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"