About us

My name is Matthew Ryan, I am a Gune Rembarrgna man and also Gurindji man.

I have lived in Maningrida community all my life, me and my lovely wife have four children and two beautiful granddaughters.

Three of our adult children are currently working, except for one who is boarding at Haileybury Rendall school.

Maningrida is over 500km from Darwin through West Arnhem Land via Kakadu National Park via road, and via air 1 hour to Maningrida, Maningrida gets cut off for 6 months during the wet season. The population is around 3 to 4,000!

I have worked with NT police, with the local Rangers (Djelk) BHAC, as the former chair for BHAC, and also as the former mayor of West Arnhem Regional Council. I am currently employed at the Northern Land Council.

West Arnhem Hire is an 110% Aboriginal owned and operated business. It took me about fifteen years to before being given the opportunity to run my own Indigenous business. I would like to thank Clem Bresson for being persistent in helping me out, Cheryle from the National Indigenous Australian Agency, the late Dr S. Brush-Blanasi who believed in Indigenous businesses and sole traders, and the other good people who have supported me over the years. Thank you so much.

I am also grateful to the National Indigenous Australians Agency and the Northern Territory Government for their support.

I look forward to helping you delivering services in Maningrida.

Thank you very much

Matthew Ryan.