Julio Estorninho – Born in Macau, southern peninsula of China. My mother is Chinese, born in Shanghai, my father is Portuguese, born in Macau. My family came to Australia when I was a baby. I grew up in Melbourne, socially and economically disadvantaged, experiencing extreme racism and prejudice. I politicised at an early age and identified with the local Maori and Koori communities in St Kilda and Fitzroy. I have been an activist for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights for most of my life. Julio talks to Gman on 3KND's Big Brekkie.
I was awarded Moreland Council’s “Lisa Bellear Award for Contributions To Reconciliation Activities” in 2016 after I initiated, and organised, Coburg Football Club’s inaugural NAIDOC Week festivities. I have been a member of Moreland Council’s Reconciliation Working Group since 2016 and am currently that Working Group’s representative to Council’s Human Rights Advisory Committee. I was a volunteer at SNAICC in 2016, contributing to “A Place For Culture?”, a cultural competency framework for Early Childhood Education and Care services. I am currently working at Wellways on “Yumurrala Ngarrdji”, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander NDIS Access project.
This project aims to identify and address barriers that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community are facing in accessing the NDIS. We can provide practical support for community members as well as supporting Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) with information and/or staff training. We are also looking to produce culturally relevant NDIS resources for the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community. To do this, we need community members to be involved in our co-production team, sharing their knowledge and experience of the NDIS, and leading us to what community wants and needs are.