Our team
Our work is guided by a team with experience across policy, research, community engagement and advocacy. We also work closely with partners, advisors and communities to ensure our work is informed, relevant and grounded in lived experience.
Norman Frank Jupurrurla
Founder, Warumungu Elder, Cultural Leader
Norm was born in the back of a Kingswood in 1973 out the front of Tennant Creek Hospital. He is a Warumungu Elder, having been through ceremony on both his mothers’ and fathers’ side. His totems are jalitjilpa (white cockatoo) and the two butterfly women. Norm has an extensive background in community advocacy, with previous employment at Urapuntja Health Service as mechanic and an ambulance driver.
Simon Quilty
Chief Operating Officer
Long term NT doctor with strong community connections across many remote NT communities, background in engineering, experience in residential construction in the NT with knowledge of NT government services and building industry. Fresh eyes, innovator, strong credentials in research and evaluation with focus on health and housing.
Patricia Frank Nurururla
Co-founder, Warumungu Elder
Patricia was born and raised in the mission days at Banka Banka Station 100km north of Tennant. She is now team leader at the Women’s Centre Piliyintinji-ki Stronger Families at Anyinginyi Aboriginal Health Service and has had seminal leadership roles in multiple community organisations in Tennant Creek.
Jimmy Frank Jupurrurla
Chief Cultural Officer
Chair of Wilya Janta, Jimmy is a Warumungu Emerging Leader. He is a spokesman for Tennant Creek and Wumpurrarni people with important ceremonial and cultural roles and is a founding member of the Tennant Creek Brio. He is taking on leadership roles including being on the Central Land Council Committee and on the board of the Aboriginal Investment NT
Nathan McAuliffe
Independent Board Member, Wilya Janta
Nathan is a plumber with decades of remote construction partnership in Central Australia. Through his multiple community leadership roles, Nathan has worked to develop construction employment opportunities for young Aboriginal people. He is very well known and regarded throughout remote communities as someone who gets essential services going, a real connector between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Gabriel Waterford
Business Manager
Extensive business experience with a strong bent on innovation with remote Indigenous-led businesses. Gabe has a Bachelor of Commerce, MBA in sustainability, and has been Business Manager for Purple House for the past 7 years.
Serena Morton Nabanunga
Serena is an Alyawarra woman who was raised with deep culture on the edges of cattle stations around Ampilatawatja. She has strong matriarchal roles in her community of Tennant Creek and holds strong knowledge of how families can thrive in hot, arid environments.
