Our Staff
Paula Callaghan
My name is Paula Callaghan, and I've been a Community Development Coordinator at Benarrawa since April 2012. I hold an undergraduate degree in Social Work and Social Policy from the University of Queensland, graduating in 2000, and bring over 20 years' experience across a range of organisational settings. I have a particular passion for community development methodology and its power to connect people and build genuine relationships.
Immediately after graduating, I left Brisbane to pursue a long-held dream of travelling solo for 3 months through Nepal and Thailand. I eventually settled in London, which served as my base on and off between 2001 and 2006 while I travelled as widely as I could. During this period overseas, I worked primarily in statutory social work, across child protection, fostering, and later adoption services.
This formative chapter of my life taught me a great deal — about myself, the world, and the people who inhabit it — through travels spanning South-East Asia, Ireland and the UK, Europe, the USA, and Africa.
Since returning to Australia in early 2007, I've been lucky enough to land back in the community sector, where my heart truly belongs — doing intentional community development work here in Brisbane across a few different organisations: Community Living Association (as a Youth Support Coordinator), Albert Park Flexible Learning Centre (Community Development Officer with BCC), and now Benarrawa CDA.
Over my many years at Benarrawa, I've watched attendance at our solidarity annual events grow steadily, as community awareness of the issues facing First Nations Peoples has deepened. Helping organise these events and working closely alongside First Nations cultural workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, developing relationships based on mutual trust and respect has been one of the great privileges of my working life. What I care about most is creating safe spaces where people and groups can come together and work side by side, in solidarity.
Working parttime allows me to bring my strengths to the role while still being present for my family and whatever they need from week to week. When I'm not at Benarrawa, you can find me reading, dancing, bike riding, walking my dog, or simply spending time out and about in nature and at home with friends and family. Looking ahead, I'd love to find more ways to contribute to other organisations and share my love of community development, along with everything I've learned along the way.
I'd love to welcome you to Benarrawa whenever you're able to drop by — or maybe I'll see you over a cuppa at one of our annual events, or out and about in some of our project work. None of this happens without your support. My dream is that people can keep doing this important, intentional work together at Benarrawa for years to come — "Benarrawa is flowing. We dream that the people will listen to the land and to each other."
John Maume
Hello, I’m John Maume and I have had the privilege of working in the communities sector for over 20 years both in Australia and overseas. This has included work in the disabilities, aged care, community development, and foreign aid sectors as well as periods as a TESOL teacher and for the last 15 years as a part-time Spanish translator.
I grew up and did all my formal education here in the western suburbs of Brisbane. After high school I chose to study Business Communications at QUT which I enjoyed immensely but never really fitted into my future plans. After a short period working in Public Relations, I travelled to Europe for a year and it was there that I discovered by passion for community work after volunteering with a homeless organization in Dublin, Ireland. Upon returning to Brisbane I launched into TAFE studies in Disabilities as a launching point for my new career. I eventually ended up leaving Australia again for a number of years to live, volunteer and work with various organizations and projects in western Europe and Central America.
Upon returning in 2012, I was offered the opportunity to undertake some flood recovery project work with Benarrawa through Kerry Woodrow – a long time Benarrawa worker and university friend of mine. And so, over the last decade, I have been fortunate to be part of the Benarrawa Community Development Association team, continuing the local community development tradition that has been a part of the the Chelmer-Oxley area and surrounds for over 35 years.
This work brings opportunities to be involved in many diverse areas from individual support with people facing day-to-day challenges in their lives to sitting alongside traditional custodians as they work to preserve and promote their language and culture for the benefit of all Australians. I am grateful for all the opportunities, knowledge and relationships that my work with Benarrawa has brought me and I always look forward to new adventures and projects.
When I am not working , I am kept occupied by my 4 children and Spanish wife doing such things as bush walking, canoeing and bike riding.
Sandiellen Black
Hello my name is Sandiellen Black and I have been the Community Development Project Worker at Benarrawa since November 2016. I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the Benarrawa community on a wide variety of projects including community engagement, quality management, youth leadership and strengthening neighbourly connections through reaching out to residents in their homes.
I have a Bachelor of Social Work from University of NSW and began work as a sole community development worker in a Neighbourhood Centre in western Sydney, where I grew up. This inspired my passion for supporting individuals, families and communities to make choices and implement change at a personal, community and systemic level by building on their strengths and resources. I have over 30 years’ experience working across a range of community sectors including mental health, family support, childbirth education and maternity reform, community development and disability.
Each Tuesday and sometimes Thursday’s, I really look forward to coming to Benarrawa to work alongside John and Paula, to develop and maintaining relationships with local community members around areas of interest/projects, and to be inspired to implement the strategic directions and practice framework of Benarrawa.
On other days you can find me at St Andrews Private Hospital in Ipswich, or offering facilitated planning and group supervision to NDIS participants and their families or human service workers.
Outside of work I really enjoy spending time with my partner, Doug and our 4 teenage and young adult children, particularly bushwalking and camping! There’s also nothing like a good audible book!
I look forward to meeting you soon!
Paula Hardie
Hello, I’m Paula Hardie and I am the Neighbourhood Resilience Community Development Worker. My background is in visual communication design which I have applied to the community sector for the past decade.
My practice has spanned the areas of disaster resilience, food security, waste management, public and community service design, science communication, tertiary and children’s education, and visual communication for First Nations organisations.
I have a Bachelor of Design Futures with Honours (Visual Communication) and a PhD (Design) from Griffith University. My doctoral research explored how design tools (think maps, visual guides and templates) can support the adaptation of community-led services to climate events. After the 2022 Brisbane floods, I worked with Resilient Kurilpa to coordinate a program of events and resources that channelled local knowledge and experiences into practical tools for Brisbane’s wider floodplain community, resulting in the design of the Kurilpa Flood Library.
While my design practice and community work is futures-facing, I keep my feet firmly planted in cultural, place-based knowledges and lived experiences when supporting groups to grapple with climate adaptation. This approach is grounded in a history of working with Resilient Kurilpa and now the incredible community that surrounds Benarrawa.
I grew up on the south side of Magandjin and continue to live here with my partner and baby in our busy intergenerational household. Outside of work I love dancing, crochet, reading, energetic walks through Toohey Forest, lazy walks to the coffee shop, and singing kitchen karaoke with my family.