Elders, guides & staff

Our Elders, guides, support staff and managers collectively bring an enormous amount of time, energy and love to wukalina Walk. Here are some of the people you are likely to have the privilege of meeting when you walk with us. We are also very grateful for the contributions of community members who, although might not feature here, take the time to engage, support, advise, consult and hold us accountable when necessary.

Palawa Elder and the founder of wukalina Walk, Clyde Mansell, was born on Flinders Island. Clyde has first-hand experience of Cape Barren Island Half-Caste Reserve and Tasmania’s assimilation policies from the 1960s.

Clyde was NAIDOC Person of the Year in 1990, Chairperson of the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania for 20 years and only recently retired as Chair of the Aboriginal Elders Council of Tasmania.

Proud Pakana woman of North East Lutruwita/Tasmania, Carleeta Rose Helen Thomas, has guided wukalina Walk since its launch in early 2018. Born on Truwana/Cape Barren Island, Carleeta loved growing up there and a part of her is always looking forward to getting back there for birdin with her family.

Nathan Pitchford is a Tasmanian First Nations community member who loves to learn, gather and share knowledge. He is a practitioner with pakana kanaplia as well as a guide on Trawloolway Country (home Country). He’s currently doing a diploma in project management.

Torie Mansell has been with the walk since November 2023. “I’m Palawa mob. I enjoy working at the wukalina Walk. It’s a good experience.”

Palawa man Ashton Peet heals Country through cultural fire practices. Here he’s pictured in the domed communal space at krakani lumi standing camp.

Palawa Elder Smokey Beeton has always been an important part of wukalina Walk. He recognises the enormous value of the experience in fast-tracking outsider perceptions – or myth-busting their misconceptions – about Aboriginal people of Tasmania and our cultural history.

As well as being a guide, proud Pakana Cody Gangell is also a mixed-medium artist – Kapa Runina. Artworks can be seen on IG@kaparuninaarts or, on the walk, Stingray in the Sky Dreaming Story painted on Kangaroo Skin exists in all dimensions at our standing camp Krakani Lumi.

Harley Jac Mansell

When Djuker Willis-Hart completed his tour guiding qualification at TasTAFE he was awarded 2019 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year. In this video Djuker shares his journey from classroom education to guiding on Country.

Aboriginal community member Hank Horton is a respected knowledge holder. Hank ran the very first Aboriginal tourism business in Lutruwita - Jahadi Indigenous Tours. Today he sits on boards, runs education programs and writes interpretations for walking companies and a lead guide for wukalina Walk.

As Hank Horton says: “For me to take you out on Country, as an Aboriginal guide, that’s where we do shine, in the scrub, in the bush. That’s our culture”.

Jai Jackson-Hooper says he’s proud to be Palawa. “I haven’t been connected much and now I’ve found connections through wukalina walk. First job out of school.”

Palawa Elder Audrey Frost was born on Cape Barren Island and moved to Launceston at the age of eight. Aunty Audrey works with fibres and loves sharing her culture on wukalina Walk.

"It’s lovely to think we’re meeting with people who come forward and really want to get to know us as a people, identify us as who we are, and respect us for what we are,” she told SBS. “And that is just a great feeling. It gives you warmth, you just lose yourself in your stories if you get people that are very interested."

Palawa woman Melissa West is a shell stringer and, for her, this traditional practice is an important way to connect with her Ancestors.

Proud Palawa woman Sharon Holbrook personally prepares the food for every wukalina Walk trip and all departures begin with her freshly baked scones.

Aunty Sharon is a member of the Stolen Generations and reconnected with her palawa family 54 years after she was forcibly removed. Her story has been published by outlets such as Koori Mail, The Examiner and Aunty Sharon shares her story here with ABC.

Adam Thompson is a Pakana man from Launceston. He worked at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre for almost 20 years in a variety of roles, including as a ranger on Tayaritja (Bass Strait Islands). He was named Tasmanian Aboriginal Artist of the Year in 2019.

Adam is a writer and the author of Born Into This, which won the Story Prize Spotlight award in the US, and was shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards, The Age Book of the Year and the Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction. Adam also writes for television.

For over two decades Jillian Mundy has been taking stories of her people, and other First Nations people to the country in the Koori Mail.

The award-winning photographer, writer, emerging filmmaker and sometimes artist, hopes her work has a positive influence, whether playing a part in righting a wrong, educating, inspiring someone, making their heart swell with pride or simply brightening their day.

Unless captioned otherwise, images on this website are all by Jillian Mundy.

Alix Webb