Newcastle and beyond
Will’s story begins in Newcastle. Family, community, culture and Country shaped his upbringing. He remembers cultural dancing and going bush with his grandfather, father, uncles and cousins. Sport was part of those early years too.
He went on to achieve a childhood dream: playing professional rugby league, including in the NRL. Later came work in the mining industry, where, in his words, he became “just another person on the crew.” A different daily routine, and another chapter of working life.
What carries forward
Will is a proud Indigenous Australian man. The connection to family, culture and Country is personal. ProudGround makes room for that story without turning it into a graphic or speaking for anyone else.
Pauline and their four children remain at the centre of his life. So does the wish to build something his children can one day look at and say, “Dad built that.” Coffee gives people a reason to sit at the same table as that idea takes shape.
Know where you come from. Make room for what comes next.