For 20 years, Julie Perkins has been the Regional Manager of the NSW/ACT Aboriginal Legal Service’s northern zone. She has worked tirelessly to establish local regional services for Aboriginal women, run by Aboriginal women, and has demonstrated the success of this approach.
She is Deputy Chair of a ground-breaking pilot programme, part of a community-focused partnership with the NSW Government, OCHRE Opportunity, Choice, Healing, Responsibility, Empowerment which works with Aboriginal clients to promote individual and community understanding around issues of violence, homelessness and the placement of young Aboriginal children.
She empowers women in her own and other organisations; she was a delegate in the ASU Equal Pay campaign, and is currently engaged in the Save Our Loc al Community Services fight.
Julie Perkins is a proud Gumbayngginrr woman from Corindi Beach, near Coffs Harbour, who has refused to accept the stereotypical roles she was ascribed, and whose activism has enriched her community.
Photography by Pagan Kael