In this powerful NAIDOC Week yarn, I sit down with Uncle Cheg—Gregory Egert—one of our most respected elders and lifelong advocates for community, culture, and education in Southeast Queensland. From growing up in Inala in the 1960s, to decades of service on community boards and as an inaugural Elder in Residence at QUT and now UQ, Uncle Cheg shares stories of resilience, responsibility, and staying grounded in culture.

We talk about the early days of big community meetings (complete with the occasional flying chair), the importance of giving back, and how Aboriginal-led research is shaping better futures through the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures. Uncle Cheg reflects on what drives him to keep showing up for mob, why mentoring the next generation is non-negotiable, and his hopes and concerns for our young people as they step into a fast-changing world.

Whether you’re mob, an ally, or someone wanting to understand more about what genuine community leadership looks like, this episode is a heartfelt reminder—especially during NAIDOC Week—that our culture, our stories, and our obligations endure.

Tune in to hear Uncle Cheg’s wisdom on belonging, legacy, and the power of lifting each other up.

Resources & Links

• ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures
  https://indigenous-futures.org/ indigenous-futures.org+1indigenous-futures.org+1

• The Murri School
  https://murrischool.qld.edu.au/ murrischool.qld.edu.au+11murrischool.qld.edu.au+11murrischool.qld.edu.au+11

• QUT Carumba Institute
  https://www.qut.edu.au/research/carumba-institute qut.edu.au+3qut.edu.au+3qut.edu.au+3

• University of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit
  https://indigenous-engagement.uq.edu.au/atsisu

Website: www.blackmagicwoman.com.au

Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast

The Black Magic Woman Podcast is hosted by Mundanara Bayles and is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly Aboriginal guests and explores issues of importance to Aboriginal people and communities. Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do.

If you enjoyed this episode, please ‘Subscribe’ on Apple Podcasts or ‘Follow’ on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you’d like to contact us, please email, info@blackmagicwoman.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode I sit down with respected Wakka Wakka/Wulli Wulli Elder, author, academic, and leadership expert Dr Tjanara Goreng Goreng. Recorded in Naarm at the Indigenous Leadership Summit, this yarn dives deep into the meaning of sacred leadership, emotional intelligence, and the importance of First Nations ways of knowing, being, and doing within modern systems.

Aunt shares her journey from growing up in Longreach to working in public service and academia, and how she has applied First Nations knowledge to leadership development through her PhD and mentoring programs. She unpacks the foundational cultural laws of reciprocity, responsibility, and respect — teachings passed down through generations — and how these values shape authentic leadership today.

Together, we also discuss supporting the next generation of Blak women, breaking free from limiting belief systems, and empowering young mob to lead in their own right — not by assimilating into dominant systems, but by centring cultural integrity and lived experience.

Resources & Links

• Aunty Tjanara Goreng Goreng – Personal website
https://www.tjanara.com/

• The Leadership Institute – Indigenous Leadership Summit:
https://www.theleadershipinstitute.com.au/indigenous-leadership-summit/

• BlackCard – Aboriginal Terms of Reference (via About Us page)
https://www.theblackcard.com.au/about-us/

Website: www.blackmagicwoman.com.au

Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast

The Black Magic Woman Podcast is hosted by Mundanara Bayles and is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly Aboriginal guests and explores issues of importance to Aboriginal people and communities. Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do.

If you enjoyed this episode, please ‘Subscribe’ on Apple Podcasts or ‘Follow’ on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you’d like to contact us, please email, info@blackmagicwoman.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the Black Magic Woman Podcast, I sit down with trailblazing Woppaburra woman, Angela Barney-Leitch, live from the Human Rights Summit on Yagara Country. From growing up in Woodridge to becoming the first Aboriginal woman appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor in Queensland, Angela reflects on her incredible journey and the importance of cultural leadership in institutions like QUT.

Angela shares the transformative work happening through Carumba, the Indigenous Research Institute, and how initiatives like the Campus to Country strategy are reshaping what inclusion and sovereignty look like on university campuses. Angela also speaks candidly about the strength of community, the role of education in our liberation, and why standing strong in your identity is more important than ever.

This yarn is a celebration of black excellence, black joy, and the power of returning to and standing on Country. An inspiring listen for anyone navigating the intersections of culture, education, and leadership.

Resources & Links

Books & Authors

Another Day in the Colony by Professor Chelsea Watego
https://www.uqp.com.au/books/another-day-in-the-colony

Black Witness by Amy McQuire
https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/black-witness-9781922585725

Indigenous Education & Strategy at QUT

Carumba Institute – Indigenous Research at QUT
https://www.qut.edu.au/research/carumba-institute

Campus to Country: Positioning Strategy
https://www.qut.edu.au/about/campus-to-country

QUT Indigenous Strategy
https://www.qut.edu.au/about/indigenous

Indigenous Mathematics & Education

YuMi Deadly Maths – QUT
https://research.qut.edu.au/ydc/about/yumi-deadly-maths/

Dr. Chris Matthews – Griffith University Profile
https://www.griffith.edu.au/advancement/notable-alumni/2021-alumni-award-winners/professor-chris-matthews

Woppaburra Country & Marine Stewardship

Woppaburra Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement (TUMRA)
https://woppaburra.com.au/100-2/

Reef Authority – Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements
https://www2.gbrmpa.gov.au/learn/traditional-owners/traditional-use-marine-resources-agreements

Indigenous Business Leadership

Master of Indigenous Business Leadership – Monash University
https://www.monash.edu/indigenous-australians/study/master-of-indigenous-business-leadership

Website: www.blackmagicwoman.com.au

Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast

The Black Magic Woman Podcast is hosted by Mundanara Bayles and is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly Aboriginal guests and explores issues of importance to Aboriginal people and communities. Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do.

If you enjoyed this episode, please ‘Subscribe’ on Apple Podcasts or ‘Follow’ on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you’d like to contact us, please email, info@blackmagicwoman.com.au

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.