from each of the 3 tribal groups who are the Traditional Owners of the Country. These 3 Tribal groups work together to protect and conserve the landscape and all things in it.
In 1981, Willandra Lakes was added to the World Heritage List. It was one of the first Australian World Heritage sites and one of the very few within Australia to be listed for both natural and cultural values.
The Three Tribal Groups are using technologies to record and maintain culture. As part of programs with the foundation, the groups are utilising new tools and technology to record and tell cultural stories from the region.
L-R Back Row: Leanne Mitchell, Eric Mitchell, Dale Patterson (Griffith Uni), Jason Kelly, Chris Little (Griffith Uni)
L-R Middle Row: Ivan Johnson, Joan Slade, Patsy Winch, Coral Ellis, Mary Pappin Snr, Maureen Reylend, Mary Pappin Jnr and little Audrina.
L-R front row: Taz Miller and Daen Sansbury-Smith
The Three Tribal Groups
Davis Muwarra Marrawuŋgu
Cultural Facilitator
Davis Muwarra Marrawuŋgu is from Dhuwalkitj Country in North East Arnhem land. Because the turtle travelled through his land, his people are now bound together with Liya Dhälimymirr to hold the story of the Mukarr. As part of the guthara granddaughter clan, Davis holds the responsibility to the story and to all others in his clan nation.
Davis's is dedicated to publishing the work so the younger generation can learn and and have a better understanding about their culture. The young ones can practice and know this is the true story.
Davis Muwarra Marrawuŋgu
Miles Bennett
Miles Bennett
Previous Facilitators
We'd like to acknowledge all those facilitators who have worked with us over the years and the amazing contribution they have made.
Conor Fox (Animator), Jane Hole (Sound Facilitator), Missi Mel Pesa (Sound Facilitator), Lindsay Cox (Animator), Jonathon Daw (Animator), Mark Hill (Creative Director and Artwork and Performance Facilitator), Gregg Brown (Animator), Sean Ryan (Sound Facilitator) and Krista Scott (Education Facilitator).