Adelaide Hills Reconciliation Working Group
The Adelaide Hills Reconciliation Working Group (AHRWG) is a regional reference group that assists the Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker District Councils to develop and implement their Reconciliation Action Plans. It also provides general advice on matters that impact the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
There are nearly 600 residents in the Adelaide Hills region who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (2016 Census, 220 Adelaide Hills Council, 360 Mount Barker District Council). The councils of this region recognise that the Aboriginal heritage and living culture of First Nation Peoples is a fundamental part of our district and thriving communities.
Reconciliation
Reconciliation is about Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians talking, walking, and working together to overcome the reasons for division and inequality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
Reconciliation is a nationally recognised approach to:
- Recognising and celebrating Aboriginal culture and contributions
- Building and strengthening our engagement with the Aboriginal community
- Acknowledging the impact of the past for Aboriginal people
- Building a future together
“As Australians, we are all here, woven into this country. As part of our reconciliation journey, there are truths to tell, stories to celebrate, and relationships to grow. Reconciliation is at the heart of our nations’ future” – Reconciliation Australia
For everyone
Reconciliation is not a niche topic; it is relevant to all people:
- Peramangk and Kaurna traditional custodians
- Non-Aboriginal people who live and work in the area
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live and work in our area
The AHRWG will use the Adelaide Hills and Mount Barker District Councils’ websites to share information and resources with the general public. We welcome community interest and feedback.
Meet your Adelaide Hills Reconciliation Working Group
Andrew McNichol
Andrew has worked with various Indigenous communities as an artist and educator for more than 30 years including mounting a major workshop and performance program for local schools called "What Happened Here?" in collaboration with Permangk elder Richard Hunter and local historians Anni Luur Fox and Robin Coles in 1993.
He has worked extensively with the Ngarrindjeri community in Murray Bridge as both as a community workship leader and performing arts instructor.
It was personally transformative for Andrew to work as an artist in residence within the Yuendumu community. On his second visit, he was given a skin name, tying him to kin in order to work alongside indigenous artists under their guidance. This gift of kinship to the Walbiri community had a very powerful effect on him.
Andrew is currently the Artistic Director of the local arts group, Arts Excentrix, (formerly Dance Excentrix), an organisation that has made a huge contribution to Community Cultural Development in the Adelaide Hills and Mt Barker regions since 1987 providing performances and educational opportunities.
Deanne Hanchant-Nichol
Deanne is a life-long Hills local.
A descendant of the Tanganekald and Ramindjeri peoples through her grandmother, and of the Barkindji peoples through her grandfather, Deanne also has family connections to the Narungga and Kaurna people. Deanne’s mother’s family are descendants of the Prussian Weinerts who arrived in the hills in 1841 and settled in Lobethal.
Deanne works as a consultant for Aboriginal employment and development at UniSA. She was a writer of the 2014 Reconciliation Action Plan and instrumental in establishing a Kaurna Welcome for the new Vice Chancellor in 2013.
She is a recipient of the Vice Chancellor’s Professional Staff Excellence Award, for reconciliation and working across boundaries, as well as a Gladys Elphick Award, for influencing positive change for Aboriginal people in the workforce.
Deanne is also a Hills Treasure.
Lou Turner
Lou is a proud Pitjantjatjara Anangu man with Indonesian and Scottish heritage. He is guided by his experiences of growing up between cultures, families, and environments.
His experiences have led to a belief in the value of reciprocity and Lou aspires to seek understandings and solutions that can embolden processes of reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. He believes that this can be achieved through a mutual exchange of ideas and a willingness to heal our past and grow a proud future together.
Lou expresses faith in the process of harnessing collective strengths to raise and sustain a future of united voice that can talk of a national identity we can all own and be proud of.
Jane Longbottom
Jane is a semi-retired white woman living on Kaurna/Peramangk country at Crafers west. She has lived here for 28 years, and a further ten years on Ngarindjeri country prior to this.
As part of her Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Queensland, Jane worked for a small Aboriginal community-controlled welfare service in inner city Brisbane for three months in 1974. This changed her life completely. Over the years, Jane has worked for other Aboriginal organisations and has been involved with Aboriginal staff and programs in mainstream settings.
Jane's involvement in the development of Reconciliation Action Plans for large not for profit agency has shown her the many benefits active RAPs bring to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal service users and staff.
Jane continues to learn more about her own internalised racism and the reality of white privilege and its influence in all aspect of life. She also continues to learn more about the necessity of truth telling about the real history of country since colonisation and the ongoing violence injustice perpetrated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Hayley Willis
Hayley has lived on Peramangk Country for most of her life. Her mother, an Eastern and Northern Arrente woman, was born in Alice Springs and, when removed from her family, was adopted by a family in Flaxley.
Hayley has been in an Aboriginal education role for over 11 years, currently working as an Aboriginal Services Engagement Officer for the Department for Education.
Linking local schools with reconciliation events and activities is important for Hayley, as is creating more curriculum resources for Peramangk Country.
Hayley organises the Just Too Deadly Awards which is an annual event that celebrates Aboriginal students living in the Adelaide Hills.
Jade Brook
Jade is Nurrunga with the blood of Kaurna with ties to Ngarrindjeri and Barkindji and has lived in the Adelaide Hills for the past 13 years with her son Jacob and their many animals.
Jade currently works as an Aboriginal Community Education Officer at a local Hills school, runs a consultancy service that works with local businesses to support them in how to be culturally competent and culturally safe. Jade is also one of the founders of APPS - Aboriginal People Providing Service and is on the board of Woven.
Jade is has a full scholarship to study Aboriginal Christian Leadership and is currently in her second year. This is a national program run by Australian's Together. Jade also has a Dipolma of Leadership with Alphacrucis. Jade loves standing strong for her community and family.
Ros Cameron
Ros Cameron is a Northern and Eastern Arrente woman with Swedish and Scottish Heritage. She was born in Alice Springs, but adopted out to a Non Aborignal family in Flaxley in the Adelaide Hills.
She currently works in Mount Barker in specialising in the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Stait Islander students and families.
Ros loves sharing Aboriginal history and culture with students and the community. She heads up a committee for Flaxley Woven, a place where Arts & Culture meets community - Reconciliation in action!
She is also very creative and loves to sing. Ros is a visual artist.
Jessica Szilassy
Jessica joins the working group as an elected member of the Mount Barker District Council.
Adrian Cheater
Adrian joins the working group as an elected member of the Adelaide Hills Council.