Geoff Davis and Leon van Erp have been bouncing ideas off each other for about two decades.

It was little surprise then, that Leon invited the co-founder of Garnduwa Amboorney Wirnan, the host organisation behind Australia’s biggest Indigenous festival, held each October at Fitzroy Crossing, to help plan and deliver enhanced sports and recreation activities for communities in the Western Desert. “Geoff has spent most of his working life helping Indigenous people in the Kimberley improve their lives through links with sport, education and work,” Leon said. “His track-record speaks for itself, both on and off the field. He’s been there, and done it, with great success.”

The north-west has been Geoffrey’s “office” since he graduated from teachers’ college in 1974 and was sent to Jigalong to teach. “I loved working with the Aboriginals,” Geoff said. He must have. Over the ensuing several years, he worked in Kambalda, Kununurra, Wyndham and Broome, always keeping a focus on introducing the local kids to more sports and recreational activities. During Geoff’s time as a Sports Development Officer based in Broome in the late 1980s, and following a sports carnival he asked Melville Island identity Sebastian Rioli to organise, a major review was undertaken. As a direct result, Garnduwa was created. Over the next 18 years Geoff, and many dedicated local people he quickly identifies as Alan Bishop, Marmingee Hand, Laurie and Rositta Shaw, Louis and Maryanne Dolby, Edna Cherel and Ted Birch, guided the evolution of Garnduwa to a position of strength, where it now receives about $1.5 million a year in Government funding and industry-based sponsorships. Garnduwa currently employs 18 sports and recreation officers and staff, and delivers 9 distinct programs into Broome to Derby and Kununurra - and all points between. “Garnduwa is a success story,” said Geoff. “It is an Indigenous based organisation that is totally representative of its communities, with committed, experienced and passionate people involved at executive level, trains and employs Indigenous people in the sport and recreation industry, and delivers programs that create more and better opportunities for these folk throughout the Kimberley.” It’s little wonder Geoff and Leon share common interests and support each other wholeheartedly.