The Board of Directors
John Harding -
Co-Founder, Director and Chairperson
Meriam/Gu-Gu Yulangi
John (he/him) is a Meriam/Gu-Gu Yulangi man, born and bred in Melbourne. John has written in theatre, television series, documentaries, dramas, films, and poetry for over 35 years. John has won several State and National awards, including the Human Rights Drama Award. He specialises in creative writing and has held positions on Indigenous Advisory committees for the Melbourne Arts Festival and Australian Arts Law Centre. John is a founding member of Ilbijerri Aboriginal/TSI Theatre Company, and the First Nations Writers Network (FNAWN).
John's previous roles include; a National consultant for the Australian Red Cross in Diversity and Inclusion and the Chief Executive Officer of Barmal Bijiril. He is currently the First Nations Practice Lead at Social Ventures Australia and is a board member at the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP).
John is also completing his doctorate of philosophy at the University of Melbourne, where he is a guest lecturer.
Lisa Thorpe
Non-Executive Director
Gunditjmara/ Gunnai
Lisa Thorpe is a Gunditjmara/ Gunnai woman from Victoria. Lisa is the CEO of Bubup Wilam for Early Learning Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. She has been integral to the inception and development of Bubup Wilam and ensuring the right to self-determination for Aboriginal children and their families. Lisa has been employed in Aboriginal community-based and community-controlled organisations for most of her career. She has managed and worked on many programs that have directly contributed to providing services for Aboriginal people.
Lisa has a Master’s in Public Health from Deakin, where she worked as an Associate Professor with the Institute Koorie Education for seven years and is currently completing her PhD.
Lisa is a strong advocate for her people and works tirelessly to ensure First Nation rights to self-determination are met.
Marla Briscoe
Non- Executive Director
Warlpiri
Marla (she/her) is a proud descendant of the Warlpiri nation. Marla has over 20 years of experience working with First Nations communities in South Australia as a Project officer in community engagement and managerial roles.
Marla has extensive experience as a researcher for the South Australian Department of Health before moving to the Nunkuwarrin Yunti in South Australia to lead the fleet and administration team. Marla also worked in the corporate sector in the Cooper Basin as a Land Access Co-ordinator and currently holds the position of Community Engagement Officer at the Fay Fuller Foundation.
Marla brings years of administrative and logistics/freight experience to the Books n Boots executive team, and her connection to First Nations rural and remote communities is highly regarded.
Clayton Murray-Mitchell
Non- Executive Director
Ngandjon-jji , Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba
Clayton Murray-Mitchell (he/him) is a proud Ngandjon-jji, Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba man. He hasbeen widely known for establishing the Three Rivers Festival; an annual gathering celebrating First Nations arts, culture and sport on Yorta-Yorta
country, Moama NSW. Clayton has held roles in mentorship, Community engagement
and mental health for organisations such as AFL Sports Ready and Njernda
Aboriginal Co-op. In 2015, Clayton coordinated the Specky Dreaming on Galiwinku Elcho Island, Northern Territory, an AFL football program that aims
to promote health and participation. In 2013, Clayton received the Fellowship
for Indigenous Leadership Emerging Leaders Award. Clayton currently works at the
Jamukurnu Yapalikurnu Aboriginal Corporation, as a Community Development worker and is based in Western Australia.
Introducing our
Cultural Elder, Uncle Tommy Smith
Wiradjuri
Uncle Tommy Smith is a highly respected Wiradjuri man and experienced community development strategist from Cowra. He has lived in Redfern, Fitzroy, and Canberra most of his life. Uncle Tommy has spent his career pioneering self-determination for First Nations peoples in many areas. A qualified school teacher, in 1983 Uncle Tommy was an adviser to the Victorian Education Department and the Victorian Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Secretariat in the establishment of VAEAI.
Uncle Tommy also established the first Koorie Housing Construction (KHC) companies in Australia, based in Collingwood, Naarm. Recently retired, Uncle Tommy’s last post was to manage the National Indigenous Ranger Program for the National Department of Environment and Heritage, under three Prime Ministers, looking after over 200 First Nations rangers across the country, treating caretakers with cultural respect and acknowledgment.
Uncle Tommy's life experience, knowledge, and extensive connections with communities across Australia are highly appreciated at Books n Boots.
Meet our deadly team!
Books n Boots is operated solely on the generosity of volunteers, board members and on-the-ground people. We truly appreciate all the time, persistence and passion each member brings.
We wouldn't exist without you. Thank you :)
Tara Newen
Co-Founder & National Co-ordinator (Naarm)
Tara (she/her) is a Cham descendant Indigenous to the land now known as Vietnam. She has extensive experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities and is a fifteen-year veteran. As a Family Services Practitioner, Tara has also worked for The Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and several other not-for-profit welfare agencies. Tara's involvement with the First Nations community in Melbourne was strengthened through her engagement with The Marge Tucker Hostel in Melbourne, where she provided trusted support for at-risk First Nations teenage girls. As Lead Practitioner of Children and Parenting Support Service for Western Melbourne, she established the Booron Program for First Nations parents and their children.
Tara is passionate about addressing the health, well-being, and educational inequities of First Nations peoples. As co-founder of Books n Boots, Tara aims to take the broader community with her in levelling access to learning for First Nations children and their families. Tara is completing a Master of Business Administration.
Aunty Joan - Tiny Treasures (Bundjalung)
Joan (she/her) is a retired social worker currently supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Her previous career involved social work in health and disability services, most recently in partnering with the families of young children with disabilities to assist them in accessing the needed resources. As part of this role, she worked with a First Nations playgroup on Bundjalung Country - a role in which she felt privileged to work and absolutely loved. These experiences sparked Joan's passion to volunteer in a role that strives to ensure that every child has equitable access to resources and equal opportunities for learning and development. When she heard about the aims of Books ’n’ Boots, it seemed a perfect fit! In her spare time, Joan advocates protecting the koala population and their habitat in her local area. She also makes Ooray/Davidson plum jam and enjoys kayaking with friends.
Justin Green- Tiny Treasures (Naarm)
Justin joined the Naarm Books n Boots team in 2021, providing expert advice on operations.
For over thirty years, Justin has worked as a set builder, prop maker and sculpture fabricator across theatre and film for Belvoir Street Theatre Company and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras before starting his own Design realisation company in 2007. In 2019, Justin joined the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Melbourne, teaching in Production and Master of Fine Arts design courses. In 2022, Justin joined the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Arts and Cultural Development, where he is currently working as an academic assistant and
researcher.Justin is passionate about First Nations justice and is continually immersed in ongoing discourse with First Nations peoples.
Sam Gibbard - Tiny Treasures, AEH (Naarm)
Sam is (he/him) is a Collections and datasets Librarian at Victoria University in Melbourne. When he is not working on collections and metadata at work, he does it in his spare time with several large volunteer projects over the years, and at home, with retro video games and books about his beloved Leeds United.
Sam joined Books n Boots in 2022 in the Tiny Treasures program and is also assisting in building and cataloguing a resource library for Aunty Eleanor Harding's Tutoring Program.
Sam enjoys building Street Libraries from rescued wood and furniture.
