BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gadigal Information Service Aboriginal Corporation is governed by a constitution registered with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations. GIS is governed by a Board of Directors who are democratically elected by our members at our Annual General Meeting.

Dallas Wellington

Chairperson

Dallas is a proud descendant of the Jerrinja Clan of the Wandi-wandian People, on the south coast of New South Wales. He also has inherited cultural ties and affiliations with Walbunja, Djiringanj, Wodi Wodi, Dharawal, Dhungutti and Waiben, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Countries in Australia; as well as Ngati Whanaunga in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Dallas has lived and worked within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community for more than 20 years on the lands of the Gadigal, Wangal, Bidjigal, Cammeraygal, Eora, Darug, Dharawal, Gundungurra and Worimi nations within the Greater Sydney metropolitan area.

Dallas is dedicated to human rights for his people including land rights, culture and heritage, families and communities, and education. As a Board member of Gadigal Information Service, he is passionate about decolonization and being a strong voice for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities in the city. He contributes Aboriginal cultural values in a respectful, competent, and inclusive way.

Steven Ross

Secretary

Steven Ross is proudly Wamba Wamba from Deniliquin and Moonacullah Mission. He also has bloodline connections to the Wiradjuri (Carrolls and Bambletts from Cowra and Yass), Mutthi Mutthi (Edwards from Balranald and Lake Mungo) and Gunditjmara (Ross' and Roses from Framlingham). Steven was born in Sydney and raised in the inner west. He was a previous broadcaster at Koori Radio and board member of Gadigal Information Service. 

Other boards he has been on include the Inner City Legal Centre, NSW State Library Advisory Board, the Australian Conservation Foundation, and the Murray Catchment Management Authority.  Steven has also held various roles working with First Nations communities, especially in Western Sydney (in Blacktown on Dharug Country), where he currently lives and works. In his spare time, he is a cultural producer and writer. 

Steven is dedicated to rights to country and culture, and his passion for GIS is to grow the membership and to enhance governance of the organisation. He is driven by our GIS members and community.

Peta-Joy Williams

Treasurer

Peta-Joy Williams is a Wiradjuri woman, born in Sydney. With her feet firmly in both cultures, the inland fresh water and coastal salt water, she draws inspiration from the unique elements of these two diverse nations. Over the years Peta-Joy has worked in several community and mainstream roles. Starting out in the arts studying Cultural Arts at Eora TAFE in the late1990’s and working in the gallery space after completing her Diploma of Fine Arts. 

Over the last 20 plus years Peta-Joy has been a regular presence at Gadigal Information Service, where her passion for events was cemented. Over her time at GIS she assisted with numerous Klub Koori and Yabun events. For a few years Peta-Joy was the stalls coordinator for Yabun, priding herself on the growth in stall numbers at this time. This led to her role as Sydney Blak Markets Manager.

Peta-Joy was also fortunate to work and tour with Big Day Out in 2013, taking her love for festivals to the next level.  Peta-Joy still is in the creative arts sector with her painting and weaving skills, and she is currently an artist resident at Sydney Fringe. She is also a member of Boomalli Aboriginal Arts Co-op in Leichhardt. To see more of Peta-Joy's art practice you can find examples of her work on wiradjuriwave.com

Shane Sturgiss

Director

Shane is a proud Aboriginal man with family links to Gundungurra and Ngarigo people and a proud member of the LGBTIQ+SB community. Raised in Queanbeyan, Shane lived most of his adult life in Newcastle and Sydney.

Shane has worked in management and executive roles across several Aboriginal services, including the Manager at the Aboriginal Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service, Director of Operations at The National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, and CEO of BlaQ Aboriginal Corporation. He also sits on the board of Iyoria Belonging Estate, an Aboriginal Aged Care and Hospice facility and was a part of the Government’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Safety Plan.

Shane is a specialist in Corporate and Social Responsibility in Diversity and Inclusion with a strong belief in social justice. Commencing his career in Banking and Finance, he is now a qualified counsellor with tertiary education in Community Services Management, Indigenous Leadership and Community Advocacy. Shane’s career spans across several social services, including health, financial counselling, disabilities, homelessness, the LGBTQ+SB sector, and education.