Our Board, Staff and Elders

Most of the Yuku Baja Muliku rangers are Traditional Owners of the land and know and understand the land better than most others. The rangers are employed through Indigenous organisations with funding from the Queensland Government.

OUR BOARD

Yuku Baja Muliku Traditional Owner, Elder
Foundation Director
Keen and valuable contributor to Board decisions.

Currently employed asa a Yuku Baja Muliku Ranger
Yuku Baja Muliku Traditional Owner.

Co-Founder of the Muliku Landowner & Reserves LTD
Emerging Yubu Baja Muliku Leader
Currently respresents YBM on a number of committees
Yuku Baja Muliku Traditional Owner

Currently employed as Marketing & Media Manager with the Aboriginal Carbon Fund
Emerging Yuku Baja Muliku Leader
Yuku Baja Muliku Traditional Owner

STAFF:

Larissa is a Traditional Owner of the Annan River, Archer Point area, and the Managing Director of Yuku Baja Muliku Landowner & Reserves Ltd, where she divides her time between the YBM Junior Ranger Program, YBM Indigenous land and sea rangers, the Archer Point Turtle Hospital.

Larissa is based in Cooktown and represents YBM in negotiations with both the state and federal governments and other non-government organisations.
Family, community and country have a strong hold on Larissa’s heart. Combined they provided Larissa with an idyllic childhood, which she now endeavours to continue for her children and the community by providing programs such as the YBM Junior Ranger Program that has both indigenous and non-indigenous all working together to care for our environment and our communities.

Larissa is an active member on a number of committees, internationally and nationally. These connections help Larissa to share our region, our communities and our people on a much larger scale.

Passionate about the environment, the reef, her culture, art and the ongoing growth of indigenous land and sea management, fishing, camping, catching up with friends and family and promoting our beautiful region.

Irene is the Chairperson and Cultural heritage manager for Yuku Baja Muliku. Irene is the eldest child of Jack and Louisa Doughboy.

Irene is an Elder and Traditional owner of the Annan River, Archer Point area, her father’s country, and has connections to the Laura Region through her mother Louisa Banjo.

She had worked at Cape Flattery Mine for 23 years in a number of different roles, including, lab assistant, bar attendant, kitchen hand and cook.

Irene loves getting back out on country camping and fishing, however in the last six years she has started painting again and is working towards further developing her style of art.

(Having had experience working with young people as trainees in the hospitality industry, I find it extremely satisfying to work with the YBM ranger program and seeing how the younger members grow and develop on the job and in themselves. – Irene Bowyer )

Mick is the Operations Manager for Yuku Baja Muliku Rangers and co-founder for the YBM Ranger Program and YBM Junior rangers. Mick works closely with his wife Larissa Hale, and other Traditional Owners representing YBM in negotiations with both the state and federal governments and other non-government organisations.

Mick was born in Tokoroa New Zealand, moving with family to Australia in 1981. He has worked as a Locksmith, productions systems engineer and QLD Parks Ranger.

Passionate about the environment, land and sea management, fishing, camping, catching up with friends and family.

(When I was approached by Larissa’s Grandfather Jack Doughboy, to start the YBM Ranger Program with my brother in law Wayne. I was honoured. I jumped at the opportunity. I really enjoy looking out for my family’s country and ensuring our younger generations have a birth rite that means something to them. – Mick Hale)

Joyce is an Elder and Traditional owner of the Annan River, Archer Point area, her father’s country, and has connections to the Laura Region through her mother Louisa Banjo.

Joyce has a love of fishing and camping on country, and has enjoyed working as a ranger.

Gauai Wallace is from the Binthi warra and juunju warra clans around Hopevale area.

Gauai has been a Yuku Baja Muliku ranger for 7 years. His roles include a marine compliance officer, sea turtle rescue & rehabilitation and is currently doing Bio security training and his coxswain certificate.

( Being a ranger has really made me see how important it is to look after our land and sea. We get to do lots of different stuff every day.

Looking after country is very important to us all, now and for our future The most important thing I love about being a ranger is, we get to take all our knowledge home and teach our kids of all the great things we do. – Gauai Wallace)

Wayne is a Traditional Owner of the Annan River, Archer Point area.

Wayne is the youngest child of Noel and Marie Sycamore (nee Doughboy).

He works as a land and sea ranger, Indigenous Marine Compliance Officer and Conservation Officer.

( I like what I do as a ranger and working and training with other ranger groups. I like seeing what work they do on their country, and how they manage to work around the different seasons with fire, weed and pest management. – Wayne Sycamore)

Stephen George Kulka aka, George; is a Yuku-Baja-Muliku man from his father’s side who is Stephen Doughboy snr and George’s mother, Esther Kulka is a proud Buru warra/ Kuku-Nyungkul women.

He has been working since he was 18 yrs. old, on stations, Banana farming, then at 19; he decided he wanted to work for his family, Yuku-Baja-Muliku Rangers.

He has worked with other ranger groups in Cape York, including QPWS in Cooktown and the Coen region.

( I like what I do, such as caring for country, caring for animals and respecting our elders for their knowledge’s there going to give us.
I love being a ranger because it give me the opportunity to learn from my elders and other elders the traditional way of that country. It is also giving me the opportunity to travel around Australia to see other indigenous ranger groups how there care for their country. As ranger, I have learnt a wide range of skills and experience in many field of land management. – Stephen George Kulka)

Stephen Doughboy Junior (aka – Junior); is a Yuku-Baja-Muliku man from his father’s side who is Stephen Doughboy snr.

Juniors mother Christine is a Wuppi Warra woman from Hopevale. Yuku Baja Muliku Ranger for 7 years, participating in all aspects of work, learning many skills in land & sea management.

( I have learnt how to respect people, cultural protocols and the environment in my role as an Indigenous Ranger. I love being a ranger, because it gives me the opportunity to learn from my elders. They have so much knowledge of country and how we should care for it. Without this knowledge, we as the younger generation will not know the correct way to hunt, burn and respect our land and culture. – Stephen Doughboy Jnr )

Adam is a descendant from the Woppaburra clan from Kepple Island. Adams role as ranger has helped him get into a career that he enjoys.

His current tasks include water quality monitoring, revegetation projects, erosion control and YBM drone program. Adam is currently studying horticulture and doing further studies in drone tech, for mapping.

( I am one of the lucky people, working in a career, doing something I love.- Adam Saunders )

Corenelius Burton, Aka Corey is a Yuku-Baja-Muliku man from his mothers side, who is Joyce Henderson and Corey’s father, Clive Henderson is from Jack lakes.

Corey is the youngest YBM Ranger and has been participating in all works and training. Corey has started his drone training, crocodile management training, horticulture, fire management and weed Id.

( Since being a ranger, I have done crocodile training, coxswain training, and working with the Junior rangers. I like going out on the boats on water patrols and turtle tagging. – Corey Burton)