Lawyers from McCullough Robertson (McR) have been visiting a series of First Nations communities over many years to help inform their Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
The new RAP is being enacted as part of the firm’s centenary celebrations in 2026.
Rob Sosnowski, McR’s Reconciliation Action Committee Chair and Senior Associate in the Corporate Advisory team, said the firm’s Stretch RAP would further embed the firm’s reconciliation initiatives and its commitment towards meaningful and impactful change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, communities and organisations.
“We have been fortunate for the past few years now to be invited by Aak Puul Ngantam to have staff go on Country in Cape York and learn from the local Rangers” Mr Sosnowski said.
“This learning experience is greatly valued by those who attend and gives us a deeper connection to our vision for meaningful reconciliation, equal and equitable access to justice, and improved social and economic opportunities”
The following are some of the comments from the McR team after their on-country experiences.
Chelsea Bodimeade – Coober Pedy with Many Rivers
“Many Rivers is a for-purpose organisation that, among other work, provides CED support to First Nations and other Australians who want to grow their business. The CED work supports elected board members and managers of First Nations community organisations in achieving economic goals, strengthening their planning, leadership, and organisational skills to maximise monetisation and participation in the Australian economy. Many Rivers is a valued pro bono client, and this trip provided a deeper understanding of their CED work and the remote communities we support.”
Jacob James, Ulani Powell and Emma Hambleton – Tha’ Pemp Wuut Mangkantam (Our Ancestral Footprints) – the Returning Generation School Camp
“Our client APN is a not-for-profit company and registered charity that was established in 2011 following works first initiated in the 1960s. APN is run by and for the Wik peoples of north-west Queensland.
APN’s primary purpose has always been to help families return to their traditional land in a meaningful way, bridging the gaps caused by colonisation and the Stolen Generation. To forward this mission, each year APN hosts the grade six children from the Aurukun primary school on Country at Blue Lagoon, which is a ranger station two hours inland of Aurukun. At the camp, the children spend time with elders and rangers on Country, learning by story and experience as their ancestors once did.
Besides hosting the camp, APN works with the locals to provide necessary training to help them become Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers.
We were privileged to join in with locals in experiencing first-hand the wonder of being on Country. From identifying and digging roots to be used as dye, spear-making, Kup-Murri preparation, and learning of (and tasting) the local foods such as barramundi, wild boar, beach turtle eggs and swamp turtle, to yarning with the children, Elders and rangers (and learning Wik words along the way), we were grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about local practices, lands, history and culture.”
Alex Komarowski – Mornington Island – where he spent a week delivering legal outreach alongside the Arts Law Centre of Australia.
“It was a brilliant opportunity to develop my communication skills – especially in building rapport and trust with the artists while delivering advice that was understandable and practical. It was an immensely enriching experience – a brilliant opportunity to apply my legal skills in a wholly unfamiliar environment. It was also incredibly interesting to witness firsthand the nuanced balance between art as intellectual property, art as a business, and art as a personal healing process.”
Find out more about McR’s Stretch RAP here
