Carolyn Briggs is an elder of the Boon Wurrung people, who are the traditional owners of the country that starts at the Werribee River and extends east,through part of the city of Melbourne and as far east as Wilson's Promontory.  

Carolyn has devoted most of her working life toadvancing the cause of her people and inheriting traditional and customary responsibilities associated with her country, people and culture.

She has been actively involved in significant community development projects, in advocacy, native title, social reform and cultural promotion. She has been involved in negotiating Indigenous Land Use Agreement [under the Native Title Act] and establishing and managing education & support programs at University level.

 

Carolyn established Australia's first Aboriginal childcare centre. As a youth and welfare officer, she worked on Community Development for the State of Victoria and developed Indigenous employment strategies in the State Government sector (a Department of Premiers & Cabinet appointment).She is a former director of La Trobe University's Aboriginal Tertiary Support Unit, Bendigo.

 

As a mediator with the Equal Opportunities Commission, Carolyn was seconded to work with the Federal Attorney-General as head researcher for Victoria on the Muirhead recommendations to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.

 

Currently Carolyn works as a restaurateur and leads her own catering business. Her cultural authority has been acknowledged by both Government and community.  She has been invited by the Premier to welcome the Governor when arriving at Parliament House for the opening of the Parliament [1999 &2003], and was invited to address a special sitting of State Parliament in 2000, and opened Australia Day Ceremony hosted by the Governor General 2006.

 

As an active supporter of the development of Indigenous Arts in Victoria and across Australia, Carolyn has been a member of the Aboriginal Arts Committee of the Arts Council of Australia. She has worked as a curator of several significant art exhibitions and is recognised as keeper of the history and genealogies of her people.

Carolyn is currently the proprietor of the only restaurant in Melbourne specialising in Australian Native Produce.ÔÇ£TjanabiÔÇØ is located Federation Square, Melbourne. She is on the Point Nepean Community Trust as a Commonwealth Government appointed Board Member, and was one of a group who were successful in lobbying the Commonwealth Government to work towards creating a National Park on this significant land.

Carolyn Briggs is listed in the Australian Women's Who's Who, and was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women 2005.