Our team
Wadawurrung Country | Wiyn Kalkkalk, Victoria Women's Workshop Credit: TJ Garvie
Co-leadership
Victor Steffensen
Victor Steffensen
Victor is an Indigenous writer, filmmaker, musician and consultant applying traditional knowledge in a contemporary context. Much of Victor’s work has been based on the arts and reviving traditional knowledge values, particularly Aboriginal fire management, with Aboriginal communities and non-Indigenous Australians.
Victor holds an Honorary Doctor of Science and is the author of several books, including the groundbreaking book, Fire Country.
Craig North
Craig North
Craig has 17+ years as a senior executive in Indigenous economic development and impact. Before this role, Craig was the founder of Indigenous Impact Pty Ltd, which was established in 2020 to support the development of Indigenous impact investment opportunities. Craig has held positions as a non-executive director on the board of Australian Native Food and Botanicals, a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Circular Economy Hub, Deputy Chair of Queensland South Native Services and as an Executive-In-Residence at The Yunus Centre, Griffith University.
In 2016, Craig became the first Indigenous Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation’s commercial agribusiness subsidiary. Craig has a Bachelor of Environmental Science, a Graduate Certificate in Business and completed an Impact Finance Innovations Program through a scholarship at the University of Oxford.Craig has 17+ years as a senior executive in Indigenous economic development and impact.
Before this role, Craig was the founder of Indigenous Impact Pty Ltd, which was established in 2020 to support the development of Indigenous impact investment opportunities. Craig has held positions as a non-executive director on the board of Australian Native Food and Botanicals, a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Circular Economy Hub, Deputy Chair of Queensland South Native Services and as an Executive-In-Residence at The Yunus Centre, Griffith University. In 2016, Craig became the first Indigenous Chief Executive Officer of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation’s commercial agribusiness subsidiary. Craig has a Bachelor of Environmental Science, a Graduate Certificate in Business and completed an Impact Finance Innovations Program through a scholarship at the University of Oxford.
Partnerships and Communications Hub
Rachel Steffensen
Rachel Steffensen
Rachel is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander born and raised in Far North Queensland where she spent her childhood learning from her father the importance of land management, looking after Country and grassroots-led initiatives. Rachel’s passion is to make positive change within communities through supporting mob by strengthening partnerships and navigating the complexities of cultural protocols in a modern-day setting.
Ash Steel
Ash Steel
Ash's strengths lie in the design and delivery of communications solutions that empower communities and prioritise social and cultural justice. Throughout her dynamic career, Ash has combined skills in Arts, Communications and Graphic Design with Community Development, Advocacy and Human Rights. After graduating with First Class Honours in a Bachelor of Visual Communication, Ash began her career as a Graphic Designer. But a strong commitment to social justice and human rights drew Ash to Central Australia where she began working with First Nations community organisations in Communications and Community Development roles, including 6+ years with First Nations not-for-profit Children’s Ground. Ash recently completed a Masters of Human Rights to deepen her knowledge of the systems and structures underpinning injustice and inequality.
Research and Learning Hub
Dr Peta-Marie Strandley
Dr Peta-Marie Strandley
Dr. Peta Standley is a Co-founder of Firesticks and has spent her career working alongside Indigenous people in the documentation, transfer, monitoring, and communication of their cultural fire knowledge.
As a fire ecologist, Peta's PhD research focused on transformational research practice in Indigenous knowledge domains, while undertaking in-depth documentation of two Senior Kuku Thaypan Elders’ traditional cultural fire knowledge. Her work also supported the co-development of the Firesticks National Indigenous Fire Workshops led by Dr. Tommy George and Victor Steffensen.
Before and during her involvement in this work she engaged with Indigenous communities in Cape York, Wet Tropics, Northern Gulf bio-regions and more broadly across Australia in support of caring for country initiatives. She has over thirty years’ experience in operations management and business administration having held executive leadership roles in Government and not-for-profit organisations.
Kimberley Taylor-McInnes
Kimberley Taylor-McInnes
Kimberley has a degree in Anthropology and Criminology from James Cook University and has worked for the QLD Government in the Youth Justice and Child Protection Space. Before this, Kimberley managed and helped establish several programs in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) to engage Aboriginal youth back into education through the Youth Outreach Service and Girls Academy. Kimberley is passionate about connecting the next generation of children and youth back to their culture and supporting communities to revitalise traditional knowledge.
Far North QLD Hub
Koorin Campbell
Koorin Campbell
Koorin Campbell is a Djiringanj/Walbunja – Yuin, Thunghutti Traditional Owner. Koorin has experience doing volunteer work for National Parks and Wildlife Service in Narooma on Koala and Potoroo surveying projects. Koorin worked for four years with Catchment Management Authority / South East Local Land Services as a Field Officer on a Koori Work Crew where he completed his Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management. Koorin has worked six years in the construction industry and has also completed a Certificate III in Civil Construction. The Black Summer fires sparked Koorin’s interest in learning traditional methods of using fire because of the devastating effect it had on the landscape and native flora and fauna.
Southeast QLD Hub
Leeton Lee
Leeton Lee
Leeton has a background in youth work, community services and cultural education. He has been working with various mentors to continue and preserve traditional knowledge from tool making with stone, timber and other natural materials, foods and medicine knowledge and the reintroduction of the right fire on Country by practical application. Leeton is also a volunteer firefighter with the Rural Fire Service and has committed to make cultural land management and Indigenous fire management his life’s work. Leeton's main passion, aside from preserving and practicing the old ways of doing, is to see the restoration of landscape identity through the many adaptive practices to maintain diversity and cultural values through an Indigenous lens.
Germaine Paulson
Germaine Paulson
Germaine carries songline and story responsibility for Mununjali mob, which led him to engage in caring for Country as a part of his cultural responsibilities. Germaine worked with Firesticks to help build a land management plan for the community property using the methodologies of the old people and re-establish identity to Country. Before this, Germaine was employed by the Southeast Regional Department of Education to assist teachers in connecting cultural perspectives to the curriculum and re-engaging young people in education.
Germaine also worked for Mununjali Housing as a community support worker. Through his work in the community service space and connecting with Firesticks around traditional land care practises, Germaine came to recognise the connection between the health of a people in community and the health of Country. Germaine sees every day as a privilege to walk Country with community while fulfilling cultural responsibilities as Custodians of Country.
Hunter, Central Tablelands and Greater Sydney, NSW Hub
Peter Townsend
Peter Townsend
Peter Townsend is a Traditional Custodian of the Wiradjuri, Wayilwan and Gamilaraay Nations of Western and North-Western NSW. He grew up in his father’s homelands on Wayilwan country, where he found his passion for his culture. Pete has a background in the Environment, Culture and Heritage and Land Management fields, where he has spent the last 20 years or so of his life working in Local Aboriginal Land Councils as a Culture and Heritage and Sites Officer. Pete has completed his Conservation and Land Management training from Cert 1 to Diploma level. He also has a Certificate 4 in Frontline Management. Pete is a current member of the NSW Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Advisory Committee.
Southern Yuin, NSW Hub
Dan Morgan
Dan Morgan
Dan Morgan is a Djiringanj Yuin Traditional Custodian and Cultural Fire Practitioner.
Dan has many years of experience as Aboriginal field officer for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and has served as a Traditional Owner representative on the Biamanga board of management. This experience has given Dan a profound working knowledge of joint management arrangements in NSW and a deep ability to read and work with Country.
Dan is a driving force in the revival of cultural land management practices within the southern Yuin community. Dan’s deep connection to and understanding of this landscape have enabled him to powerfully support communities to reinvigorate traditional land-management practices that aim to carefully restore the health of Country. Dan has also been a staunch advocate for the recognition of cultural values into government agency management plans, and for a paradigm shift away from western fire management and a return of the traditional fire regimes of Australia, with profound ecological, cultural and social benefits for Country and communities.
In 2010–11, while representing the Biamanga board of management, Dan had the opportunity to meet Victor Steffensen at a workshop he attended at Cape York. From that day Dan’s perception of fire implementation changed and he has been an advocate for Cultural Fire since. Dan’s work shows the important role that culturally significant, threatened species, like koalas, can have in achieving healthy outcomes for Country as a whole and community.
Kaurna, SA Hub
Rayne Simpson
Rayne Simpson
Working on Country and learning from Elders has led Rayne on a path in life that has brought him closer to his culture. Rayne's background is in the banking industry and after 15 years he decided to start a much more meaningful journey to revitalise traditional land management practices within his community.
Drawing off the teachings of Elders and collaborating with fellow Kaurna men and women, Rayne has integrated traditional fire management techniques into his approach to work and life. Rayne's goals are not only to improve the health of lands and waterways but to create opportunities for young Indigenous people to play a crucial role in their own cultural journey and economic empowerment. Working with Firesticks has reassured Rayne that the work the Kaurna Fire Team have completed to date has been in the footsteps of the ancestors. The support Firesticks provide empowers Rayne to continue promoting and practicing the crucial role of Traditional Owners managing their own lands.
Quahli Newchurch
Quahli Newchurch
Quahli's background is in environmental management, cultural education, and volunteer support services. Quahli currently sits on Warpulai Kumangka, a Kaurna environmental advisory committee to the Green Adelaide Landscape Board and provides cultural and environmental advice and perspective into various environmental projects within the Kaurna footprint. Over the past few years, Quahli has attended community workshops with Victor Steffensen on Kaurna and Narungga Country learning about Cultural Fire, which has unlocked a deeper understanding of Country and how we can truly begin to heal together. Quahli is excited to continue this learning journey along with her community. She looks forward to bringing the Old Peoples’ ways and knowledge of caring for Country back into our landscape, to heal and restore Country for a healthier future for us, our children and our children’s children.
Clem Newchurch
Clem Newchurch
Clem worked for many years as an Aboriginal Community Education Officer in South Australian schools, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families. After this he moved into a Community Development role in local government, developing youth programs such as skate competitions and art sessions. More recently Clem has operated as a sole trader, providing cultural education and consultancy in a variety of settings, including environmental advisory groups (such as Green Adelaide’s Warpulai Kumungka and the Kaurna Parks Advisory Committee). Alongside this, Clem dabbles in the arts, learning how to weave from Ngarrindjeri Elders. After being asked by a few Elders to look into it, Clem taught himself how to make string and nets from native plants local to our region. Clem carves, making boomerangs, shields, spears and a range of other items. He's also written and directed a couple of short documentaries/films.
Paul Dixon
Paul Dixon
Paul has an interest in Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri plants and their uses and has wanted to work with the environment since he was a child. Paul is keen to learn new skills and more about his culture while caring for Country.
Lutruwita (Tasmania) Hub
Shannon Mansell
Shannon Mansell
Shannon is a proud Pakana, Tralwulway man who has lived within Launceston all his life. Shannon has for the past 13 years worked with Parks and Wildlife Services and has completed a Diploma in Conservation and Land Management. Shannon holds his Cert II in Public Safety (Firefighting Operations) and has been involved with over 100 burns across Lutruwita.
Shannon is dedicated to returning cultural fire to Country and helping train and gain opportunities for his community.
Jesse Williams
Jesse Williams
Jesse has lived on North Lutruwita Country his whole life and is an avid supporter of Cultural Fire. Jesse holds a Diploma in Conservation and Land Management and has a long professional background as an Aboriginal Ranger, with the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Services. Jesse also holds a Certificate II in Public Safety (Firefighting Operations) and other Western accreditations in firefighting. He has a high level of knowledge and awareness in the fire space, and he is furthering his journey with Cultural Fire by leading the Firesticks Mentoring Program in Lutruwita. Jesse loves being able to work on Country and apply his responsibilities in her health and healing while also supporting the community. Jesse experiences immense satisfaction in being able to assist others with these learnings and with their own identity and personal growth journeys.
Roy Thomas
Roy Thomas
Roy is a proud Palawa man, born in Victoria and then taken home to Truwana (Cape Barren Island) Tasmania. He spent five years with Parks and Wildlife Tasmania as a remote arduous firefighter learning the differences in fire behaviour. Roy started his land management journey at 19 years old working with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre on Chapple Island and has moved around in many different industries since. Working as a supervisor on the truwana Ranger program for a year and then getting the opportunity to move into an Associate Fire Practitioner position was the greatest outcome he could ask for.
Programs Hub
Gebro Buli
Gebro Buli
Gebro has cultural and historical links to both Wik Mungkan, Thanakwith and Erub Island. With a background in Employment and Training, she has a passion for building capacity and capability in people, but especially mob. Gebro’s diverse work background has seen her liaise with a variety of people and so she has mastered the skills of community engagement and strategic planning.
Michelle Kovacevic
Michelle Kovacevic
Michelle is a communications specialist and program manager with a passion for listening, learning and supporting people to share their stories. She’s got a decade of experience working cross-culturally in senior program management roles, assisting rapidly growing organisations in Australia and internationally to establish systems and procedures that streamline operations.
In 2015, Michelle co-founded the Youth in Landscapes Initiative – a global movement of 60,000 young people bringing positive change for the sustainability of their landscapes. She has also helped young farmers around the world access mentoring and investment for their ideas and coordinated a national movement to help people new to Australia build trust, belonging and connection with their neighbours over a shared meal.
Clare Reeves
Clare Reeves
Clare Reeves is a first-generation Australian, raised in Ireland, as part of the O’Brien clan and immersed in Celtic heritage and tradition. Her passion for conservation and respect for the natural environment stems from this strong cultural foundation. Clare has worked with environmental non-for-profits and volunteer organisations with a particular focus on training facilitation and program development. In 2020, Clare achieved the prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship and Fellowship Award while studying a Bachelor of Parks, Recreation and Heritage. She was fortunate to be able to work with Wiradjuri elders and mob during her study; they continue to be a constant inspiration and influence on her work in land and resource management. Clare came to Firesticks from a role in the Fire Management Unit of the ACT Parks and Conservation Service after reading Victor Steffensen's ‘Fire Country’. Clare is engaged in her rural community as a volunteer firefighter and wildlife rescuer and is looking forward to contributing to the Firesticks team and building capacity in communities.
Anese Burns
Anese Burns
Anese is undertaking a dual bachelor’s degree in psychology and business and believes that development and education in this field will support her to pursue her passion more effectively for social justice and improving industry processes. Anese's compassion for people began with volunteering at a local health clinic where she listened to stories from Elders from diverse cultural backgrounds to support them in their health care. As a result, Anese has developed an interest in human behaviour, education, and neuroscience inspiring her study in psychology with which she seeks to understand the fundamental basis of the decision-making processes that underpin her aforementioned passions. At Firesticks, Anese currently provides support to enable regional teams across Australia to achieve their goals in program delivery.
Amber Webb
Amber Webb
Amber’s working background is in threatened species management and environmental restoration for non-profit organisations. Amber has built her project management skills through previous roles with Australian Ecosystems Foundation Inc. and Bush Heritage. With Bush Heritage, Amber’s role was targeted at the restoration of Snow Gum and Yellow Box woodlands, on Ngarigo and Ngunnawal Country. Amber is currently completing a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Ecology and Conservation) with Charles Sturt University and has completed a Certificate III in Conservation and Land Management. As part of her degree, Amber has worked in arid zone landscapes such as the Strzelecki Desert and Mallee Cliffs National Park. Amber is driven to continue working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in returning Cultural Fire to the landscape and shifting contemporary fire regimes.