First Nation Reference Group

Hague Best is a Traditional Owner of the Yugambeh Language Region, with extensive knowledge and experience across all aspects of Cultural Heritage, including local language and family connections associated with the Gold Coast. As a community leader and Elder, Best has supported a number of arts sector initiatives aligned to the Arts and Culture Strategy and led by the City’s Arts and Culture team, including the inaugural Indigenous Arts and Culture Forum, South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp and Public Art initiatives.

Stephanie Parkin belongs to the Quandamooka of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). After practising as an intellectual property lawyer at McCullough Robertson Lawyers, Stephanie went on to complete a Masters of Philosophy at the Queensland University of Technology in 2020. The Masters thesis addresses the drivers and impacts of fake Aboriginal art in the souvenir market, and in doing so, gives priority to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In the various roles Stephanie undertakes, her work focuses on promoting and addressing Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights, and ethical and transparent trading between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and those who wish to sell or license their work. Stephanie is the current Chairperson of the Indigenous Art Code Ltd, board member of the North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah and is employed by the Copyright Agency as the Indigenous Engagement Manager.

Rhianna Patrick is a freelance Torres Strait Islander media professional and journalist with family connections to the Zagareb (Mer) and Wagadagem (Mabuyag) clans of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait). Rhianna spent nearly two decades at the ABC before leaving to pursue other opportunities in 2020. For the last few years, Rhianna has curated Spotify's 'Original Storytellers' playlist.

Jo-Anne was raised in Mianjin - Brisbane, Queensland and has been a practicing photographer for 3 decades. Completing a 4 year Photography cadetship at the State Library of Queensland in 1999, Jo-Anne has also worked across various arts and community focused roles and is able to bring holistic skills into specialised projects including curatorial frameworks; historical and contemporary research experience and community and cultural protocol principles.

Her passion in working with archival records and old photos has assisted her in connecting with her Aboriginal family and learning of the historical connections to Cherbourg (Barambah) and Yarrabah communities and also the traditional connections to Guwa (Koa) people through her Great Grandmother, (Nancy Watson/Chambers) and Yalangi and Yimithirr people through her Great Grandfather (‘Tippo’/Charlie Chambers).

While working with the City of Gold Coast, Jo-Anne has been able to work closely with Artists of all disciplines and has successfully delivered an annual professional development program known as the ‘South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp’ (2014-2019). Having gathered over 25 years of Government career experience, Jo-Anne decided to move into the not-for-profit sector and commence her role with Placemakers* Gold Coast between 2020 to 2022 as First Nation Curator and continued to deliver the Rising Tide Artist Camp in 2022.

Later in 2022, Jo-Anne joined the Arts Law Centre of Australia as the Artists in the Black Coordinator which continued her journey with the not-for-profit sector and works alongside the team of Lawyers towards a dedicated National service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists of all creative disciplines.