Meet the Mob

Footy genius in his teens, millionaire in his twenties, Owen Craigie had a dream footy career then gambled it all away.

Tired but not resting, Bev Manton was the first female chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council.

Nathan Towney left professional rugby league to tackle teaching, now he's got the top job at a historic public High School.

Indigenous language, gay rights, and social media - at 26 Gamilaroi man Matty Morgan is packing a lot into life.

For an award-winning vineyard in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales, the expertise of an Aboriginal viticulturalist underpins its success in organic food production.

"This is my traditional land and I'm a traditional owner. I've worked with national parks before and I was here when the Worimi Conservation Lands were first started up. I just love the land."

"I'm not waking up in the morning afraid of where I'm going. I'm happy. I can see something at the end of the rainbow."

"I got a cheque for three dollars when I was a little boy. I don't know who did that but I really value that three dollars. It came through good committee processes about giving financial independence to Aboriginal people."

"I don't think I'm a stereotype. I've made something for myself. I'm proud of where I am right now."

"I come from a community that sings a lot, they sing everywhere in the Torres Strait Islands. Once I came down here to Newcastle I needed to be involved in the singing community."

"I was 24, I hadn't ever been out of Queensland and my boss said 'We want 10 Torres Strait Islander boys to do all the concrete sleepers from Maitland to Sydney. I'd never heard of Maitland before."

"I just love the way when I teach dance the kids connect with culture and they feel proud. At first they're a little bit scared, but I explain to them that their ochre is like their armour, like a body shield."

"Over the last, let's say 30 years or 50 years, how many Aboriginal people's dreams and goals have been killed with that word 'shame'? The word 'shame' should be crossed out altogether."

"I got the nickname Choc from the boys I used to hang around with at Darby Street in Newcastle. As a matter of fact, I once said to Anthony Mundine 'Hey listen, I'm the original Choc, not you'."

"I was meant to be in Japan for two years and earn a lot of money. I was only there three months but I had to come back when my dad committed suicide."

"At Koori-oke here, I'm probably bound to run into someone who's related to me, so that's great."

"I made a decision one day - either do I end my life, or do I actually rebuild my life based on my values and my beliefs? And that is what I chose to do."

"I feel like I just need to be stable instead of travelling everywhere now"

"It's time that we take those stories out of the books and put them into a space that people can engage in."

"I definitely want to be known as an Aboriginal Australian"

"This is our week, this is the awesome week."

"We'd made history, we were simple young Aboriginal kids."

"We'd made history, we were simple young Aboriginal kids."

"It's a pretty significant native title claim that's been registered and nothing like that has ever been done in the Hunter Valley basin."

"I think alot of them feel they are looked down on. It takes a while for them to come out, gain confidence and succeed"

"My story is not uncommon for Aboriginal leaders in the higher education space. There are plenty of us who have been tradespeople that have come through to be full professors."

"I told my parents I was leaving and packed my bag."

"Newcastle nearly took my life. But it gave me my life back too."

"Someone told me you can't make change from the back seat, so I thought I'd better get in the front seat."

"Our youth has a lot of potential. There's a lot of young people that just need that one person to believe in them."

"Being a fair skinned, mum from day dot put it in me: 'you're an Aboriginal boy, don't let anyone take it away from you'."

"I started playing darts when I was 9. My dad, a Dunghutti man, played too. So did my grandfather."

"I have a very happy, well adjusted teenager who up until six years ago had only ever seen his mother drunk."

"My motto is walk tall, be proud."

"It was as though I woke up that day, it was like the first day of my life."

"I could see what was wrong and I feel like the most rewarding thing would be to contribute to a better future."

"One day I thought, is this going to be my life? Just sitting in four walls and not getting out there."

"It's being connected to your country and not just floating over it"

"I lost all memory, lost speech, couldn't walk. I was paralysed. I delved deep within and got some advice from Elders about alternative healing practices."

"By the time I'm finished I should have my own house, two cars and probably about three kids. I haven't told the girlfriend about that yet."

"By the time I'm finished I should have my own house, two cars and probably about three kids. I haven't told the girlfriend about that yet."

"When I make my doctor's appointment they say 'Lyn, do you want to come in at 11 o'clock?' I say 'Forget it, bingo starts at 11'."

"I didn't think I had a problem. I was playing footy and I'd go and train and then after training I'd be drinking. The night before games. After the game. It was taking over my life."

"I'm pretty done with the sad stories; I'd like to hear all good ones now."

"When Ernie Dingo found out I was Aboriginal, he was really supportive. There weren't many of us Kooris around ABC TV at the time."

"I was broken, I was hurt, I was angry and the only thing that helped me out was alcohol and drugs."

"It's a birthright to remain connected to communities, culture and to their histories."

"I was born with perforated eardrums. I had five perforations in my left side and seven in my right side. I couldn't hear at all, I just thought everyone couldn't."

"If no-one says anything or stands up to a wrong then it'll just continue"

"I'm a fisher girl, the most relaxing time is when I've got that line in the water and you're just sitting there thinking."