Governing Structure
Board of Directors
Key Staff
Board of Directors
Central Desert Native Title Services Limited (Central Desert) was incorporated on 16 April 2007 and commenced operations on 1 July 2007. The Central Desert Board currently consists of five Directors. The Board’s role is to decide the strategic direction of Central Desert and to ensure that Central Desert acts in accordance with funding conditions.
George Irving – Chairperson
George Irving is a Barrister specialising in native title law. He was Legal Officer with Kimberley Land Council from 1993 to 1997 and Principal Legal Officer from 1997 to 2002. Since then, George has successfully represented Aboriginal groups from around the State in Federal Court hearings, National Native Title Tribunal hearings and in negotiations with the State and other respondents to native title claims. /back to top
The Hon. Fred Chaney AO
In recent years, Fred Chaney has served as a member and Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal, Co-Chair and Director on the Board of Reconciliation Australia Ltd, Chair of Desert Knowledge and Chair of the Consultative Committee on a Human Rights Act for Western Australia. In 2008 he was awarded the Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award for "exceptional leadership in the fields of social justice, human rights, equality and anti racism". /back to top
John Thurtell
John Thurtell is an Indigenous Affairs Consultant. He has worked extensively on programs and service provision in Aboriginal communities, community governance, native title matters and the negotiation of mining and compensation agreements. He has worked in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields in Western Australia, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands in South Australia, far North Queensland and Victoria. /back to top
Dr Fiona Skyring
Fiona Skyring is an historian who worked for the Kimberley Land Council from 1998 to 2005 as an 'in house' expert witness, preparing reports for litigated and mediated native title claims in the Kimberley region. She gave expert evidence on behalf of the native title applicants in five trials in the Federal Court. In 2006 Fiona prepared several submissions on behalf of the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (Inc) for the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into Indigenous Stolen Wages and she gave evidence at the Inquiry hearings in Perth. Fiona is currently writing a history of the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA, due for publication in 2010. /back to top
Peter Thomas
Peter Thomas is currently a senior executive at Fortescue Metals Group Limited and is currently General Manager of the Rail operation in the Pilbara. He was previously Chief Financial Officer (Infrastructure) at Fortescue where he was responsible for group financial management and commercial project performance. His strong international finance, corporate and investment banking skills have developed over the last 15 years while he served in various executive, corporate and advisory roles. /back to top
Key Staff
Central Desert is staffed by 26 experienced and dedicated staff who have a vast knowledge and commitment to the provision of native title services.
Our Senior Management Team consists of:
Chief Executive Officer - Ian Rawlings
Principal Legal Officer - Malcolm O'Dell
Business Services Manager - Ric West
Manager Land and Community - Rob Thomas
Senior Legal Officer - Sian Hanrahan
Please click here for a copy of Central Desert's Organisational Structure