Dedicating decades of his life to being an interpreter of two worlds, Frank Holmes has made a profound contribution to the preservation and transmission of Alyawarr cultural knowledge.
The many songs, dances, ceremonies and marks memorised and transmitted by Frank convey maps across vast swathes of northern Australia and core knowledge of Aboriginal genealogy, law, spirituality and Alyawarr land tenure.
As a well-respected leader and senior knowledge holder, Frank has in the past travelled hundreds of kilometres to attend Central Land Council meetings. He has lent his expertise to decision making about the use of land and the rights of Indigenous traditional owners, leading to many successful native title land claims.
With his brothers Casey Holmes and Donald Stewart, he is also changing the lives of Indigenous men as part of the Codes 4 Life program, supporting and mentoring them to find strength in their cultural responsibilities, family connections and the teamwork essential to community wellbeing.