Jeremy Coward
Senior Aboriginal Cultural Educator
Jeremy Coward is a Gomeroi man with strong connections to communities across Northern NSW and the Upper Hunter Valley. He holds important cultural responsibilities and obligations to Ngemba Country in North Western NSW, carrying knowledge that has been passed down through generations and maintaining a deep connection to culture, community, and Country.
As a Senior Aboriginal Cultural Educator with Mawambul, Jeremy shares Aboriginal knowledge through storytelling, cultural practice, and lived experience. He is passionate about helping people build a deeper understanding of Country, cultural responsibility, and the enduring connection between people and place.
Jeremy is also a respected cultural artefact maker and artist, creating traditional Aboriginal tools, carvings, and artworks inspired by cultural knowledge. Through both his art and education, he encourages people to connect with Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing, bringing an authentic and engaging perspective to Mawambul's Cultural Education Program.
Nathan Brennan
Engagement Consultant
Nathan is a proud Gamilaraay, Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man from Grafton, NSW, with more than 18 year's experience in First Nations leadership across the not-for-profit sector and local and state government.
He specialises in Indigenous-led land and sea management, with expertise spanning governance, policy, conservation, tourism, planning and economic development. Nathan has led and contributed to nationally significant initiatives, including Australia's first Indigenous Koala Conservation Strategy, NSW's first bilingual Aboriginal language school, and NSW's first Sea Country Indigenous Protected Area.
At Mawambul, Nathan supports projects across community engagement, Aboriginal governance, cultural tourism and strategic planning. He also serves as a Director of several Aboriginal organisations and brings additional experience as an Aboriginal cultural artist, cultural tour guide and Gumbaynggirr language teacher.
Miranda Innis
Brand and Marketing Manager
Miranda is a descendant of the Munanjali (Hard Black Ground) people of the Yugumber Language Group of South East Queensland. Born and raised in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, she moved to Newcastle in 2021 and has continued to build connections within the local community.
She leads the strategic direction of the organisation’s brand, marketing and communications. Working closely with the leadership and wider team, she guides how Mawambul and its work are positioned, communicated and represented.
Miranda brings a strategic and practical approach to building Mawambul’s brand with a commitment to strengthening its presence across industry and community.
With over 20 years of experience across administration and marketing, Miranda brings a broad understanding of both the strategic and operational sides of an organisation.
In addition to leading brand and marketing, she shares her administrative experience broadly across the business where needed, helping to strengthen internal processes and the way the team work together.
Creative, organised and collaborative, Miranda enjoys turning ideas and organisational priorities into considered strategies and outcomes that move Mawambul forward.
Gavin Kelly
Senior Aboriginal Educator
As a Senior Aboriginal Educator at Mawambul, Gavin draws on his cultural knowledge and lived experience to support meaningful learning and strengthen understanding and connection to Country.
Gavin is a celebrated self-taught artist with more than 20 years of experience, with Worimi Country and the landscapes surrounding his home providing a strong influence on his work. He was a finalist in the MAC yapang Art Prize, and his paintings are held in significant collections, including the Fairfax Family collection and the Australian National Art Collection.
In 2025, Gavin created an original artwork to celebrate Mawambul’s first year in business. The piece was featured at Mawambul’s inaugural celebration event, marking an important milestone in our journey.
Gavin’s skills and knowledge in linking Traditional stories between water & land is highly valued and a powerful tool for building stronger connections to and with Country.
Ananya Khujneri
Designer & Researcher
Ananya Khujneri is a Graduate Architect, researcher, and educator whose work spans design practice, academic research, and teaching. Her interests lie in the intersections of Country, ecology, cultural memory, and the built environment, with a particular focus on how design can engage with place as a living and evolving system. Alongside her professional practice, she has contributed to research examining environmental and cultural transformations of the Hunter River, participated in the WaterTalks exhibition at the Tin Sheds Gallery, and worked as a research assistant on projects including Bada Budyari – Eat Well, exploring community, culture, and place-based knowledge.
Ananya also teaches across architecture and built environment programs at the University of Newcastle and University of Sydney, where she supports developing critical, reflective, and socially responsive approaches to practice.
