Northern Territory Achievers


2007

Mrs Margaret McLean
Margaret (Margie) McLean or “Jabugka” (her given Aboriginal name) is currently the Elliott Health Centre Manager and has worked tirelessly for the health of the Northern Territory people for over 35 years.
Margie completed her general nursing training in Melbourne before embarking on a career that has been mainly in remote areas and in particular, the Barkly area where she quickly established a reputation as a caring health professional whose dedication was unquestioned.
Bush medicine and traditional healing methods has been an area where Margie has been innovative in integrating into clinic practice, working closely with indigenous health workers and healers. She promotes optimal health outcomes through providing health care that are more familiar and acceptable to the indigenous population.
Margie has presented papers at national and international conferences.
She has previously served as a member of the Women’s Advisory Council and Menzies School of Health Research as well as many other steering and consultative committees.
As well as managing a busy Health Centre Margie continues her commitment to the Elliott community by serving as a Justice of the Peace and as Vice President of Elliott Council.
Today Margie continues to be as enthusiastic, compassionate and pro-active as she has been for decades.
She provides training and mentoring to many young health professionals and continues to advocate strongly for improved conditions for her community.
An outstanding NT Achiever, Margie is an inspiration and role model to all who know her.

2006

J Easterby-Wood
J Easterby-Wood has squeezed a lot into his 33 years. J was born in 1973 in Werribee, just outside Melbourne, but did most of his growing up in the Northern Territory J is married to Anita and has two children aged 5 and 2.They live in Alice Springs where J. is the Manager of Interactive Communities for the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services. J has won the NT Achiever of the Year for his outstanding work in the development of MARVIN, one of the most awarded and successful initiatives ever undertaken in the Northern Territory. MARVIN is a software based communications platform which allows users to quickly and easily create presentations that reflect the cultural, linguistic and social attributes of target audiences.  It uses real voice, computer generated voice, written text, images, video and Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and can be used for any presentation, narration, story, information sharing or training task. MARVIN has been used by the Northern Territory Government for communicating important health and education information to remote Indigenous communities with unprecedented success.By using Indigenous language and culture, communications have become relevant and engaging. Preliminary research shows that attendance rates and information retention can increase 100 fold when using MARVIN compared to traditional communication vehicles. J’s unit and his work are being recognised throughout the world.In a very short time J has taken a unit of two permanent staff and created a vision and a product which has amassed an astounding 20 international, national and state awards for excellence. These have included the prestigious Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management International Innovations Award for Excellence in Governance Gold Medal and the Hewlett Packard ICT Achiever of the Year. J also helped to design the world’s first Indigenous Microsoft agent, Uncle, which was released worldwide by Microsoft and the Northern Territory Government and heralded a significant change to the way that the Territory’s Health Department can interact with communities in the exchange of information and service delivery. J’s continuing efforts to keep the Territory as a world leader in effective and efficient sharing and transfer of knowledge and information between governments and the citizens who they serve, reflect his considerable initiative, commitment and leadership skills.

2005

Damien Ryan
Alice Springs man Damien Ryan has won the 2005 NT Achiever Award for outstanding achievement in community service. This award is sponsored by Palmerston Shopping Centre and was announced by the a/g Chief Minister, Syd Stirling last night at the Australia Day Gala Ball in Darwin. Forty-seven year old Damien is the owner of camera shops in Alice Springs. He took the deceptively simple idea of selling a picture frame to raise funds for research into the causes of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and turned it into a fundraiser that has raised over $250,000 in 3 years. A Month of Memories is now a national fund raising program that, in the near future may also become international if Damien is successful in his promotion of the product to possible outlets in the United States. While Damien encountered some resistance to his project in the first instance, his enthusiasm and drive eventually resulted in over 200 stores agreeing to carry the product. "I thought: I’m in the memories business and this would be a great thing for memory and to help Alzheimer’s research" said Damien. "Damien has turned a simple idea into a national project which is benefiting many people - a true NT Achiever." said Heather Sjoberg, Chairman of the Australia Day Council NT. "The judging panel was impressed by his drive and determination to see this brilliant initiative succeed" Ms Sjoberg said. Ms Sjoberg continued: "Dementia is the fourth biggest killer of Australians over 65. There are currently 170,000 Australians suffering with dementia and the number is growing. Damien Ryan’s initiative will assist in the search for the causes of this disease."

Peter Gerald Spillet AM, FRGs - 2004

Peter Spillett AM, FRGS, has contributed thousands of hours of voluntary service to the community and to research into the heritage and history of the Northern Territory. He is the author 15 books and numerous papers.

He is a particular expert on the centuries old friendly trade between Macassan trepangers and the Aboriginal people who they recognised as landowners, and with whom they traded goods and technology. In 1988 as part of the Bicentennial Celebrations Peter conceived and was the driving force behind the successful construction in Indonesia and sailing to Darwin of a replica Macassan perahu the Hati Marege

Peter has been recognised for a life time commitment to the NT community.

Born 20/1/26 Surbiton, South-west London. England.

Migrated to Australia in 1950; arrived Fremantle WA in May.

Applied for work with Commonwealth Dept of Works and moved to Darwin 1951.

Married Muriel February 1954.

Committee Synod of Christ Church. Made Honorary Canon 1982.

Councillor and then Alderman of Darwin Town Council for 7 years.

Co-founded Historical Society of the NT and was President for several years.

Founded National Trust (NT), committee member and President for a time.

Committee member and Vice-President of RSL. Early ‘50s to late ‘70s. Setup Darwin North branch.

Chairman of Interim Council and then President of Pensioners Assoc. Club Rooms finished 1965.

1977 left Dept Works and joined Dept Community Development as a Heritage Officer. Resigned 1984.

1980 Awarded Churchill Fellowship and travelled to Europe to study.

1986 Awarded Member of the Order of Australia ‘For service to the community’ (June 1978)

The NT Achiever Award, in memory of Commodore Eric Johnston, is sponsored by Palmerston Shopping Centre.

Cherie Lewis - 2003

Tireless community volunteer, Cherie Lewis of Humpty Doo, was announced NT Achiever 2003 by the Acting Chief Minister, Syd Stirling last night at the Australia Day Gala Ball.

"Cherie Lewis is an inspiring aussie battler who, despite being confined to a wheelchair, has contributed on a long term basis to the well-being of her community," said Carole Miller, Chairman of the Australia Day Council NT.

"The Rural Gardening Club, Playgroup, Creche, Primary School, Scouts, Kiwanis and Bowling are just some of the organisations that have benefited from Cherie’s organisation skills and enthusiasm.

"It is wonderful to be able recognise this treasured Territorian’s generosity of spirit by giving her this Award," Carole Miller concluded.

The NT Achiever Award, in memory of Commodore Eric Johnston, is sponsored by Palmerston Shopping Centre.

Bob Barford - 2002

Popular Central Australian musician, Bob Barford, was announced NT Achiever 2002 by the Chief Minister, Clare Martin at the Australia Day Gala Ball on the 25th January 2002.

"Bob Barford is a professional musician whose great love is to share his music with others. For many years now he has been teaching the children of Alice Springs, working I am told with any instrument he can lay his hands on, his aim to instil in the children a love of performing. His strong sense of community and what he has given back to the people of the Alice makes him a worthy recipient of the NT Achiever Award," said Carole Miller, Chairman of the Australia Day Council NT.

"One of the original members of the popular folk band, Bloodwood, Bob has toured and performed nationally and internationally. His music is an expression of his love of the Territory and especially Alice.

"How wonderful, at the start of the Year of the Outback, that someone who so obviously loves and knows the real outback is honoured with this Award," Carole Miller concluded.

The NT Achiever Award, in memory of Commodore Eric Johnston, is sponsored by Palmerston Shopping Centre.

Some personal information

Born: 10 May 1950

Married with 3 children

Musician, Private Music Teacher and Consultant

1968 Began playing music professionally in Adelaide while at Institute of Technology with a highly successful rock and roll covers band "Farenheight 451"

1974 Moved to Alice Springs with wife and young family. Took up an interest in traditional Australian bush music.

1979 Formed the band "Bloodwood" with 3 other Alice Springs Musicians. Began touring around Australia and overseas including extensive work in schools. Produced a number of successful recordings. Currently performing in and around Alice Springs.

1983 Established the first professional recording studio in the NT. Produced many of the early CAAMA recordings. Undertook work with local choirs, facilitated voice workshops and taught singing, guitar and tin whistle to school groups.

1985 Appointed Community Arts Officer at the Araluen Arts Centre. Developed and produced many community based music programs including establishing the Alice Springs Youth Theatre

1992 Became a full time musician and consultant pursuing many of the part time activities of previous years.

Currently Professional musician in solo and band work. Outback tour guide involving campfire singing and bush yarns. Music teacher for guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo and voice.

NB Invited to perform at the Canberra National Folk Festival 2002.

No 2001 is not missing. It was decided to look forward rather than on the year past. That is why the year 2001 is missing.

Colin Wicking - 2000

Arriving in the NT in 1981, Wicking worked on newspapers in Darwin and Alice Springs. His wicked wit was first seen by readers in Darwin in 'Wicking's Week', a Sunday feature which continues today.

Wicking focuses on daily life in the Territory. His stereotypes, are often not what one would call 'politically correct' in this day and age but they make us laugh.

While Wicking continues to achieve in his career with four books published and a Territory-wide exhibition of his work, his most endearing and little known quality is his generosity.

Some of the many community-based organisations that he has assisted include RSPCA, Life Education Centre, Katherine Flood Appeal, Cat Association, Red Nose Appeal, TOP FM and the Australia Day Council. There are many more.

Wicking has remained a very 'quiet achiever', seeking neither plaudits nor praise. In fact, for many years all that Territorians knew about Wicking was his 'paper-bag over his head' self-portrait.

He is now unmasked as an outstanding Northern Territory Achiever - Colin Wicking, a worthy recipient of the 2000 NT Achiever Award.

The NT Achiever Award is one of the family of awards of the Australia Day Council of the NT. It commemorates Commodore Eric Johnston and is sponsored by Sitzler Bros.

NT Achiever 2000 was proudly sponsored by Sitzler Bros.