N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM
As a descendant of the First Peoples of Melbourne, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boonwurrung language group and the Wamba Wemba of the Murray River, N’arweet Professor Carolyn Briggs AM is a Senior Elder and the Chairperson and Founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation and Board Member of the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council. N’arwee’t is a Professor and Elder in Research within Monash University’s Department of Fine Art. She is currently involved in multiple Australian Research Council-funded projects across several universities. N’arwee’t is a co-founder of the Yulendj Weelam Lab in RMIT’s Architecture & Urban Design School with Dr Jock Gilbert and Associate Professor Christine Phillips.
N’arweet has been involved in developing and supporting opportunities for Indigenous communities throughout Victoria and many other communities around Australia. For over 50 years, she has been proactive in developing strategies for the promotion and maintenance of Boonwurrung culture and heritage. As a result, N’arweet was nominated and appointed as a Member of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and in 2019 was elected a member of the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.
Dr Jock Gilbert
Jock Gilbert is a non-Indigenous registered landscape architect and academic in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University. He is a Senior Lecturer in the RMIT Landscape Architecture Discipline and co-leader of the Yulendj Weelam Lab.
His research interests lie in meaningful community engagement, regenerative practice and Indigenous-led design research, focused around the development of green infrastructure through the convergence of concepts of place, Country and landscape.
With a wealth of experience working with Traditional Owners, including co-developing and leading with Sophia Pearce (Barkandji consultant), the award-winning ‘Culturally Appropriate First Nations Consultation Report with Barkandji Maljangapa Nation into Indigenous Water Values in the Murray-Darling Basin’ for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Environment - Water Division, 2020.
Jock has been instrumental in developing an innovative Indigenous-led relational approach for the Yulendj Weelam Lab that is grounded in respect, reciprocity and deep listening.
Sophia Pearce
Sophia Pearce is a Barkandji sociologist and weaver from far-western NSW, currently undertaking a PhD focused on Barkandji weaving knowledges within RMIT's Architecture & Urban Design School. Sophia’s interest lies in preserving and protecting culture and heritage with particular reference to the management of and repatriation of Barkandji cultural objects and places.
Sophia has extensive experience in consulting for a broad range of stakeholders to ensure projects are delivered to respectively support Indigenous cultural heritage and knowledges. Sophia has worked with and for First Peoples communities across Australia, predominantly in NSW and Victoria.
Associate Professor Christine Phillips
Christine Phillips is a non-Indigenous registered architect and Associate Professor within the RMIT Architecture Program. Christine has extensive experience working with Traditional Owners on Indigenous-led projects that address community aspirations. Christine is currently working on innovative ways of transforming architectural design education to celebrate the 65,000+ years of First Peoples’ culture in Australia. Through her partnerships with First Peoples communities, Christine is connecting and advancing the way architecture students engage with Indigenous knowledges to build their cultural capacity through transformative education experiences.
As an architect, Christine has many years of industry experience working with cultural heritage and was a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria where she was part of the Joint Working Group committee with the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council of Victoria.
As a Yulendj Weelam Lab leader, she is currently partnering with several large national landscape architecture and architecture practices, building the skills and cultural capacity of design practitioners.
N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs AM
As a descendant of the First Peoples of Melbourne, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boonwurrung language group and the Wamba Wemba of the Murray River, N’arweet Professor Carolyn Briggs AM is a Senior Elder and the Chairperson and Founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation and Board Member of the Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council. N’arwee’t is a Professor and Elder in Research within RMIT’s College of Design & Social Context and is currently involved in several Australian Research Council-funded projects. N’arwee’t is a co-founder of the Yulendj Weelam Lab in RMIT’s Architecture & Urban Design School with Jock Gilbert and Dr Christine Phillips.
N’arweet has been involved in developing and supporting opportunities for Indigenous communities throughout Victoria and many other communities around Australia. For over 50 years, she has been proactive in developing strategies for the promotion and maintenance of Boonwurrung culture and heritage. As a result, N’arweet was nominated and appointed as a Member of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and in 2019 was elected a member of the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.
Sophia Pearce
Sophia Pearce is a Barkandji sociologist and weaver from far-western NSW, currently undertaking a Phd in Barnkandji weaving knowledges within RMIT's Architecture & Urban Design School. Sophia’s interest lies in preserving and protecting culture and heritage with particular reference to the management of and repatriation of Barkandji cultural objects and places.
Sophia has extensive experience in consulting for a broad range of stakeholders to ensure projects are delivered to respectively support Indigenous cultural heritage and knowledges. Sophia has worked with and for Indigenous communities across Australia, predominantly in NSW and Victoria.
Beau de Belle
Beau de Belle is a proud Gamilaraay man with a connection to culture, language, and community and passion for learning and sharing his knowledge with anyone who shows interest. Beau is a Vice Chancellor Indigenous Pre-Doctoral Fellow at RMIT University currently undertaking a PhD that explores the intersections of his role as an Indigenous graduate of architecture and his role as a Gamilaraay man and how he can develop strategies that support the needs of Indigenous communities.
Beau has several years of industry practice working with EJE Architecture, including the delivery of a number of education projects where he led Aboriginal design integration.
Beau has a wealth of consultative experience with both Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous stakeholders to ensure Indigenous knowledges and perspectives are respectfully engaged with in design projects in the built environment.
Jock Gilbert
Jock Gilbert is a non-Indigenous registered landscape architect and academic in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University. He is Program Manager of the RMIT Bachelor of Landscape Architectural Design and co-leader of the Yulendj Weelam Lab.
His research interests lie in meaningful community engagement, regenerative practice and Indigenous-led design research, focused around the development of green infrastructure through the convergence of concepts of place, Country and landscape.
With a wealth of experience working with Traditional Owners, including co-developing and leading with Sophia Pearce (Barkandji consultant), the award-winning ‘Culturally Appropriate First Nations Consultation Report with Barkandji Maljangapa Nation into Indigenous Water Values in the Murray-Darling Basin’ for the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Environment - Water Division, 2020.
Jock has been instrumental in developing an innovative Indigenous-led relational approach for the Yulendj Weelam Lab that is grounded in respect, reciprocity and deep listening.
Dr Christine Phillips
Christine Phillips is a non-Indigenous registered architect and Senior lecturer within the RMIT Architecture Program based in the Eastern Kulin Nation. Christine has extensive experience working with Traditional Owners on Indigenous-led projects that address community aspirations. As Senior Lecturer within RMIT’s Architecture Program, Christine is currently working on innovative ways of transforming design education to celebrate the 65,000+ years of our First Nations’ culture in Australia. Through her partnerships with Indigenous communities, Christine is connecting and advancing the way architecture students engage with Indigenous knowledge to build their cultural capacity and develop transformative education experiences.
As an architect, Christine has many years of industry experience working with cultural heritage and was a member of the Heritage Council of Victoria where she was part of the Joint Working Group committee with the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council of Victoria.
As a Yulendj Weelam Lab leader, she is currently partnering with several large national landscape architecture and architecture practices to ensure Australia’s built environment respectfully supports and engages with Indigenous knowledges and communities.