Kokatha

Kokatha https://kokatha.com.au Wed, 06 May 2026 02:35:41 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://kokatha.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-Kokatha-logo-hi-res-32x32.png Kokatha https://kokatha.com.au 32 32 FOLLOWING IN HER GRANDFATHER’S FOOTSTEPS https://kokatha.com.au/following-in-her-grandfathers-footsteps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=following-in-her-grandfathers-footsteps Wed, 06 May 2026 02:13:06 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18574

Growing up, Kirsty Sultan always looked up to her grandfather, respected Kokatha Elder and loader operator Abdul Sultan. ‘I just always admired him and thought, I want to be like him when I grow up,’ Kirsty says.

At the time, many people told her operating machinery was ‘a man’s job’. But Kirsty never let that stop her. ‘I’ve always liked proving people wrong,’ she says with a smile.

Today, thanks to her determination, hard work and the support of her mum Tania

Sultan, Kirsty has achieved her childhood dream – becoming the first female

operator at Kokatha Mining Services (KMS).

‘As a Kokatha woman, it feels really special to be employed by KMS and to be able to work on Country every day in a job I love,’ she says. ‘I could never have done it without my Mum though, she’s been a constant support.’

Kirsty is one of four Kokatha people recently recruited to KMS and contracted

to work with Aurizon, as part of a new labour hire arrangement.

She is currently driving a water truck and says she has quickly settled into the role. ‘I love the work and I’m really proud to be part of the KMS team,’ she says. ‘All the guys have been really welcoming and positive about having me onboard.’

Kirsty is no stranger to working in what has traditionally been a male-dominated

industry.

She began her career at Olympic Dam when she was just 25 years old, at a time when there were very few women working in mining. ‘I actually started in admin, but it really wasn’t for me,’ Kirsty laughs. ‘Before long I was driving trucks underground. These days there are a lot more women doing that work, but back then there weren’t many at all.’

Her career then took her to Iron Knob, where she operated dump trucks and loaders, before moving to the Whyalla steelworks to work in a production role.

When she saw a position advertised at KMS, the decision to apply was an easy one.

‘I thought, well I love operating and I’m Kokatha, so why not?’ she says.

Kirsty is Mum to a teenage son and a four-year-old daughter, and says her family is

incredibly proud of her new role. ‘They come up and see me at work and it’s really special to be able to tell them that Mum’s working on Kokatha Country, doing a

job she loves,’ she says.

Kirsty hopes her journey will inspire other young Kokatha women to pursue careers in the industry too. ‘If you’re passionate about operating and working on your Country, just go for it,’ she says. ‘It’s really rewarding.’

This is just one of many positive stories happening across Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation. To read more about the great work, achievements and community updates, check out our latest newsletter by clicking on the button below.

Pictured – Kirsty Sultan in front of the Aurizon water tanker she proudly operates on Kokatha Country.

]]> KOKATHA YOUTH CAMP – REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN https://kokatha.com.au/kokatha-youth-camp-registrations-now-open/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kokatha-youth-camp-registrations-now-open Tue, 05 May 2026 05:33:10 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18567

Registrations are now open for Kokatha people who are interested in taking part in the inaugural Kokatha Youth Camp.

The camp was initially planned for April, however due to current fuel prices, it had to be rescheduled.

The new dates and venue are:

5 – 7 October 2026 (second week of spring school holidays – dates may change)

Arid Recovery Nature Reserve, on Kokatha Country

This camp is open to Aboriginal young people aged 10–17 and is all about:

Connecting with Country

Building strong relationships

Learning from Elders and Knowledge Holders

Developing confidence and life skills

This is a special opportunity for Kokatha young people to come together, learn, and grow in a culturally safe and supportive environment.

We’re also looking for people to be involved in different ways, including:

Knowledge Holders / Elders

Camp support staff

If you’re interested in being part of the camp as a participant, Knowledge Holder, or support staff, please register your interest here:

https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSdE9NqlrlO…/viewform…

More information will be shared soon, but for now we encourage you to register your interest and be part of something really positive for Kokatha young people.

]]> IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATE https://kokatha.com.au/important-community-assistance-program-update/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=important-community-assistance-program-update Mon, 04 May 2026 23:39:12 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18550

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation would like to share an update about the Community Assistance Program (CAP).

CAP has been helping many Kokatha members and Common Law Holders this year, and we are proud of the support that has been provided across our community.

So far this year (July 2025 to April 2026):

932 Kokatha members received health and wellbeing support.

492 children were supported through education.

289 members have almost used all of their funding allocation.

This is what the funding has gone to:

$1.53 million for member health, including support for Kokatha Elders.

$440,000 for education.

$145,000 for funerals and memorials.

$151,000 for scholarships (with more still being processed).

This shows how strongly the program is being used across our community.

Because so many people have needed financial support this year, demand for CAP has been higher than expected. To make sure the program can continue into the future, we now need to slow it down for a short period of eight weeks.

From close of business on Friday, 8 May 2026:

New applications for health, scholarships and general support will be paused.

Funeral and memorial support will continue.

This is not a full closure. We’re focusing on supporting what is most important while we look after the program.

We know this may be hard for some families, and we thank you for your understanding and will provide an update before applications start up again on Monday, 6 July 2026.

]]> APRIL EDITION OF THE KAC NEWSLETTER NOW ONLINE https://kokatha.com.au/april-edition-of-the-kac-newsletter-now-online/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=april-edition-of-the-kac-newsletter-now-online Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:31:24 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18540

Lots of great things have been happening at KAC, and we’re excited to share them with you!

The April edition of the KAC Newsletter is now out, filled with awesome stories about our community, including big achievements, fun events and all the latest news from Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation.

You can read it online by clicking the button below, or pop into the KAC office on Railway Terrace in Port Augusta to grab a copy.

Have a read and see all the great things happening in our Corporation!

]]> KOKATHA PASTORAL UPDATE https://kokatha.com.au/kokatha-pastoral-update-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kokatha-pastoral-update-3 Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:49:17 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18494

It’s been a busy and exciting week out at the Kokatha Pastoral Stations, with some significant progress across the programs.

We’re pleased to welcome our new Station Overseer, Brian Boland (pictured), along with three new female rangers who have joined the team at Roxby Downs Station.

It’s fantastic to see the team continuing to grow and more Aboriginal women stepping into these roles on Country.

Pictured from l. to r. are: Sam Stuart (Rangers Coordinator), Shaqkodan ‘Shaq’ Warren, Graham ‘Bubbles’ O’Toole, Chantari Warren, Amelia McKenzie and Taelah Linton.

Sam is continuing interviews this week for the remaining ranger positions, and we’re hoping to have a full crew on deck by the end of the month.

We’ve also made good progress on the rangers’ accommodation, training and recreation space (also pictured).

There were a few delays due to weather impacting the deck construction, but things are now moving forward again.

It’s fantastic to see everything coming together out on Kokatha Country!

]]> KAC EASTER FUN DAY – WHAT A SUCCESS! https://kokatha.com.au/kac-easter-fun-day-what-a-success/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kac-easter-fun-day-what-a-success Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:45:17 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18473

A big thank you to everyone who took part in the Kokatha Easter Fun Day on Saturday, it was a huge success!

We had more than 85 people come along, with Kokatha kids of all ages and lots of families enjoying time together.

It was great to see the Kokatha community out, connecting and having fun.

Congratulations to our golden egg prize winners, Myla Reid and Aaron Reid

Jarrad and Shonelle from the KAC Community Development Team ran some great games with the kids before we all got into the Easter egg hunt.

There were plenty of smiles, laughs and full baskets by the end of it!

We’ve had lots of positive feedback from families, with many keen to see what else KAC has planned for the rest of the year!

Thank you to Kym Chamberlain, Joanne Strangways, Jarrad Edwards, Shonelle Reid and Erika Grantham for all their work in the lead up and on the day.

A shout out also to all the parents who got helped run the games – we couldn’t have done it without you!

]]> POSITION VACANT – HERITAGE OPERATIONS COORDINATOR https://kokatha.com.au/position-vacant-heritage-operations-coordinator/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=position-vacant-heritage-operations-coordinator Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:27:20 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18451

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) is seeking a motivated and experienced Heritage Operations Coordinator to join our team.

We are looking for someone who has a strong respect of Kokatha culture and heritage, along with leadership experience and the ability to work respectfully with community and stakeholders.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate strong organisational, scheduling, and administrative skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver outcomes efficiently.

The position offers the opportunity to:

• Plan and coordinate heritage field operations

• Work closely with Kokatha People and community

• Build strong relationships with stakeholders

• Support employment and training opportunities for Kokatha People

• Play an important role in protecting Kokatha Country

📍 Location: Port Augusta, South Australia

🕒 Position: Permanent, full-time

For more information or to apply please email Leah Brown at employmentandtraining@kokatha.com

To download a copy of the position description please click on the button below.

Kokatha People are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 24 April.

]]> KOKATHA EASTER FAMILY FUN DAY – SAVE THE DATE https://kokatha.com.au/kokatha-easter-family-fun-day-save-the-date/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kokatha-easter-family-fun-day-save-the-date Tue, 24 Mar 2026 22:50:05 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18441

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation invites Kokatha community members to join us for a fun Easter celebration.

Date: Saturday 4 April

Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm

Location: Rotary Park, Port Augusta

Activities will include:

Easter egg hunts for younger and older children

A golden egg prize in each hunt

Games for all ages

Pizza and hot chips for lunch

Fruit for snacks

This is a great opportunity for Kokatha families to come together and enjoy a relaxed day together.

Please keep an eye out later this week for a reminder post. We look forward to seeing you there.

]]> CAPS UPDATE – ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS RETURNED TO THE COMMUNITY https://kokatha.com.au/caps-update-almost-a-quarter-of-a-million-dollars-returned-to-the-community/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=caps-update-almost-a-quarter-of-a-million-dollars-returned-to-the-community Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:22:52 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18433

Last month, Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation gave back $224,014.34 to the Kokatha community through our Community Assistance Program.

So far this financial year, we have proudly supported our community with $2,298,206.63 provided across 2,361 applications.

This support reflects our ongoing commitment to giving back to our people and ensuring our community continues to grow stronger together.

Thank you to everyone who has engaged with the program, we’re here to support you.

]]> JOIN THE KOKATHA RANGER PROGRAM – MALE RANGER ROLE AVAILABLE https://kokatha.com.au/join-the-kokatha-ranger-program-male-ranger-role-available/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=join-the-kokatha-ranger-program-male-ranger-role-available Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:02:10 +0000 https://kokatha.com.au/?p=18427

Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) is inviting Kokatha men who want to work on Country and give back to community to join our Kokatha Ranger Program.

Based at Roxby Downs Station, this role offers the chance to be part of a hands-on team caring for Kokatha land, culture and heritage, while building skills for the future.

Location: Roxby Downs Station and across Kokatha Country

Opportunity: Full-time position currently available

You’ll be working alongside Elders, the Station Manager and ranger team, taking part in land management, cultural and environmental work, and on-ground activities that make a real difference.

What we’re offering:

• Competitive pay and super

• Salary packaging up to $18,500

• Ensuite accommodation and meals at Roxby Downs Station

• Internet provided on site

• 4 weeks’ annual leave

• Work vehicle for work purposes

• Training and development opportunities

The role:

This is a practical, on-Country role involving ranger and station work, community engagement, training and cultural activities, with the opportunity to help shape the future of the Kokatha Ranger Program.

Applications close:

5pm on Friday 27 March 2026.

If you have previously submitted an application, please note that we have kept it on file and will be assessed alongside any new applications received.

Apply now:

Send a short expression of interest and your resume to

ranger.operations@kokatha.com.au

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

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