Photograph by Belinda Mason OAM 2024, inkjet on brushed aluminium 60cm x 40cm
Yorta Yorta mob
Able Seaman
Communications Specialist
Royal Australian Navy
Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection
Australian Defence Medal
“The most powerful life lessons often begin as mistakes.”
I was born in Deniliquin and grew up in Albury, NSW. I’m the second eldest of five. I was very athletic as a kid, and I love AFL, fishing and camping. I got my first job at the local Coles supermarket and after nine years there I decided to try something new and out of my comfort zone, so I joined the Navy at 26. I moved to Melbourne for training, then settled in Perth for the seven years I served. While serving, I had the amazing privilege of joining Bungaree, the Navy’s Indigenous dance mob. I have never danced before as I have two left feet, but that didn’t stop me from embracing my culture.
We got to perform at the Sydney Sea Power Conference in front of national and international military dignitaries. We also performed at a NAIDOC opening ceremony in Cairns.
I was also part of the Navy’s community engagement team, where we would visit local and remote schools to show some of our equipment and talk to the kids about life in the Defence Force. I got a lot out of seeing the smiles on kids’ faces when they saw me in uniform.
One of my fondest memories is when we were on the ship in the Whitsundays and we had to stop for a few hours for a pod of humpback whales and their calves. It was an amazing experience to see them breaching the water and splashing about. Since leaving the Navy I married my beautiful wife Natalie.
