WELCOME TO 
INDIGENOUS BUSINESS AUSTRALIA
IBA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, to the Elders past, present, and emerging.
CONTINUE
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, names and voices of deceased people.

Our latest IBA newsletter is out now. You can read our NAIDOC newsletter special here. 

This issue includes:

If you’d like a copy direct to your inbox every 2-3 months you can subscribe to the newsletter here.

On the first Thursday of every month, we gather for a lunch time session via Zoom to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

The August SWSB Lunch & Learn will focus on money management to take your first business on to your next. The session will be 4 August 2022 at 12pm AEST and you can register here.

The speaker will be Lacey Long, Owner /Co-Founder of Buck Wild Country. Lacey is a proud Kamilaroi woman on Barada Barna Country, Middlemount Central QLD. She is a wife and mother and the owner and founder of Buck Wild Country.

Buck Wild Country came to life on Lacey’s kitchen floor with a glass of wine in hand in 2018. The name came naturally, Buck Wild Country, as a tribute to a good friend, Bucky who sadly committed suicide.

From what started with one design for men, quickly grew to over 20 designs for men, women and children. Today, Buck Wild Country is proudly an Australian Country Lifestyle & Fashion brand, built with love for the whole family.

Register now

We know that home loan interest rates are increasing across Australia at the moment, and it's been a while since we’ve seen rates rise. So we understand that you’ll be wondering about it.

IBA is currently reviewing its interest rate settings. We are aware of the current financial pressures on our customers and are carefully assessing our position. IBA does base its interest rates on market rates and will change its rates in the coming months. All impacted customers will be notified, in writing, prior to a change to their interest rate and loan repayment amount.

To help you prepare for future interest rate increases, IBA offers a range of free workshops to build your financial management skills.

Find out more about our workshops

If you have any concerns about managing your home loan repayments or are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact us to discuss your circumstances.

General inquiries: 1800 107 107

Financial Hardship: 1800 064 800

We’re always here to help and happy to have a yarn.

NAIDOC Week kicks off Sunday 3 July - Sunday 10 July and IBA can't wait to get back out into the community and celebrate for the first time since COVID-19.

We'll be hosting activities and attending market days all over the country, check out the list below of where to find us:

Arrernte (Alice Springs)

When: Wednesday 6 July, 11am - 4pm

Where: Desert Knowledge Precinct

Join us the IBA x Desert Knowledge Precinct NAIDOC Pop-up for a fun day of market stalls, Aboriginal art displays and FREE Bush Foods and Storytelling Workshops with our deadly customers Kungas Can Cook and Stickmob.

Workshops availability is limited - click here to register

 

Wurundjeri (Melbourne)

When: Wednesday 6 July 2022. 10:30 to 2:00pm
Where: Aboriginal Advancement League. 2 Watt St, Thornbury VIC.

Celebration for NAIDOC Week while learning about careers in the Australian Public Service (APS). The event will include: - Welcome to Country - Special guest speaker - Performances - Kids entertainment - Lunch and refreshments - APS career pathway information. The event is a joint initiative of Australian Government Agencies.

Details here 

Kaurna (Adelaide)

When: Thursday 7 July, 2pm - 3pm

Where: Lot Fourteen

NAIDOC with Sharon Karpany

The Circle – First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, in collaboration with Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), invites  all tenets of Lot Fourteen to attend a special NAIDOC week 2022 event and the opportunity to hear the story of Sharon Karpany, founder of Ngarrindjeri Dreaming.

Register here

 

Gimuy Walubara Yidinji (Cairns)

When: Friday 8 July

Where: Cairns NAIDOC Friday in the Park

More info here 

Eora Nation (Sydney)

When: Wednesday 6 July

Where: Absec Family Funday at Marrickville

More info here

 

Bindal and Wulgurukaba (Townsville)

When: Thursday 8 July

​​​​​​​Where: Townsville NAIDOC Deadly Day Out

more info here

 

For other events happening in your area,  check out the National NAIDOC website for a list of events near you https://www.naidoc.org.au/local-events/local-naidoc-week-events

 

Don't foget to tag us in your posts on socials!

Facebook @IndigenousBusinessAustralia

Instagram @Indigenous_Business_Australia

Twitter @IndigenousBizAu

LinkedIn @Indigenous-Business-Australia

Joshua Gilbert is a Worimi man, farmer and academic, from the Mid North Coast of NSW. We are delighted that he joined the IBA Board in April 2022.

Josh is undertaking higher degree research at Charles Sturt University, is the Indigenous Co-Chair of Reconciliation NSW and was recently recognised within the world’s top 50 young gastronomers. He is an entrepreneur and business advisor, working predominantly in the Aboriginal cultural, agricultural and environmental spheres. He has worked with numerous of not-for-profits, businesses and the government to develop change and bring people on a journey of change.

We caught up with Josh for a quick yarn to get to know him better.

Why did you join the IBA board? What do you hope to achieve in your time? I joined the IBA board as I'm passionate about the opportunities business can provide for mob on the ground, if that's where their passion lies. I also believe home ownership is a pivotal opportunity for mob and want to ensure as many people interested can pursue their dreams of buying a home.

What do you hope to see happen with Indigenous affairs in the next 5-10 years? 50 years from now? I'm particularly interested in what a voice within Parliament will provide for our People, and would love to see this mirrored across Government portfolios- for instance, I'd love to see an Indigenous agricultural advisor to the Minister. I also think a fundamental power shift will take place over the next 50 years, and I'm looking forward to mob self-determining their futures and creating new pathways for youth.

Favourite place in Australia and why? I love being home on country- I think we have the best mix of land from snow to beaches. My other favourite place is on the farm with my Nan- watching her care for the landscape, animals and people, doing what she loves, is a big inspiration for me.

Where do you feel most connected and why? I'm most connected on country- I love the way our small towns come together and connect.

Which of IBA’s values stands out to you and why? Connected- we know all mob are connected and have a yarn about everything and anything. I think our culture, passion and spirits connect us at all times to place and others.

Destination NSW Media Release, 17 Jun 2022:

The National Indigenous Art Fair will return to the Sydney Harbour foreshore July 2-3 to showcase creations from First Nations artists and makers from around Australia for its third annual art market.

The art fair, which launches NAIDOC Week 2022, takes place at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in The Rocks. The event provides Sydneysiders with the opportunity to buy ethical, authentic art directly from the artists, and it includes a two-day festival of Indigenous Australian art, song, dance, communal weaving, smoking ceremonies, bushfood and culture.

“The National Indigenous Art Fair symbolises an incredible gathering of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives, with many travelling from the far corners of Australia — places like Haasts Bluff, the Tiwi Islands and Yuendumu. The event presents a rare and exciting opportunity for the broader community to interact directly with the makers and hear their stories,” said Peter Cooley, CEO of First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, founders of the event.

He noted the National Indigenous Art Fair is the first Indigenous art show to run live again since COVID struck two years ago. “So, we’re kicking off the live Indigenous art fair scene around Australia to a massive Sydney market who are keen to get out and experience the art and atmosphere.”

From artworks to fashion, from jewellery to homewares, and from native dyed textiles to children’s puzzles, these inventive artisans are exemplars of sustainability, working closely with the resources found in their own environment, and weaving Care for Country and creativity into one.

Officially welcoming these 22 remote art centres to Sydney, local artists, designers and makers from Australia’s leading authentic First Nations marketplace – the Blak Markets – will join them in the Overseas Passenger Terminal. In total there will be 50 stallholders at this ethical marketplace, with all proceeds going directly back to the artist and First Nations communities.

NSW regional and remote Indigenous art collectives join us for the first time

“This year, in addition to inviting remote art centres, the art fair will support seven NSW regional and remote Indigenous collectives and artists to get to Sydney to connect them with the local marketplace,” said Mr Cooley.

“Australia-wide mobs have done it tough these past two years with the pandemic. And the NSW mob have also been impacted by fires and floods. Through the art fair, we want to come together in Sydney, highlight some of the good stuff that’s come out of these disasters and showcase our resilience. It will be great to have these NSW collectives alongside us for the first time at our art fair,” he added.

As well as all the inspirational art and design stalls, the National Indigenous Art Fair presents an impressive program of live cultural and performance experiences, running from 10am to 5pm each day.

Early arrivals each morning will have the opportunity to participate in poignant Indigenous smoking ceremonies and join a procession into the National Indigenous Art Fair, watching as each stall is blessed and cleansed.

Once inside, attendees will be able to enjoy singing performances by Mi-kaisha, Nadeena Dixon and Djinama Yilaga Choir and performances by Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness Aboriginal Dance Group and Wagana Dancers.

Panel discussion to highlight issues impacting Indigenous communities

On Sunday afternoon, there will be a panel discussion to tie in with the NAIDOC Week theme, Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up, with traditional owners, Indigenous leaders and artists talking about issues impacting their remote communities.

“Topics include the importance of protecting homelands with Babbarra artists, how fracking and mining have impacted their remote communities and their work as artists (Juluwarlu and Munupi), and the importance of Indigenous organisations taking charge in times of disaster as we saw at the Koori Mail with the Lismore floods,” said Mr Cooley.

For those wanting to get hands-on, there is a unique opportunity to work alongside local Aboriginal weavers on a communal weaving project. Children’s activities will also be a highlight, with storytelling in the sand circle, and a kids’ dance and craft workshop offered on Sunday.

On the bushfood front, Indigenous chef Matthew Atkins will conduct cooking demonstrations at his food truck at the event, offering up a delicious bushfood feast, and the folks from IndigiGrow nursery will be selling a variety of native bushfood plants and herbs.

“With all of this available for a gold coin donation on entry, the National Indigenous Art Fair has to be the best value day out for Sydneysiders of all ages in history, not to mention an unmissable opportunity to kick off Sydney’s NAIDOC Week celebrations in style,” concluded Peter Cooley.

This third annual event is presented by National Indigenous Art Fair founders, Sydney-based First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation, in proud partnership with the following organisations: the Port Authority of NSW, ABC Radio, University of Technology Sydney, the City of Sydney, and support from the federal government’s Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support program and Indigenous Business Australia.

For more information, visit niaf.com.au/Facebook event. The Overseas Passenger Terminal is easily accessible by public transport and on foot from Circular Quay.

-ENDS-

MEDIA:  A selection of high-resolution images is available for download here.

For media interviews, call: Kim Carter (0407 771 698).

ABOUT

FIRST HAND SOLUTIONS (FHS)

First Hand Solutions Aboriginal Corporation (FHS) was established in October 2012 with a mission to build empowered, resilient Indigenous communities through cultural reconnection, education, employment and enterprise. FHS combines social innovation, cultural protection, education and social enterprises to close the gap for Indigenous people.

FHS has two arms: a community programs branch and a social enterprise arm where the corporation operates two ventures. The first, IndigiGrow, is a native plant nursery based in Sydney’s East, which provides employment and training to young Aboriginal people in the critically endangered plant species of their community. The second initiative is the Blak Markets, a micro-business hub for Indigenous artists, designers and craftspeople, providing them with the opportunity to earn and learn from the marketplace.

THE NATIONAL INDIGENOUS ART FAIR (NIAF)

NIAF builds on the Blak Markets’ model by providing remote Indigenous art centres with the chance to participate and learn from the marketplace and collaborate with others nationwide. In the lead up to the art fair, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from remote communities will travel to Sydney, thanks to support from First Hand Solutions’ Heart in Art program, which provides economic and professional development opportunities to Aboriginal artists working in remote communities. During their time in Sydney, artists will be connected to major art and cultural institutions.

Image showing the lunch and learn speaker and details.

The next IBA Strong Women Strong Business (SWSB) Lunch & Learn session is on 7 July. These sessions take place on the first Thursday of every month where you can hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

This month we are exploring financial independence with Larisha Jarome, Community Engagement and Project Officer, First Nations Foundation.

A Jarowair, Wakka Wakka and Wulli Wulli woman with strong family ties to South East Queensland, Larisha grew up on Dharug Country in Western Sydney. She currently works at First Nations Foundation as the project lead for the Indigenous Women’s Financial Wellness Project. Her aim is to redress the economic injustice that First Nations people face and to empower women to achieve financial wellness and economic independence.

Upcoming topics include:

The sessions are exclusive to our SWSB network. Please join our SWSB network via Facebook and register to attend this event.

Kia Dowell is Executive Director, Strategy and Innovation

Describe your role and what it entails

Kia and her family

I joined IBA in 2017 and head up the Strategy and Innovation division within IBA. We coordinate the development of IBA's strategic and corporate plans, report on progress against plans, and undertake research and evaluation to inform innovative policy and strategic directions.

Although we are not a customer facing team we reach across all areas of the organisation and are involved in interesting projects that really focus on challenging the narrative and status quo about what our mob (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) are capable of. Since joining IBA, our role has evolved and I'm both excited and curious to see where we end up in the next three-five years. Under my leadership we have worked directly with experts who are from our communities to design and launch IBA’s first Impact Framework, Purposeful Partnerships Framework and are embarking on a bold research and policy agenda to accelerate economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

What made you want to work for IBA? And what motivates you to keep working there?

In all honesty, I actually had no intention or interest to work for IBA let alone government. Obviously, our communities and families have had different interactions with Government and subsequently Government policies since colonisation. I was very mindful of joining a system that, on the surface, I didn’t seem to fit and did not want to conform to.

Following some really difficult conversations and decisions, ultimately I felt that being presented with the opportunity to be part of informing and ultimately challenging systemic and structural barriers specific to economic empowerment was where I could be of most use.

What motivates me to keep working here is hope. Hope that change will continue to take place, informed and led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Hope because in the nearly five years I've been with IBA we can start to say that we know we don’t always get it right and will in all reality continue to get some things wrong. At the end of the day, we are an organisation powered by people and we are all doing the best with what we have right now. When I reflect on my time to date with IBA I am confident that we are making a positive difference and are starting to see the evidence of that through initiatives like our Impact Report and in the way that we define what success looks like beyond standard metrics or KPIs.

For me that is the tip of the iceberg, I know IBA has been challenged by its potential to deliver incredibly positive outcomes whilst working within its legislative framework and  upholding the legacy of how IBA came to be. It's important to reflect often on our history as a nation and our history as an organisation, for the time I am at IBA I will continue to remember that we are here for our mob, because of our mob.

What are you most proud of? This could be a personal achievement, or something that makes you proud of IBA or your team.

If you asked me this question when I joined IBA, it would have a very different answer to now. When I joined, I was really excited about ensuring transparency, clarity and voice through IBA's strategy to life, to be part of implementing the Board's vision and learning (and failing) along the way. I am filled with anticipation about the year ahead and give my gratitude to everyone who has been part of my journey at IBA, those that are still here and those who have left the organisation. Most importantly, I honour those who paved the way for me to contribute in this way.

Thinking about now, I am most proud of being a mum to my two girls, Lila and Naiyah. I am proud to be involved in work that inspires me and challenges me but ultimately is a way of contributing to something so much bigger than myself. I see the work I do at IBA and elsewhere to at least attempt to make the world a more inclusive, equitable experience for my daughters and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

I would rather be in the arena than a spectator, and the act of showing up each day is a quiet demonstration that I'm here and I'm going to give it a go. I want my daughters to know they are worthy, they are valued and the sacrifices of their ancestors and their grandparents is what has made it possible for them to succeed at whatever their dreams may be. I will make sure that as my daughters grow, they see and hear the stories of this amazing community of customers who are proof that anything is possible, whether it’s owning a home, pursuing business ownership or investing in a way that creates greater positive impacts.

What’s your favourite song or piece of music? Tell us why it means to you.

One of my all-time favourite songs has to Talkin 'Bout A Revolution by the formidable Tracy Chapman. It is so nostalgic for me because whenever my family and I would drive from Warmun Community (where we grew up in the East Kimberley) to either Broome or Darwin, our mum would always play that in the old cassette player (hahah).

Listening to those words as an Aboriginal child living in remote WA, living on country, being around our old people and also being confronted by social and economic disparity probably explains a lot. I love the rawness and vulnerability but the power and relevance of her lyrics. It always makes me stop whatever I'm doing and close my eyes to think about how important human rights are - which is why I suppose the work I'm privileged to undertake at IBA speaks to me - it is about a revolution, a revolution about ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are seen for the assets we are rather than some problem to be dealt with.

Indigenous Apiarist and Mentor Mal Clifford (SOURCE: Outback Academy Australia)
Beekeeping in Western Australia with Indigenous apiarist and mentor Mal Clifford (SOURCE: Outback Academy Australia)

Outback Academy Australia’s (OAA) lead initiative, Follow the Flowers, is well underway with scaling up national production of honey and Australian Native Wildflowers with First Nations farmers across the country including NSW, VIC, SA, WA and the ACT.

Follow the Flowers connects First Nations and other regenerative farmers that share the same values to expand their national and international supply opportunities. The initiative commenced with honey, food including bush foods, and Australian Native Wildflowers for known buyers.

In partnership with OAA and supporting business development of Follow the Flowers farmers, honey, and wildflowers producers, IBA is working with OAA to further develop farmers and the supply chain opportunity under the national brand.

Neville Atkinson, OAA National Business Development Lead said, “Follow the Flowers farmers are committed to working together as an ethical, authentic and connected supply group, similar to Fairtrade. They are focused on viable supply chain business that will return economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities and regions where they are located.”

Also supported by the Murray Darling Basin Economic Development program (MDBEDP) for Murray Corridor farmers, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in WA, these farmers are being fast-tracked for capability building and business opportunities in agriculture, horticulture and linked industries such as tourism and environmental management.

First honey pour at Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative Farm Mooroopna Victoria SOURCE: Outback Academy Australia
First honey pour at Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative Farm Mooroopna Victoria (SOURCE: Outback Academy Australia)

Skills development includes shoulder to shoulder learning on farms with industry leaders in agriculture, environmental management, climate change and new technologies for waste, water and energy management.

There are currently 22 farms in the process of scaling up for this business opportunity with some scheduled as capability building bases for youth and others needing a hand-up into this sector.

Kelly Flugge, WA OAA Business Development Lead noted, “Capability building needs to reflect knowledge, including place-based traditional ecological knowledge, skills and technologies for now and a future where the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events are impacting on food sustainability and food security. Past agricultural practices have contributed to the state of the environment now. Our farmers are committed to repairing Country while doing business on their lands.”

Have you seen our latest e-newsletter? If you missed it, read the news here. 

This issue includes:

Would you like a copy direct to your inbox? You can subscribe to the newsletter here. There is a new newsletter released every 2-3 months.