John Paterson (NT, Australia)
Encyclopedia
John Paterson is an Aboriginal leader and advocate. He was born in Darwin
on 12 August 1958. His grandmother's people are the Ngalakan
, whose traditional country is near Ngukurr on the Roper River
in south east Arnhem land
.
.
in Geneva
, and at Indigenous economic conferences in Canada
.
In 1992 he graduated from Edith Cowan University
with a Bachelor of Social Science
(Human Services) and has completed leadership courses with the Australian Rural Leadership Program.
for the Darwin Football Club
(the mighty ‘Buffaloes’) and captained their NTFL
Premiership team in 1980. He was twice selected for the NT News
“Team of the Year” and is a Life Member of the NTFL and the Darwin Football Club.
Nowadays, John tends to spend time with his wife and family, including six children and eleven grandchildren, or to do some gardening, gentle walking or playing golf.
John is also frequently discussing Aboriginal affairs with his friends and contacts, and spending time encouraging young people to excel in their studies and their work. He believes the mentoring and coaching of young people is central to the development of Aboriginal people and their communities.
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
on 12 August 1958. His grandmother's people are the Ngalakan
Ngalakan language
Ngalakan or Ngalakgan is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is one of the Northern Non-Pama–Nyungan languages.-Consonants:Ngalakan has a typical Australian consonant inventory, with many coronal places of articulation , including nasals at every stop place, and four liquids, but no fricatives...
, whose traditional country is near Ngukurr on the Roper River
Roper River
The Roper River is one of the largest rivers in the Northern Territory, Australia, extending east for over 500 km to meet the sea in Limmen Bight on the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is navigable for about 145 km, until the tidal limit at Roper Bar, and forms the southern boundary of the region...
in south east Arnhem land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
.
Professional appointments
- CEO, Wurli Wurlinjang Health Service
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CommissionThe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives...
State Manager, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... - ATSIC State Manager, South AustraliaSouth AustraliaSouth Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
- ATSIC Regional Manager, Broome, Western AustraliaBroome, Western AustraliaBroome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
- Department of Indigenous Affairs, Regional Manager, Murchison/Gascoyne, Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
- Senior Advisor, Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs - (Acting) Director of NAALAS (North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service)
- ATSIC Commissioner, Northern Territory (North Zone)
- Council Liaison Officer, Northern Land CouncilNorthern Land CouncilThe Northern Land Council is in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. It has its origins in the struggle of Australian Aboriginal people for rights to fair wages and land. This included the strike and walk off by the Gurindji people at Wave Hill, cattle station in 1966. The head...
Current appointment
Since June 2006, John Paterson has been the Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT)Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory is the peak body for Aboriginal community controlled primary health services in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has offices in Alice Springs and Darwin but works across the entire Northern Territory...
.
Education and advocacy
John has represented ATSIC at the United Nations Working Group of Indigenous PopulationsWorking Group on Indigenous Populations
The Working Group on Indigenous Populations was a subsidiary body within the structure of the United Nations. It was established in 1982, and was one of the six working groups overseen by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the main subsidiary body of the United...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and at Indigenous economic conferences in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
In 1992 he graduated from Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University is located in Perth, Western Australia. It was named after the first woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament, Edith Cowan, and is the only Australian university named after a woman....
with a Bachelor of Social Science
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
(Human Services) and has completed leadership courses with the Australian Rural Leadership Program.
Personal interests
John played 213 games of AFLAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
for the Darwin Football Club
Darwin Football Club
The Darwin Football Club, nicknamed, Buffaloes, is a member club of the Northern Territory Football League.-History:The club was formed in 1917.The Buffaloes won the 2005/06 NTFL Grand Final.Gilbert McAdam was coach for the 2006/07 season....
(the mighty ‘Buffaloes’) and captained their NTFL
Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League is an 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory...
Premiership team in 1980. He was twice selected for the NT News
Northern Territory News
The Northern Territory News is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Darwin, Australia. It is a subsidiary of News Limited, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It primarily serves Darwin and the rest of the Northern Territory...
“Team of the Year” and is a Life Member of the NTFL and the Darwin Football Club.
Nowadays, John tends to spend time with his wife and family, including six children and eleven grandchildren, or to do some gardening, gentle walking or playing golf.
John is also frequently discussing Aboriginal affairs with his friends and contacts, and spending time encouraging young people to excel in their studies and their work. He believes the mentoring and coaching of young people is central to the development of Aboriginal people and their communities.