Shireen Malamoo

Foundation Board Member

Shireen was born in Plantation Creek, near Ayr, in North Queensland and now lives and works in Redfern, Sydney.

She has held many leadership positions in Aboriginal Affairs and has been a lifelong campaigner for the rights of her people. As a representative of Australia Aboriginal people, she has twice traveled to Africa (Durban 2001 and 2006) to attend conferences on racism.

Shireen is an Aboriginal community worker who advocates a holistic approach to Indigenous issues. In the 1970s, she worked for the Department of Social Security in Townsville, Queensland and her involvement with the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care included membership of the Finance Committee.

She was a Commissioner of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) from 1991 to 1993 and sat on the NSW Parole Board for 9 years (1994-2003). Shireen has extensive experience in the management of non-government services for the Aboriginal community including the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Media Association and the Aboriginal Medical Service in Townsville, and currently sits on the Justice Health Board and has done for some years now. Shireen is also involved with the Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern and the AH & MRC Ethics Committee.

Shireen is a well respected artist and feels her involvement in Aboriginal affairs on a local and national level has deeply influenced her artistic work, and her art depicts all the spiritual experiences of her life. Her most recent exhibitions include a solo exhibition at the Washhouse Gallery in Rozelle and as part of a multi-discipline exhibition at the Global Gallery in Paddington.