1. Job satisfaction riscilla Collins remembers the first
P
Success stories in
time she saw an Aboriginal person
Indigenous employment working in a bank and the impact it
had on her. “For me, it was a huge
provide benefits that reach thing,” said Ms Collins, “When
young [Aboriginal] kids see an Aboriginal
far beyond the individual. person working, they say: ‘If they can do it,
Story: Peter Cotton we can do it’.”
Ms Collins, who is the Chief Executive
Officer of the Central Australian Aboriginal
Media Association (CAAMA), was giving
evidence in Alice Springs to an inquiry into
Indigenous employment. The inquiry is
being conducted by the House of
Representatives Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Affairs Committee.
Ms Collins told committee members that
CAAMA is the largest Indigenous media
organisation in Australia, with its own record
label, a film and television production house,
Left to right: Don Freeman, managing director of the Tjapukai and a television station. Established 25 years
Aboriginal Cultural Park, with two of the performers, Steven ago to give Aboriginal people a voice in the
Simon and Raymond Lafragua-Creek. Photo: Ann Rogers,
Newspix; Staff of the Central Australian Aboriginal Media
media, CAAMA now employs 36 people,
Association (CAAMA): radio presenter Molly, film crew on mostly Aborigines, and has been hailed as one
location in the Northern Territory, and cameraman of the success stories in Indigenous
Warwick Thornton. employment.
42 About the House November 2005

2. As part of its inquiry into Dr Carmen Lawrence, agreed it was providing them with examples of
Indigenous employment issues, the best for the committee to look at approaches and programs that seem
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander positive outcomes in Indigenous to be working.”
Affairs Committee has been asked to employment. Another enterprise to give
examine “positive factors and Dr Lawrence said this was evidence to the inquiry was the Alice
examples amongst Indigenous particularly true given that policy Springs Desert Park, which has run a
communities and individuals which makers still couldn’t adequately very successful Indigenous
have improved employment define what programs actually employment program for 10 years.
outcomes in both the public and improved the employment prospects Twenty two per cent of the park’s
private sectors”. The committee is to of Indigenous Australians. staff are local Aboriginal people and,
recommend to the government ways “With that in mind, [the in a submission to the committee,
this can inform future policy committee] has turned the usual Guide Manager Jodie Clarkson said
development, and to assess what approach on its head and gone the park was enriched by its
significant factors have contributed looking for examples of success,” said Aboriginal employees, and those
to those positive outcomes identified, Dr Lawrence. “Employment employees were enriched by
including what contribution initiatives that have failed Indigenous employment at the park.
practical reconciliation has made. people have been well documented— “The success of the program has
Committee Chair, Barry Wakelin, there are many places where you can built self esteem within (Indigenous
the Member for Grey (SA), said the find what doesn’t work. employees) which has had a flow
committee’s focus on positive “We’re trying to find positive on effect to their families and
outcomes in Indigenous employment examples, but not so they can be community,” said Ms Clarkson.
was the right approach. applied everywhere—one of the Indigenous employees at the
“There’s probably as much to lessons to be learned is that programs park agree. “The tourist industry is a
learn from those employment have to be tailored to the unique pretty good industry to be involved
initiatives that fail Indigenous circumstances of each community and in,” said Vincent Forrester, a guide at
people,” he said, “but there seems to group you’re dealing with. There’s no the park. “I can have 50 people at
be a fair repeat factor in the failures ‘one size fits all’. one talk. I can send 99.9 per cent of
and I think we’ll learn more from the “And we won’t ignore material them away with smiles on their faces.
positives, where it’s working, rather about what doesn’t work, particularly I know I have done a good job. I get
than where it hasn’t.” when it comes to the behaviour of job satisfaction here every day,
The Committee’s Deputy Chair, governments. Rather we’re looking to because it is a captive audience. I can
the Member for Fremantle (WA), see if we can assist communities by do my thing. I can start educating
Continued page 44
About the House November 2005 43

3. Continued from page 43
Australians about their land, where they job]. This is not a recipe for success for
come from and what it means. that individual, their family or the park.”
“Nothing gives young people more The Desert Park approach to
pride than earning an award wage— Indigenous employment ensures that
not sit-down money, not work for the the best candidate gets the job, and
dole, but award wage positions.” once an Indigenous person is
employed, every effort is made to
“Nothing gives young people more retain them. All park staff undertake
pride than earning a wage.” cross-cultural, Arrernte language and
anti-discrimination training, and bush
knowledge and skills are given equal
Another guide, Kylie Bloomfield, status to western scientific knowledge Hugh Woodbury, ranger at the Alice Springs Desert Park.
said being a park ranger serves as a good at the park.
role model within the community. Jodie Clarkson said that one of the Committee Deputy Chair,
“When kids see you down the street, biggest employment challenges the Dr Lawrence, said she was hopeful the
they’re singing out ‘ranger’ this, inquiry into Indigenous employment
park faced was overcoming problems of
‘ranger’ that especially when you go to could highlight half a dozen success
reliability and punctuality. “If you have
the schools.” stories, such as Desert Park and
grown up in a family where neither CAAMA. However Dr Lawrence said
In her submission, Ms Clarkson parent has had a job,” she said, “a work
said Desert Park invested extra time that once you began to examine
ethic can be a new concept. Indigenous employment initiatives,
and effort in the process of recruiting “We ensure that new starters
Indigenous employees. This included you were inevitably drawn into the
understand that the tourism industry question of Indigenous education,
sending descriptions of vacant works by the clock and that being late
positions to an extensive email list of which was often linked to health.
will upset your workmates and make “The joined-up nature of these
local Aboriginal organisations, families the park look bad. A watch is part of
and individuals. problems is illustrated in the successful
our uniform and we provide one where programs because they don’t just deal
Ms Clarkson said that when a job
necessary. with getting people to work on a
came up at the park, traditional
“Sometimes people think that if particular day,” says Dr Lawrence.
owners, local Aboriginal families and
they are late or don’t turn up, they’ll get “They are much broader in scope.”
Aboriginal staff members were asked to
into trouble or lose their job and [they Asked why the committee had
inform their family networks. The park
therefore] feel ashamed to call and let been asked to assess the particular
doesn’t advertise positions in
us know. We help them understand contribution of ‘practical’ reconciliation
December or January because many
that they are allowed to be sick. We just to positive employment outcomes for
local Aboriginal people are involved in
need to know so that we can plan for Indigenous people, Committee Chair
ceremonies at that time of year.
it.” Barry Wakelin said the substance of
Desert Park has developed a
Ms Clarkson said living and practical reconciliation was more
uniquely sensitive approach to short
working within two cultures was a important than symbolism.
listing and interviewing Indigenous “Symbolic issues are part of the
candidates for the jobs it offers. major challenge and it was sometimes
necessary to help staff step between the back drop, but the substance and the
According to Jodie Clarkson, if an reality and how it makes a difference to
Indigenous applicant doesn’t meet demands of Western and Aboriginal
culture. For instance, Aboriginal staff an individual’s life is always going to
selection criteria for a job at the park, win the day with me,” said
they’re contacted for a chat to assess who are traditional owners or older
men are sometimes ‘culturally superior’ Mr Wakelin. “The fundamentals must
whether their verbal skills are better prevail. That is, it’s important to
than their written communication. If to some other Aboriginal staff, and
overcome disadvantage, to have an
it’s then felt that the applicant met the they may try to inappropriately
education, to live in a house where
selection criteria, they may be assisted delegate tasks where the ‘target’ or their
people get a decent night’s sleep, to
to modify their application prior to an delegating may feel culturally obliged
have a decent diet and keep away from
interview. to obey. drug abuse.
Job interviews at the park are “We have also had to manage the “These things are more than
conducted by a three person panel, implications of families involved in symbolic and you can only do so much
including one Aboriginal who is either conflict [payback] in the workplace,” talking yourself up. What we’re about
a staff member or a traditional owner. said Ms Clarkson. “We sought is looking at how people actually do it.”
The interviews are conducted outside guidance from the involved parties and One company that’s ‘doing it’ for
in a quiet, open area, or inside in a put them on opposite shifts until Indigenous employment is Rio Tinto,
place with plenty of natural light. things settled down. particularly at its Argyle Diamonds
“The most important thing we “We help staff understand why subsidiary in Western Australia’s
need to assess is the applicant’s interest visitors ask ignorant, inappropriate and Kimberley region.
in and commitment to the position,” culturally offensive questions,” she In the year 2000, Argyle
said Ms Clarkson. “Individuals may be said. “And we collectively develop non- Diamonds decided to recruit more
under pressure from families [to get a defensive answers to these questions.” workers from the Kimberley rather
44 About the House November 2005

4. opportunity to work side by side and The park began life in the
engage in problem solving and team basement of a shopping centre in the
building exercises. small village of Kuranda near Cairns in
Argyle has now surpassed its 15 per 1987. It had seven Aboriginal employees
cent target for Indigenous employment at the time. All of them were performers.
with local Aborigines now making up Today, the 25-acre Tjapukai
23 per cent of its workforce. And it Aboriginal Cultural Park is a $10
hopes that figure will reach 40 per cent million facility. It employs 100 people,
by 2010. 85 of them Aborigines, and produces
Barry Wakelin says sections of 40 shows and presentations a day.
Australia’s corporate sector have some of Aboriginal employees work in all areas
their best people helping them engage of the park, including technical and
CAAMA film crew.
management, customer service,
reservations, retail, food and beverage,
and administration.
The park is built on land owned by
local Indigenous people, who also own
a majority shareholding in the
attraction. The rest of the shares are
owned by Indigenous Business
Australia and a number of non-
Indigenous investors.
Tjapukai’s Marketing Director,
Judy Freeman, told the committee that
since 1987 the park had contributed
almost $30 million to the Aboriginal
community in profits, royalties, wages
and the purchase of arts and artefacts.
In recognition of that achievement, the
park recently was awarded the
Queensland Premier’s Reconciliation
Award for Business.
The park portrays all aspects of the
Tjapukai tribe, from its dreamtime
legends through to its life in
contemporary Australia. Ms Freeman
said the park had sparked cultural and
language renewal in local Indigenous
people, especially among the second
generation of Tjapukai employees who
Performance at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park. Photo: Newspix
were now entering the park work force.
“These children of the founders of
with the Aboriginal community.“They Tjapukai have grown up with an
Living and working within two want to bring these people forward and understanding that commitment to
cultures was a major challenge. respect them,” says Mr Wakelin. “But excellence and reliable performance
it’s not all altruistic. In fact, in many lead the way to success in the modern
cases it’s engagement with a commercial world,” said Ms Freeman.
than persist with a ‘fly in-fly out’ purpose. “Many members of the community
workforce based in Perth. Initially, it set “These companies know that you who have worked as performers at
a target of 30 per cent local employment have to work in the spirit of goodwill to Tjapukai have travelled the world,
by 2005, with a minimum of half of achieve your commercial objectives and performing in 20 countries over 25
this—15 per cent of the workforce—to we’ve now got a corporate mindset that international tours,” she said. “These
be Aboriginal people. At the time, less can see genuine commercial progress travellers returned home with an
than 5 per cent of the Argyle workforce linked with good outcomes.” expanded world view which has
was Aboriginal. At its Cairns hearings, the committee changed how this community sees itself
Argyle overhauled its interview and heard of a brilliant outcome for and its place in the world.”
recruitment process to ensure that it Indigenous employment in evidence The submissions and transcripts of public
provided a culturally appropriate, but from the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural hearings for the Indigenous employment
still robust assessment, of candidates’ Park. Tjapukai Park is one of Australia’s inquiry are available at
employability. It instigated a four day largest and most successful tourist www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/atsia
assessment program to give candidates attractions. It’s also Australian tourism’s or email atsia.reps@aph.gov.au or phone
and their potential employers the largest employer of Aboriginal people. (02) 6277 4559.
About the House November 2005 45