Sonia Smallacombe
Palm Cove,Australia
Summary
With a robust background in education, notably at Charles Darwin University, I excel in curriculum development and public speaking, serving diverse communities with a focus on Indigenous students. My achievements include leading significant educational projects and enhancing digital literacy across various learning environments.
Overview
33
33
years of professional experience
Work History
Teacher
Holy Spirit College
Cooktown, Australia
2024.04 - Current
- Providing individual education to disengaged secondary aged young people
- The school is very small with 99% Indigenous young people who are both boarding and day school students from various Indigenous communities in the Northern Cape region, around Cooktown and as well as Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory
Secondary Teacher (HASS)
Northern Peninsular Area State College
Bamaga, Australia
2023.02 - 2024.04
Marking essays for Dr Greg Burnett
James Cook University
Cairns, Australia
2021.06 - 2021.11
- Company Overview: College of Arts, Education and Society
- College of Arts, Education and Society
Senior Project Officer
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
2018.06 - 2019.11
- Company Overview: Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous
- My role included researching various topics and issues for the Pro Vice Chancellor, in relation to her speeches and other matters
- I also drafted speeches and press statements for the media
- I also worked on projects pertaining to Indigenous peoples’ issues within the education sector
- This included meetings with Indigenous students and staff as well as developing a program on Campus for NAIDOC Week to provide an educational background for all staff, students and the public
- I also liaised with the local Indigenous community to have a new building named after Bidjigal elder, Esme Timbery
- One of the main areas that I supported the Pro Vice Chancellor was through her work in human rights at the United Nations, due to my experience at the United Nations
- Office of the Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous
Social Affairs Officer
Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
New York, USA
2005.11 - 2016.11
- I spent eleven years advocating for the implementation of the recommendations of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
- I was also required to promote awareness of Indigenous peoples’ issues within the UN system, governments, and the broader public
- I was also required to serve as a source of information and coordination for advocacy efforts that relate to the Permanent Forum's mandate, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and ongoing issues that arise concerning indigenous peoples
- My tasks included identifying significant issues within Indigenous peoples’ communities to be addressed; deliver high quality research; develop innovative suggestions and approaches to deal with complex policy/technical issues; lead and manage major reports, projects and work teams, in accordance with overall objectives and policies of the United Nations
- These also included issues such as youth, persons with disabilities, family and Ageing
Head of School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, Australia
2002.06 - 2005.02
- I worked as a member of a team developing, delivering and evaluating subjects in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies within the School
- As the Head of School, I was responsibility for the leadership, management and supervision of staff
- I also encouraged research, tendering for consultancies and research grants, liaising with relevant stakeholders in the community and within the Industry and Education sector
- I also had a teaching load in the humanities field including history subjects
- I also managed the day-to-day activities of the School
Senior Lecturer, School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Charles Darwin University
Darwin, Australia
2002.06 - 2005.02
- I lectured undergraduate students in Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and Australian Politics, supervising postgraduate students and undertaking administrative duties including participation in University committee meetings and interview panels
- I was also involved in research as well as delivering cross-cultural training courses to stakeholders
Senior Policy Officer
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
Canberra, Australia
1999.07 - 2002.05
- I was appointed to the Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Task Force examining issues of appropriation of Indigenous cultures and advocating the recommendations of the report Our Culture, Our Future: Report on Australian Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights (1998)
- During the latter part of my employment with ATSIC, I worked in the International Section to develop ATSIC's international strategy on Indigenous peoples in the International Human Rights field
- This position required me to write briefings and policy papers, organise overseas delegations to the United Nations
- I was also required to examine grant applications for Indigenous members who applied for funding to attend overseas meetings
- A large part of my work involved the issue of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge with the World Intellectual Property Rights (WIPO), the Convention on Biological Diversity (Article 8j) and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
- I attended many conferences and seminars as ATSIC had NGO consultative status with the United Nations
- I also attended the 5th Conference of Parties in Nairobi, UNCTAD meeting on Traditional Knowledge in Geneva and WIPO's Roundtable on Traditional Knowledge
- During these meetings I was part of the International Indigenous Working Group advocating for standard setting on Indigenous rights at the international and national levels
Lecturer Level B, Department of Political Science
Melbourne University
, Australia
1998.01 - 1999.06
- I lectured undergraduate students in Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and Australian Politics, supervised postgraduate students I also undertook administrative duties such as participation in the University’s committee meetings and interview panels
Acting Director of the Centre for Indigenous Education
Melbourne University
, Australia
1998.07 - 1998.10
- I was involved in the supervision of four staff members and students and coordinating the Centre’s support programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Guest Lecturer, Koori Continuum
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
, Australia
1993.01 - 1998.01
- I lectured in Contemporary Koori Issues course to RMIT students, city campus
Lecturer Level A, History Department
Melbourne University
, Australia
1995.01 - 1997.12
- I lectured undergraduate students in Australian History, Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies
- I supervised postgraduate students and was involved in administrative duties such as committee meetings and interview panels
Co-ordinator Research Unit
Victorian Aboriginal Education Association
, Australia
1993.06 - 1994.12
- I completed reports and submissions for review committees and government agencies on education issues
- I reviewed curriculum documents, literary works on Aboriginal issues prior to publication
- I also compiled resource lists for Aboriginal Studies in school curriculum
- I advocated for the need of Aboriginal perspectives in school curriculum
Tutor (part-time)
Melbourne University
, Australia
1993.01 - 1993.12
- I tutored in Aboriginal and Koori Histories course with the late Dr
- Patrick Wolfe, History Department
Teacher, Monash Orientation Scheme for Aborigines (MOSA)
Monash University
Clayton, Australia
1992.01 - 1993.06
- I lectured in Politics and Australian Studies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to prepare them for tertiary studies
- I also organised field trips for students to significant Koori sites in Victoria
- I provided academic support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students undertaking tertiary studies
Education
Masters - Political Science
Melbourne University
01.1999
MA preliminary - Political Science
Melbourne University
01.1995
Graduate Diploma -
Monash University
01.1991
BA - double major in History and Politics
Monash University
01.1990
Skills
- Lesson planning
- Cognitive and behavioral development
- Digital literacy
- Testing and grading
- Subject matter expertise
- FLUENT IN [LANGUAGE]
- Serving diverse communities
- Public speaking
- Special needs students
- Curriculum compliance with [state]
- Student-centered learning
- Curriculum development
- Alternative learning methods
Consultancy
- Australian Defence Force Cadets Indigenous Participation Project, 2004
- Review of Indigenous Education Consultative Bodies and Indigenous Support Units, 2002
- Development of ATSIC’s negotiating position with State and Territory Governments on Assistance to Family Reunion Services, 1998
- Access to Information and Records by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, 1996
Conference Papers
- Terms such as 'desert' and 'wilderness' are not value neutral., The Living Desert: A public forum on Knowledge, Community and the Desert, Alice Springs, 11/04
- No Picture-Taking, Video Recording, Audio Recording, Sketching, and Note-Taking, Indigenous Knowledge and Bioprospecting Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney, 04/04
- Think Global, Act Local: Protecting the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples, Desert Knowledge CRC Workshop, Alice Springs, 10/03
- Speaking Positions on Indigenous Violence, Australian Women’s Studies Association, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 07/03
- Racism and Intellectual Property Rights: Protecting the Rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Regional Meeting for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Sydney, 02/01
Personal Information
Nationality: Australian
Publications
- Climate Change in the Pacific: A Matter of Survival, Indigenous Affairs, 1-2/08
- Libraries and Knowledge Centres: Implementing Public Library Services in remote Indigenous Communities in the Northern Territory, Australian Academic and Research Libraries, 38, 3, 216-231, 09/07
- Speaking positions on Indigenous Violence, Hecate, 30, 1, 2004
- A Review of Mabo: Life of an Island Man, The Contemporary Pacific, 12, 1, Spring, 2000
- On Display for its Aesthetic Beauty: How Western Institutions Fabricate Knowledge about Aboriginal Cultural Heritage, Political Theory and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ivinson, D, Patton, P, Sanders, W, 1999, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne
- Teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Australian Historical Association Bulletin, No. 86, 06/98
- Accessing Archives: Contesting the Gatekeepers, Indigenous Law Bulletin, 12/97
- Review of Fighters from the Fringe, Australian Journal of Political Science, 1996
- Aboriginal Women as offenders and victims: the case of Victoria, Michael Mackay, Aboriginal Law Bulletin, 05/96
- Oral Narrative of the Stolen Generation, UTS Review, 05/96
Training
- The Living Desert: A public forum on Knowledge, Community and the Desert, Alice Springs, 11/04
- Indigenous Knowledge and Bioprospecting Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney, 04/04
- Desert Knowledge CRC Workshop, Alice Springs, 10/03
- Australian Women’s Studies Association, University of Queensland, Brisbane, 07/03
- World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Durban, South Africa, 09/01
- Indigenous Peoples Millennium Conference, Panama City, Panama, 05/01
- Indigenous Peoples and Racism, Regional Meeting for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Sydney, 02/01
- UNCTAD Expert Meeting on Systems and National Experiences for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge, Innovations and Practices, Geneva, 11/00
- Latin America-Caribbean Regional Seminar of Experts on Economic, Social and Legal Measures to Combat Racism with Reference to Vulnerable Groups, Santiago, Chile, 10/00
- Fifth Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 5) on the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nairobi, 05/00
Principle Interests
- International and national issues on Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights
- Indigenous peoples and self-determination
- Contemporary issues regarding Australia's Indigenous peoples
- Injustices of past colonial practices affecting Indigenous peoples
Research
- Scoping Indigenous Intellectual Property Issues, Desert Knowledge CRC, 2004-05
- Recording Oral Histories of Aboriginal people, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Canberra and the University of Melbourne
Timeline
Teacher
Holy Spirit College
2024.04 - Current
Secondary Teacher (HASS)
Northern Peninsular Area State College
2023.02 - 2024.04
Marking essays for Dr Greg Burnett
James Cook University
2021.06 - 2021.11
Senior Project Officer
University of New South Wales
2018.06 - 2019.11
Social Affairs Officer
Secretariat of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
2005.11 - 2016.11
Head of School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Charles Darwin University
2002.06 - 2005.02
Senior Lecturer, School of Australian Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Charles Darwin University
2002.06 - 2005.02
Senior Policy Officer
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)
1999.07 - 2002.05
Acting Director of the Centre for Indigenous Education
Melbourne University
1998.07 - 1998.10
Lecturer Level B, Department of Political Science
Melbourne University
1998.01 - 1999.06
Lecturer Level A, History Department
Melbourne University
1995.01 - 1997.12
Co-ordinator Research Unit
Victorian Aboriginal Education Association
1993.06 - 1994.12
Guest Lecturer, Koori Continuum
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
1993.01 - 1998.01
Tutor (part-time)
Melbourne University
1993.01 - 1993.12
Teacher, Monash Orientation Scheme for Aborigines (MOSA)
Monash University
1992.01 - 1993.06
Masters - Political Science
Melbourne University
MA preliminary - Political Science
Melbourne University
Graduate Diploma -
Monash University
BA - double major in History and Politics
Monash University