HARBINGER
CONSULTANTS

ABORIGINAL & TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER

EMPLOYMENT, ENTERPRISE & TRAINING
Harbinger Consultants is a people-focused social, urban and cultural consultancy committed to community wellbeing, social
innovation, organisational and non-profit sector resilience, and cultural development. We undertake research, planning,
strategy and consultation for clients and partners in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

JM John Armstrong has extensive experience working and negotiating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and
communities. He has a sound knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, including traditional and
contemporary perspectives, and an awareness of issues that impact upon communities. John is Secretary of the Board of
the South East Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, which provides networking and business development support to
Indigenous businesses as well as advocates for Indigenous business development strategy and policy.

As Manager of Blak Business Smart Business (BBSB) from 2005 to 2008 he led a team of Indigenous staff to provide
ongoing personalised, professional guidance for the sustainable development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
businesses. Intensive and extensive consultations with Indigenous community leaders and others enabled Armstrong to
provide a valuable service for a rich and diverse mix of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals, enterprises and
organisations with over 600 enquiries and 150+ active clients during the 3 years. BBSB was funded from three tiers of
government and involved a range of corporate partners.

By proactively seeking, networking with and supporting Indigenous clients at any stage from business start-up to expansion
the BBSB team of four staff achieved the following over a three-year period:

600+ enquiries
432 clients participated in in-house workshops

157 individual clients actively serviced

8 Organisation clients actively serviced

48 new businesses operating

29 new businesses in pre-start-up phase

66 operating businesses receiving ongoing support

171 jobs generated

18 workshops held in-house

66 workshops held by other provider

196 clients participated in other provider workshops

257 clients provided with one-on-one skills
development

83 completed business plans/feasibility studies

31 business plans resulting in business start-up

81 clients assisted with marketing/sales
advice/strategies

72 funding applications = 52 approved

The range of consultancies Harbinger Consultants has undertaken is evidence of Armstrong’s knowledge and
understanding of the cultures and societies of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. John is currently
providing consulting services in Indigenous employment, enterprise and training through a number of projects and industry
involvements. These include:

Input into a large scale regional project that will result in a range of employment and training opportunities for
Indigenous people

Presentation at the IQPC Conference that addressed culturally appropriate models for Indigenous enterprise
development

Input into the development of a multi-site rural enterprise that will result in training, employment and tourism based on
cultural protocols

Advisory and development role on the development of an Indigenous Resource Kit

Ongoing involvement with and service provision to the South East Queensland Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.

John’s past involvements have included:

Teaching and course development at the Australian Catholic University in the Indigenous business program and a
consulting role with Indigenous enterprise projects in schools

A Public Art project with Aboriginal artist Joanne Currie, installed at Springfield Orion that necessitated negotiations
with Traditional Owners and Elders

A major exhibition and catalogue, ‘Dreamtime: The Dark & The Light’ that he developed and managed for Sammlung
Essl, Vienna, Austria was the largest show of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art presented in a private
 museum in Europe. The negotiations with over 75 artists, writers and collectors took place over a six-month period and
the success of the exhibition attests to his knowledge and skills in this area.

Arts Queensland & Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing and Export Agency contracted Harbinger to undertake a
consultancy ‘Research and Report on Funding and Options for Indigenous Art Centres in Queensland’

For Brisbane City Council (BCC) he worked with BCC Indigenous Staff to develop the Indigenous Creative Industries
Strategy

Also for BCC he worked with BCC Indigenous Staff and the members and Board of the Murri Men’s Group on Capacity
Building and Strategic Planning

As Consultant for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) Armstrong was responsible for the
exhibition design and management of a major display of Queensland Indigenous artists for the Commonwealth Heads
Of Government Meeting that necessitated a careful consideration of the historical impacts on contemporary
expressions of Indigenous Culture and Tradition and the way to present this to visiting international Heads of State.

For ATSIC in the exhibition design and management for the Goodwill Games it was vital to have a thorough
understanding of the cultures and societies of Queensland’s Indigenous Peoples and to be able to involve over 125
Indigenous artists in this major initiative and present the richness and diversity of Queensland’s Indigenous Cultures to
over 15,000 international visitors – this included a major Visual Arts and Craft exhibition as well as 10 days of
performance

Work with Access Arts in the restructuring and professional development of a Regional Indigenous Program Officer
position/role involved extensive research and community consultation to ensure an efficient, effective and realisable
outcome and structure for the program

Initiation of a monograph about Campfire Group published by the Institute of Modern Art

Wide ranging consultation with Indigenous people to determine the most culturally appropriate and relevant creative
and ‘cultural wellbeing’ programs for Access Arts to provide throughout South East Queensland and four regional areas

As Gallery Manager and Project Director at Fire-Works Gallery and Campfire Group Armstrong maintained effective and
sensitive communications and relations with artists and artsworkers from all sections of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Communities across all states. Fire-Works Gallery is Queensland’s longest established specialist Indigenous art
gallery. The Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing and Export Agency is charged with developing, implementing and
evaluating policy and advice for a whole of government approach to the growth and sustainability of Queensland’s
Indigenous cultural products and Armstrong’s appointment to the Board for a five year term attests to the recognition of his
record of achievement in these areas.

Armstrong has presented papers and workshops at numerous conferences and in 2008 he conducted a workshop
addressing Indigenous Policy Development that drew on his experiences and learnings to present resources and tools for
developing policy in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples rather than for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples. He also presented a workshop for the Reconciliation Business Forum that looked at the particular
needs and demands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family businesses and as part of the BCC’s Coolamon
Celebration he presented a number of workshops and talks that drew upon his lived and learned experience with Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander cultures. In December 2008, he presented a paper at the Strengthening Indigenous Communities
Conference that looked at Supporting Communities in Engaging with Service Providers in Indigenous Business
Development.

CONTACT
JM John Armstrong
Harbinger Consultants
PO Box 334, Aspley Qld 4034
Phone: 07 3863 1096
Mob: 0418 224 953
jmjarmstrong@hotmail.com
http://harbingerconsultants.wordpress.com
ABN: 54 657 665 684