Ambassadors

Marie Bashir completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, and served as the first female Governor of New South Wales from 2001 to 2014.

At the time of her appointment she was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney, Area Director of Mental Health Services Central Sydney and Senior Consultant to the Aboriginal Medical Service, Redfern and Kempsey. She became an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1988 and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 2006. In June 2014, she was named a Dame of the Order of Australia (AD) for her extraordinary achievement and merit in service.

Larissa Behrendt is a Eualeyai/Kamillaroi woman. She is the Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Her published works include Indigenous Australia for Dummies and several novels and books on Indigenous issues. She was named as 2009 NAIDOC Person of the Year and 2011 New South Wales Australian of the Year. Her involvement in the arts includes filmmaking and Chair at Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Richard Glover is the author of twelve books, including George Clooney’s Haircut—and Other Cries for Help, a collection of his comic pieces featured on ABC Radio’s Thank God It’s Friday.

His weekly humour column has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald for over twenty years, and he also presents the top-rating Drive show on ABC Radio Sydney. Both his sons attended IGS.

Jack is the CEO and Founder of AIME, a mentoring program that he started at age 19 with 25 Indigenous young people in Redfern, Sydney. AIME was set out to lift young people out of inequality through mentoring. 14 years later and the AIME model of mentoring has worked with over 25,000 young people, engaged over 8,000 university students as mentors and is now operating in four different countries.

Amongst a few awards to recognise Jack’s work, he’s the youngest person in Australian history to win an honorary doctorate.

Of being an ambassador for the IGS program Jack said, “I want to see a better, more inclusive, kinder, braver, and bolder Australia, and the students, families and alumni at IGS can help lead that change”.

Natalie Ahmat is a Presenter, Producer and Senior Journalist at National Indigenous Television (NITV). A proud Mudburra (NT) and Maluyligal (Torres Strait, QLD) First Nations woman, Natalie is the face of NITV News, Australia’s only Indigenous television news bulletin, and is one of the hosts of NITV’s flagship current affairs program, The Point.

Natalie joined NITV in 2008 to help give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals a voice in the Australian media. Since then, has anchored NITV News bulletins and specials from some of the most remote parts of the country, covering a number of significant Indigenous stories and events. Some highlights include fronting NITV’s live coverage of the Garma Festival from Arnhem Land, as well as broadcasting live programs from the Constitutional Convention at Uluru, and the 50th Anniversary of the Wave Hill Walkoff.

Warren Mundine is a Bundjalung man. His roles include Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation and Managing Director of NyunggaBlack.

He was the  former CEO of GenerationONE and NTSCORP Ltd, and National President of the Australian Labor Party. He was awarded the 2005 Bennelong Medal for Leadership in Indigenous Affairs. He is passionate about football and is an advocate for empowering Indigenous Australia to build a sustainable Indigenous economy.

Kim Williams AM has a long involvement in the arts and entertainment industry in Australia and overseas. His various positions include Chief Executive at each of News Corp Australia, FOXTEL, Fox Studios Australia, the Australian Film Commission, Southern Star Entertainment and Musica Viva Australia, and as a senior executive at the ABC.

He was Chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust 2005–2013, and was appointed as a Member in the Order of Australia in June 2006. Mr Williams continues to apply his extensive experience in professional advisory and teaching assignments. He has been an Ambassador for the Indigenous Scholarship Program since 2010.