Respected lawyer and Indigenous leader Dr Ivan Ingram was elected to the Natural Hazards Research Australia (the Centre) Board of Directors in December 2025.
Dr Ingram is a Wiradjuri and Filipino man with a career spanning legal practice, academia, consulting and executive leadership.
With a focus on native title, Indigenous governance, human rights and more recently in truth-telling and healing, Ivan hopes his tenure on the Centre’s Board will help strengthen the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with contemporary scientific methods; recognising that First Nations peoples have been caring for Country since time immemorial, and that this knowledge holds significant opportunity for building resilience across all communities on Country.
“Natural Hazards Research Australia sits at a compelling intersection of the various bodies of work I’ve been involved in over the years: from working with community to preserve traditional knowledge, to international policy engagement on the Sustainable Development Goals, through to my work with Indigenous youth. As custodians of Country, First Nations peoples hold responsibility for all people living on that Country. I see real opportunity for the Centre to help mobilise that knowledge in service of community resilience.”
Ivan has built a distinguished career at the intersection of governance, cultural leadership and community empowerment, and is well respected and recognised First Nations governance specialist. With more than a decade of board service across arts, youth development, statutory authorities and Indigenous affairs, he brings a rare combination of legal expertise, cultural insight, and strategic foresight to the Centre.
Teaching First Nations legal histories and legal realities at Queensland University of Technology, Ivan served as a Member of the Queensland Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry and was the first Indigenous person appointed as Judicial Registrar of the Federal Court of Australia.
Ivan’s long association with the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network (a movement focused on First Nations climate justice) galvanised his commitment to environmental resilience and intergenerational leadership. This experience informed his later contribution to the First Nations Leaders Group and strengthened his advocacy for self-determination, truth-telling and culturally grounded governance.
In the arts sector, Ivan’s passion for the performing arts stems from his training as a student of the Mitchell Conservatorium of Music, where he studied classical piano and musicianship. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Flying Arts Alliance and has contributed to strategic advisory work with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Across these roles he champions culturally responsive practice, trauma-aware approaches and pathways for young Indigenous creatives.
Passionate about strong governance as a mechanism for social change, Ivan continues to advocate for systems that honour community voices while navigating complex regulatory landscapes. Whether in boardrooms, the lecture room or community spaces, his work is united by one purpose: advancing self-determination and strengthening the foundations for future generations.