Blak Business

HELPING KIDS WALK TALL

Dharungol Aboriginal Corporation has started in a humble way by holding the first Blak Light Discos, a free evening of fun, food and music.  There are plans for much larger events, something almost akin to a small festival.  Executive Director Sherrie Aragon and her husband and project and business manager Ronnie want to partner...

Blak Business

PICTURE PERFECT 

Paul Thomsen has them by the ute load.  He is an Indigenous, Darwin-born professional photographer and cinematographer who runs skills workshops and leads photographic tours on one of the most beautiful billabongs in Australia.  And he’s a storm chaser who understands the technical skills needed to capture shots of the Top...

Blak Business

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

Cross Cultural Consultants, which was founded in 1989, is likely the oldest Indigenous consultancy in the Northern Territory. They provide education around the world’s oldest surviving culture through face-to-face and online cultural training. “We not only help people understand our history,” says chief executive Jason Elsegood. “We...

Blak Business

ECB BUILDS SUCCESS

It provides training for a wide range of clients, including Indigenous and disadvantaged youths, the long-term unemployed and women entering the construction industry.  “We understand the challenges around literacy, language and numeracy,” says Evelyn Clarke, who owns the company with Craig Bayley.  “Our training delivery...

Blak Business

ELAINE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Elaine Mills expanded from Darwin into Mparntwe (Alice Springs) after winning a contract with the Ilpeye Ilpeye Aboriginal Corporation to manage 10 new homes on the Ilpeye Ilpeye Sadadeen Estate.  “The trustees of Ilpeye Ilpeye have great ideas and a vision to build up their estate and make it something special for their community,”...

Blak Business

THRIVING TOGETHER

Darwin-based Together Business is one of only a handful of Indigenous-owned accounting firms in Australia and the only one in the Northern Territory.  It is the only Australian accounting firm to win the prestigious Xero Community Partner of the Year award two years running.  Sarah Hyland founded Together Business in 2019 when she...

Blak Business

SOLVING PROBLEMS,  SAVING LIVES

Aboriginal owner and managing director Steven Dhu and chief executive officer Andrew Harvey have transformed Big Rivers-based Aboriginal Enterprises Australia NT over the past 10 years.  The business employs 160 staff and is at the forefront of employing and training Aboriginal Territorians to work in remote communities.  They now...

Blak Business

CENTRAL LAND COUNCIL: THE UNDISPUTED VOICE OF THE BUSH 

Set up in response to the 1973 Woodward Royal Commission, which called for a council representing the views of Central Australian Aboriginal people, and enshrined as a Commonwealth corporate entity under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, the CLC is the undisputed voice of the bush.  During its early years, it used...

Blak Business

JADE BUILDS GEM OF A BUSINESS 

She approached her stepfather, Brad Hagen, a highly-experienced builder, with a proposal to form a partnership.  Arabana Builders was born.  It is an Aboriginal-owned company offering quality commercial construction and related services.  And it’s a family affair. Three other members of the family work for the business...

Blak Business

LARRAKIA LEADING THE WAY

The Larrakia drew up a petition signed by more than 1000 people, some no more than thumb prints, and tried to present it to Princess Margaret during a royal visit to Darwin. But police blocked the way, there was a scuffle and the petition was damaged. The three metre-long document was taped together and posted to the soon-to-be-crowned...

Blak Business

CARVING OUT A FUTURE 

Manapan Furniture has carved out a name for itself as a unique Indigenous-owned business producing sophisticated timber furniture that fuses contemporary craftwork with traditional Yolngu practices.  Beginning in 2015 and based still where the journey began, the Manapan workshop sits by the sea on Milingimbi island, 500 kilometres east of...

Blak Business

LISTENING, FEELING AND SUCCEEDING

Indigenous Business Australia has forged a partnership with the Northern Territory Government to deliver the NT Aboriginal Tourism Business Accelerator.  The initiative provides access to industry experts and mentors with tailored business coaching to address challenges and growth opportunities, as well as networking with fellow tourism...