John Moriarty AM, 1967 Referendum Campaigner, Designer of Qantas Yanyani Dreaming 737
John Kundereri Moriarty AM is Chairman and Co-owner of the Jumbana Group, Australia’s leading indigenous art, design and brand strategy entity, operating domestically and internationally since 1983. He is also the Principal of John Moriarty & Associates, an Indigenous communications and facilitation practice.
Born at Borroloola in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory, John Moriarty was taken from his mother at the age of four and brought up in a number of boys’ homes in Sydney and Adelaide under the then government’s assimilation policy. This motivated a lifelong commitment to advocacy for Aboriginal equality, reconciliation and cultural preservation.
Today a full member of the Yanyuwa people of his birthplace and belonging ceremonially to the Rainbow Snake and Kangaroo Dreaming, John Moriarty has held senior and executive positions in Departments of Aboriginal Affairs at both Federal and State Government levels.
On completing a Bachelor of Arts degree from Flinders University in 1970, John Moriarty was granted a Churchill Fellowship for overseas study of the preservation of the history and culture of indigenous peoples. He was named South Australian Aboriginal Businessman of the Year in 1992 and was the recipient of the Advance Australia Award for service to industry and commerce. John is an Honorary Doctor of the University of South Australia (1997) and recipient of the Flinders University (SA) Convocation Medal (2001).
John Moriarty has held numerous board appointments. Currently he is Deputy Chairman of Indigenous Business Australia, Member of the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Chairman of the ATSIC Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, Member of the NSW Government Aboriginal Business Round Table, and Member of the Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland.
Previous appointments include Chairman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Board of the Australia Council, Chairman of the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation of Australia, Member of the Australian International Cultural Committee, Member of the Federal Government Visions of Australia Committee, and Executive member and Chairman of the Aborigines Progress Association of South Australia.
In 2000, John Moriarty published best-selling autobiography Saltwater Fella to critical acclaim. The Sunday Telegraph described his book as "The most important book for decades… this is not a ‘black’ book or a ‘white’ book. It is a profoundly Australian book… It is about humans and adversity and love, lots of love."
However John Moriarty is perhaps best known for creating the sensational indigenous designs painted over two entire Qantas jumbos: the Wunala and Nalanji Dreamings.
John maintains professional involvement with an extensive network of: indigenous people in urban, rural and bush communities throughout Australia; with Federal and State governments and bureaucracies; with overseas indigenous peoples and institutions; and with a wide range of national and international corporations and non-government organisations.
Biography sourced from http://www.celebrityspeakers.com.au/brspeaker_bio.asp?Speaker_Index_Text=186