The Commission recognises we are visitors to the country we travel across and work in and that many of our Local Commissioners are Traditional Owners and Elders of their communities. The Commission acknowledges and pays our respects to the Traditional Owners, Elders and Teachers of these lands; to those of the past whose unseen hands guide the actions and decisions of the Commissioners today; to those of the present working for their communities setting the example for the next generation and to those of the future, the Elders not yet born who will inherit the legacy of our efforts.
Commissioner Cheryl Florence CANNON is a strong, determined, and motivated Indigenous woman from Hope Vale. Commissioner Cannon loves the precious time she spends with her family including 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Some of her children live in different parts of Australia but they are all close to her heart. Commissioner Cannon enjoys her leisure time pottering around home and tending to her garden.
She has had a career in education across Cape York, teaching and in leadership roles within a number of schools. After a brief retirement, Hope Vale Commissioner Cannon’s commitment to education had her employed as a Student Development Officer at the Hope Vale Campus of CYAAA. Her role involved engaging community people to be more active within the school community, in addition to providing support for school attendance and incorporating cultural aspects within the school. Commissioner Cheryl has high expectations for her family to do well in school, be positive role models, and always do the right thing.
From 2021 to February 2023 Commissioner Cannon was the Education Coordinator of the CYAAA Hope Vale Playschool which is a learning environment for children aged 0 to 4 years. Their learning is focused on literacy, language and numeracy, delivered through fun and enjoyable activities for children and their parents. In 2023 Commissioner Cannon commenced in a new role as Secretary of the Thurrpiil Community Justice Group. Commissioner Cannon enjoys being involved in community events that engage all age groups.
Cheryl joined the Commission as a Hope Vale Local Commissioner in August 2014. She enjoys using her FRC role to support and encourage families to be the best people they can be. In 2023 Commissioner Cannon met up with two former students who have joined the FRC, one as a Local Commissioner in Coen and the other as a teacher aide in Hope Vale. “We were all once Teacher-Student now we are colleagues – such proud moments”. As a Commissioner for Hope Vale, Cheryl’s vision and values run parallel to that of the wider community, and she is eager to set in motion change for the positive future of Hope Vale. Always care for your children!
Commissioner Erica DEERAL (Gamaay / Waymbuurr Clans) retired from her position of Administrative/Accounts Officer with the Hope Vale Campus of CYAAA in 2019. She enjoyed working at the school and seeing school attendance improve so that young children can obtain an education to better their futures. Prior to this Hope Vale Commissioner Deeral held administrative positions with the North Queensland Land Council and Cook Shire and Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Councils. She also held a role in the live performance and re-enactment of the landing of Captain Cook and his interactions with the Guugu Yimithirr Bama at the Cooktown and Cape York Expo 2021.
She attended Hope Vale State School, Cairns West State School, Trinity Bay High School and the Cairns Business College. She is a traditional owner, a Director of the Hope Vale Congress Aboriginal Corporation, and a Director of her own Gamaay Warra family business. In January 2022 she was elected as Deputy Chair of Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation before being appointed as Chairperson in August 2022. In 2024 Commissioner Deeral was appointed as a Director on the Board of Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation. These positions reinforce her vision of providing a range of services and positive initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Cooktown and surrounding areas.
Commissioner Deeral is a mother of two sons and grandmother of five granddaughters and one grandson. Commissioner Deeral became a Hope Vale Local Commissioner on 20 October 2011.
Commissioner Priscilla GIBSON (nee BOWEN) has ancestral heritage to the following clan groups: Dharrba Warra and Bagaarrmugu from both her parents with the latter being from her mother. From her grandparents she also has traditional affiliation with the Walkaman and Birraguba clan group from her maternal grandmother and the latter from her father’s dad. Putting this aside she is a Guugu Yimithirr woman, born and raised in the Hope Vale community, with a strong cultural background intertwined with her own cultural spiritual beliefs and customs immersed into her spiritual and religious beliefs of the Lutheran teachings.
Commissioner Gibson has lived in Hope Vale all her life only leaving the community for education and working purposes.
Commissioner Gibson has a Diploma in Early Childhood having trained as a Kindy craft teacher at the Creche and Kindergarten and a Diploma in Nursing, having trained at the Cairns Hospital and qualified as an endorsed enrolled nurse. She has a Diploma in Advanced Health Worker/Nutritionist, and Health Promotion with the University of Sydney and completed her research qualification. She has completed the Parent Training Program, Parent Child Interaction Therapy-Circle of Security, Positive Parenting Program, Behavioural and Emotional Skills and Defiant Teens program.
She has a diversified working background having worked in various organisations in both management and operational duties as well as holding positions on Boards in the role of Director and committee member. Previously Commissioner Gibson has worked as a Parenting Officer with Cape York Partnership. Currently she works in the role of Project Officer/Support Officer with the Rinyirru (Lakefield) Aboriginal Corporation dealing with the jointly managed National Park, assisting her clan groups to create employment in tourism ventures and play a role in the management and governance. Commissioner Gibson also gives back to her community in participating as a community elder in the role of Local Commissioner for the FRC.
Commissioner Priscilla is a community person, and her interest and purpose is helping her community, and especially the young people, to take control of their lives through education. She achieves this by working with the parents in an informal way and seeks support from the various organisations that service the community to strengthen, mentor and support the parents. She instills in people not to forget the power of their own culture in how they communicate and care for each other, and that the power lies with them, it is with the people.
Commissioner Robert GIBSON (Bulgun Warra / Aba Yeerrkoya Clans) was born and raised in Brisbane and is one of six children. His family, though originally from Hope Vale, moved to Brisbane to access medical treatment for his eldest brother. Commissioner Robert Gibson attended Zillmere North State School and in 1982 completed Year 12 at Aspley State High School. He continued his tertiary studies at TAFE prior to attaining a boilermaker apprenticeship at the Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Army Barracks.
In 1984 he was happy to return to his family’s homeland of Hope Vale and secured employment as a Deckhand at Cape Flattery until 1991. Following his work at Cape Flattery Commissioner Robert Gibson gained employment with the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council as a Debtor’s Clerk/Administration Officer. In 1993 he was elected as Deputy Chairperson of the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council.
After completing a Certificate of Justice Studies, Community Policing at Innisfail’s TAFE he was employed as a Police Liaison Officer in Mossman from 1996 to 1999, later transferring to Hope Vale.
Commissioner Robert Gibson has been Director and Deputy Chair for both Alka Bawar Aboriginal Corporation (Bathurst Heads) and Kalpowar Aboriginal Land Trust. These positions included the sourcing of funding and planning for on country development. On 1 November 2019 Robert Gibson was appointed as a Hope Vale Local Commissioner.
Commissioner Robert Gibson has been blessed with two daughters and one grandson who live in the Cooktown and Hope Vale area. Fishing and camping have been a big part of his life and he has a new-found hobby of carpentry in constructing planter boxes.
Commissioner Doreen HART OAM (Binhthi / Bulcan Clans) was selected as a Cape York representative for the 2015 Emerging Leaders Program hosted by Jawun. In 2021 Commissioner Hart, with the support of her workplace, completed her Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care. Her former roles include Engagement Officer for Cape York Empowered Communities Backbone Organisation, Community Development Officer with Living Change at the Wunan Foundation, Chief Executive Officer for the Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Housing Officer for the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council. In December 2021 Commissioner Doreen Hart retired from her position as Team Leader/Service Provider with Apunipima Cape York Health Council. Commissioner Hart is enjoying retirement with family and friends, with grandchildren playing a big part in her life.
Local Commissioner Hart is a Justice of the Peace (Qualified) and a member of the Thurrpiil Community Justice Group. On 26 January 2015 Hope Vale Commissioner Hart was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in recognition of her services to the community.
Commissioner Selina KERR-BOWEN is married to Ronald Bowen from the Thuubi / Dharrba Warra Clans of Hope Vale. Commissioner Kerr-Bowen has two children and one adopted son from the many children that she and her husband cared for over the years while being kinship carers. Both of her sons graduated from Peace Lutheran College in 2013. Her daughter Nancee-Rae is currently schooling at St Patrick’s College in Townsville. She is striving to also graduate secondary school, like her older brothers, Warwick and Coleridge. Commissioner Kerr-Bowen has lived in Hope Vale for most of her life, only leaving to complete her secondary schooling in Brisbane where she graduated from Hendra High in Nundah. After leaving school her former jobs have included being an Assistant Manager for the local food store, an agent for the Commonwealth Bank in Hope Vale, a Parenting Consultant where she delivered the Triple P program for Cape York Partnership, and a Councillor from 2016 to 2020 with the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council.
Hope Vale Commissioner Kerr-Bowen commenced with the Commission on 14 May 2015 and feels good parenting is vitally important. She would like other parents to also enjoy the close relationship and respect from their teenagers that she enjoys with her children. Over the years Commissioner Kerr-Bowen and her husband have committed their time as General Carers. Since 2019 they have been raising four children who were placed into Child Safety. Commissioner Kerr-Bowen has recently undertaken, and greatly enjoys, organising functions for women in the community, such as Mother’s Day and other related Women’s events.
Commissioner Kathryn Dora GIBSON (Thuubi/Dhaarrba/Biri Gaba Clans), or Dora as she prefers to be called, is currently employed by My Pathway as an Activity Supervisor and works at the newly established Hope Vale Community Activity Hub.
She is married to Trevor Gibson from the Bulgun/Binthi clans, and has four children, ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren of whom she is very proud.
She has had a career in education which spanned almost 40 years, initially in administration at the Hope Vale State School and then as a teacher-aide. After years as a teacher-aide, she was encouraged to study for her teaching diploma. She graduated with a bachelor degree, which was special as she graduated together with her daughter Tamara. Within her teaching role, she was seconded as a multi-lit teacher for two years, also holding down many acting-principal positions, the last being at Coen State School. She retired from teaching in 2012.
In 2013 Commissioner Dora Gibson applied for and was successful in acquiring a role as the Education & Youth Support Officer for the Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council, a position she held for four years. In 2018 she was offered a position with My Pathway at the Youth Hub. This role focused on after-school and holiday activities at the hub for school children. Within this role she worked closely with the school, supporting them with incentives, and used the Hub to manage behaviour and improve attendance.
Commissioner Dora Gibson is passionate about keeping her language and culture alive and works tirelessly with her husband to run cultural programs in the community. Commissioner Dora Gibson became a Hope Vale Local Commissioner on 5 May 2022.
