10 May, 2016

Staff profile: Brendan Oldfield, LALC Support Officer Southern Zone

My mother is from Condobolin, a small country town in the middle of New South Wales in Wiradjuri Country. Mum moved to Queanbeyan in her late teens where she met my Dad and settled down to have a family and I have never left the place

I always looked up to my cousins as a young lad. All were very talented rugby league players and I wanted to be just like them.

I’ve recently moved from Government to work for NSWALC with the expectation of working with community, to be seen working with the community instead of sitting behind a desk.

I joined NSWALC two months ago and am already heavily involved in delivering governance training across the South Coast and some parts of Wiradjuri.

Having that face-to face-contact and seeing Board members is really satisfying. They’re leaving the training or meeting learning new things and having a better understanding of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act and how good governance can help them achieve good outcomes for their families and community.

To me land means culture and I’ve enjoyed meeting Aboriginal people from across NSW whom all have the same goals and passion for our people.

It’s vital for mob to join a Local Aboriginal Land Council. Becoming a member gives you a voice. It helps grow community engagement and build pathways for our children, the next generation of leaders.