Bek Devlin and Sarah Eccles break new ground as co-CEOs of Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation
For the first time, the Wadawurrung traditional owners Aboriginal Corporation is being led by two First Nations women. Bek Devlin and Sarah Eccles have taken on co-CEO roles overseeing 10,000 square kilometres from Geelong to Ballarat.
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“We sat down and said, all right, what are we going to do when we disagree?”
It’s a conversation most business partners have, but for Rebekah Devlin and Sarah Eccles, the stakes are higher.
It’s the first time the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC) is being led by two Wadawurrung First Nations women, and they’re not just managing a business – they’re stewarding 60,000 years of continuous culture across 10,000 sqkm of Country.
Looking to the future, while “following the footsteps of their ancestors”.
The interim co-chief executives, aged 47 and 48 respectively, represent a powerful shift in leadership for the organisation that has 294 members who have responsibility to care for Country from Djilang (Geelong) to Ballaarat (Ballarat).
It provides cultural heritage management, Gobata Dja (Caring for Country), traditional ceremonies, cultural education, and member and Elder support services as the custodians and decision makers for protecting and managing Wadawurrung Country and its cultural heritage.
Ms Devlin, a former journalist, and Ms Eccles, a lifelong carer of Country, say their appointment isn’t just about breaking barriers – it’s about honouring 60,000 years of continuous culture and the elders who never had the chance to lead from the front.
“We feel very privileged to be in this position, but we are also acutely aware of the responsibility,” Ms Devlin says.
“It’s a really powerful example to the young ones that they can step into these roles, they can do it,” she said.
The timing is poignant.
This year NAIDOC Week is celebrating is celebrating an important milestone – 50 years – with the theme ‘The next generation: strength, vision and legacy’.
In lock-step, Ms Eccles added, “It’s a massive role … elders didn’t always have that opportunity to be in these yarns or be at that table and it is our responsibility and cultural obligation to step into that.”
“There’s a lot of important things moving for us in Treaty, but also in the energy transition, where we get to have a strong say, to build the foundations for our people and our next generations,” she said.
Ms Devlin’s journey to leadership began not on Wadawurrung Country, but in newsrooms, where she spent two decades working in newspapers, television and radio.
With the support of her grandmother – Wadawurrung’s oldest living Elder – Aunty Vi McPherson, she made the life-changing decision to leave Queensland with her husband and two young children – Sophie, 7, and Jake, 9 – to return to Ballarat to help Wadawurrung partner with the State Government to deliver the Commonwealth Games.
But in July 2023 the Victorian Government scrapped the games due to cost blowouts.
Despite the abrupt end to the Games, the move down south has brought purpose, connection and joy.
“It’s been the absolute highlight of my life, to be honest, moving down onto Country and having the chance to connect with my Wadawurrung family,” she said.
“The opportunity to raise my family on Country, to have my kids growing up strong in culture … really is the most beautiful gift.”
Ms Eccles’ path to the role was carved by passion and purpose, guided by a father who always insisted she had “a role to play with our Mob.”
The mother and stepmother to four — Jenna, 25, Nandali, 16, Amy, 15, and Zac, 18 — carries the strength of her nanna, who raised ten children, mostly alone with “resilience and care”.
“I do truly believe I ended up in this role because I have been asked to by our elders and our ancestors and most of what I have done in my life has led me to this moment,” Ms Eccles said.
Ms Eccles’ identity is deeply rooted in caring for Country, having spent years working with First Nations communities across Australia on sustainable livelihoods before returning to Wadawurrung to work seven years ago.
She was encouraged by elders to step up and fulfil the destiny her father always knew awaited her.
“Our Mob should be there at the forefront, making decisions and sharing our voice and our culture,” Ms Eccles said.
Before taking on the co-chief executive role, Ms Devlin and Ms Eccles had an honest conversation about how it was going to work.
“We sat down and said, all right, what are we going to do when we disagree? What’s our process around that?” Ms Devlin said.
They have agreed to handle disagreements with respect and in private, while always having each other’s backs.
“We do have different skills and approaches, but are very complementary in the way we do things,” Ms Eccles said, emphasising that communication and “yarning things through” remains essential.
And both being mothers means they have “deadly negotiation skills”.
With different working backgrounds — they lean on each other’s strengths while drawing guidance from their Council of Elders, board, and Ngal Ngal La cultural governance committee, as well as other Traditional Owner committees within the organisation.
“Someone once said that being CEO is one of the loneliest jobs,” Ms Devlin said.
“To have someone else alongside you who you can say, ‘I’m thinking about this’ or ‘oh, this has happened, what do you think?’ That’s only been beneficial so far.”
Ms Eccles said, “I had spent time on boards and places where it was mostly male. It was just a great opportunity to be able to walk beside my cousin and share the different skills we have, but, at the core at the dhurrung, at the heart of who we are, we have the same beliefs. This is about our community and what they want and need and how do we support that together.”
The pair face immense pressures managing Country spanning from Djilang to Ballaarat’s, incorporating 11 separate councils, as it rapidly grows in population and development.
“It’s a massive role. We’ve got a very busy RAP (Registered Aboriginal Party), we’ve got a lot going on,” Ms Eccles noted that while it’s “deadly” people love Country, the constant development applications and cultural protection needs, create relentless demands.
The Voice referendum result in 2023 dealt them a heavy blow – “we wouldn’t be truthful if we said it didn’t knock us around and give us a heavy heart,” Ms Devlin said.
But both women were encouraged by the strong yes vote in coastal communities across the region and inner southern suburbs of Djilang (Geelong).
“They are areas where we’re really active … so I take from that the more people engage with us and the more that people learn about our culture, they actually do see that we have so much to offer and that it’s not something to be afraid of. Reconciliation is a journey we can all take together,” Ms Devlin said.
The pair are using their voice to educate and stand up for their community.
“We continue to be determined … our elders have faced so much in the past and they still stood strong and carried on. And so it’s with that spirit we continue,” Ms Eccles said.
Central to their vision is securing “ourselves a place within our Country” – establishing offices and cultural centres in Djilang and Ballaarat.
“We struggle to have a place to practice culture … So finding a space to be on Country, to practice culture and connect with country, is what our community really wants,” Ms Eccles said.
The co-chief executives are building toward self-determination, reducing reliance on government funding through benefit-sharing agreements, cultural businesses, and supporting members to establish their own enterprises.
Their Gobata Dja (Caring-for-Country) program continues expanding, with 65,000 plants growing in their Karringangitj Baleert (meaning Growing Strong) nursery near Ballan, ready for revegetation, while their cultural burning team works to heal Country through traditional fire practices.
“We can’t wait to be replaced one day with the next generation coming up,” Ms Devlin says, emphasising their commitment to preparing future leaders.
Last year the state government began formal treaty negotiations with the First People’s Assembly of Victoria.
The co-CEOs are also “taking that journey” while focusing on creating the foundations for intergenerational prosperity and ensuring the “Murrup and Dhurrung” – the spirit and heart of Wadawurrung – remains at the core of everything they do.
“I know sometimes people can be fearful of the unknown, but this is a really positive step. It’s a powerful step towards reconciliation. And I think people are going to see meaningful outcomes for not just First Nations people, but for the whole of society,” Ms Devlin said.
“Rights aren’t like pie — someone getting more rights doesn’t mean that you’re going to lose rights,” Ms Devlin insists.
“Society thrives when all of its people are flourishing.”
Ms Eccles added, “Listen deep.
“The Yoorrook Justice Commission Walk for Truth is not about trying to further make people feel guilty,” she said. “It’s about telling the truths of our Country acknowledging who we are and that we walk that journey together.
“We all have truths in our history and our lives that once we share, we build understanding, we build a way forward together.”
Ms Devlin said, “We are Wadawurrung people, we will be Wadawurrung people forever. Our kids are Wadawurrung people. So the work that we’re doing today will echo through those generations. just as the work that has been done by our Elders guides us today.”
Originally published as Bek Devlin and Sarah Eccles break new ground as co-CEOs of Wadawurrung Aboriginal Corporation
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