About Josh

Joshua is a Worimi man, whose family ancestors are recorded as having the first recorded birth in a cave in the Gloucester mountains. His connection to the Worimi nation stems through both his parents, tracing back to the Bugg family.

He is a socially and commercially focused, Aboriginal man with extensive experience across Indigenous affairs, the environmental sector and sustainable agriculture. Josh works across government, corporate and social organisational levels to develop and lead change through sharing the narration of Indigenous identity through agricultural and environmental truth-telling in light of modern contexts. Josh is a deep, strategic thinker and manages business change effectively through empathy. He is passionate about creating change through effective investment and societal understanding.

He is the current Indigenous Co-Chair of Reconciliation NSW and on the Boards of Indigenous Business Australia, the Aboriginal Housing Office, KU Children’s Services and the Australian Conservation Foundation.

Achievements

Josh is a well known climate and environmental advocate, having bridged the climate change and agricultural discussion to lead one of the first proactive, international climate change motions within an agricultural organisation.

He has been named Australian Geographic’s Young Conservationist of the Year, shot a documentary with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, was a Young Australian of the Year Finalist and shares his Aboriginal wisdom with audiences, such as at his TEDxCanberra presentation.

His work on Traditional Native Foods has helped shaped the industry and provides farmers and Traditional Landholders with opportunities for the future. Now, Josh works with Indigenous farmers at large to understand the post-colonial involvement of Indigenous farmers in western agricultural systems, to understand what future involvement may be.

In 2021, Josh was announced as the Nature Conservancy Council’s Rising Star and in the inaugural cohort of 50Next, where judge and Spanish chef described Josh’s involvement as below. He was a finalist in Country Style Magazine’s Local Hero award and was awarded a Banksia Foundation: Youth as our Changemakers Award in 2022.

Summary of Activities

Roles

• Reconciliation NSW Aboriginal Co-Chair

• Indigenous Business Australia Board Member

• Aboriginal Housing Office Board Member

• Australian Conservation Foundation Treasurer and Board Member

• KU Children’s Services Board Member

• Wingham Beef Week President

• Future Drought Fund Consultative Committee Member

• Tocal College Advisory Committee

• CSIRO Agriculture and Food Advisory Committee