Each week, we will feature a member of the HBNC team, giving you a chance to Meet the Neighbours. The goal is to highlight and celebrate the people at the heart of our organisation, who work tirelessly to make the Wide Bay Burnett community a stronger and more resilient one.

This week, we'd like you to meet Natasha Hamilton, our Intensive Family Support Case Manager and Cultural Consultant. 

Tell us a bit about yourself. 

I am 24 years old and recently moved to Hervey Bay from Melbourne.

I am a proud Aboriginal (dad's side) and Macedonian (mum's side) woman.

My mob are Wemba Wemba, Ngurai-illam Wurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung from Victoria.

I’m a full-time third year Bachelor of Social Work student and I am studying through Deakin University, I only have one more year left – YAY!

What is a quick summary of your professional background?

I worked at ANZ Bank from 14 years old – starting in a school based traineeship, I ended up in full-time employment where I stayed for 6 years.

I then worked at the Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention and Legal Service as a Paralegal and then later moved into the Koorie Women’s Place Support Worker role. Here, my small three-person team was responsible for creating a safe space where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women could come together to do personal development/healing activities, arts and crafts activities and much more.

I then moved over to the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency in a Case Management role in the Residential Care team where I worked with youth 12-18 years old that were in out of home care. I was in this role for more than two years then moved over to a Project Officer role where I was responsible for establishing a Youth Advisory Council called Youth Yarning Strong. Now I’m here, in the Intensive Family Support team where I am employed as a Cultural Consultant/Case Manager.

What drew you to work with the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre?

I was drawn to work at the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre because I had heard great things about the organisation through community prior to my move up here.

How do you see your role making a difference in the lives of the community’s most vulnerable?

I feel that my role in particular is to support the organisation with becoming more culturally safe for the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander people.

What’s one thing you hope to see happen or change for our community?

During my time here, I hope to see an improvement in relations between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people in the Hervey Bay region, as well as a reduction in the number of people experiencing homelessness.