First Nations and Country and Cultural Heritage Program

Casey Kickett is a proud Noongar woman, hailing from the Whadjuk, Yued, Ballardong and Wardandi Noongar Countries. Casey joined EDO in June 2022 as the inaugural Director of the First Nations Program.

Casey holds a Bachelor of Arts and has gone on to complete post-graduate studies with a Graduate Certificate in Adult and Tertiary Education, which led Casey to become an Associate Lecturer within the University of Western Australia’s School of Indigenous Studies. Casey has also studied in the conservation space, and has since worked in Aboriginal cultural heritage and native title within the Western Australian State Government, where she advocated for providing Traditional Owners with the ability to reconnect back to Country and cultural heritage sites which sit within Public Drinking Water Source Areas (PDWSAs) across Western Australia.

Casey cares deeply not only about her own Country, but also about enabling First Nations peoples across Australia and the Torres Strait Islands to be with and care for their Countries, as they see fit. Casey has always worked alongside First Nations communities and peoples, and advocates for First Nations voices to be front and centre of all decisions that impact them.

Harriet has extensive practice and policy experience advocating on behalf of First Nations communities in native title, cultural heritage and across the broader justice system.  

She worked for over a decade in native title and related litigation in Western Australia and NSW, including at the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA, Goldfields Land and Sea Council and in private practice. While with the WA ALS, Harriet was part of the team acting on behalf of the Miriuwung and Gajerrong people in their seminal native title case of Ward v State of WA.  

Harriet’s experience includes a substantial period at Legal Aid NSW, where she was in senior leadership roles and further developed her skills in strategic law reform and litigation. More recently Harriet was the Director of Policy and Law Reform at the NSW Bar Association.  

Harriet holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons University of Adelaide) and a Master of Laws from the University of Kiel, Germany. 

Emily joined EDO in Sydney in February 2016 as a solicitor in the litigation team and is now Special Counsel in the Country and Cultural Heritage program.

Emily holds an LLB (Hons)/Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Environmental Law from the University of Sydney.

Prior to joining EDO, Emily worked in a range of legal roles in commercial law, the community sector, and the Supreme Court of Victoria. Emily also spent time volunteering as a legal advisor in the Solomon Islands, supporting local solicitors to advise and represent customary land owners.

Nadja joined EDO NSW in 2018 and is a member of EDO's First Nations Country and Cultural Heritage Program. Nadja is based in Melbourne and has a particular interest in water law and natural resources management and in Aboriginal cultural heritage protection.

Nadja advises and represents a broad range of clients including farmers, community groups, conservation groups and Traditional Owners in local and national public interest water law related matters, with a focus on the Murray Darling Basin.

Nadja has previously worked as a plaintiff lawyer at Slater and Gordon, in commercial litigation, representing individuals against large corporations and in administrative and tort law, including negligence and nuisance. Nadja was admitted to legal practice in 2018 and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne.

Troy is a proud Yorta-Yorta man, who grew up on Wathaurong country in Ballarat before moving to Meanjin (Brisbane) where he is now located on Turrbal and Jagera country. 

From a young age Troy was raised to be proud of his Indigenous heritage and took a deep interest towards his culture reflecting a profound awareness and appreciation of the diverse Australian ecosystem.  

Troy’s passion for the environment reflects in his personal time where he enjoys immersing himself with nature and the great outdoors, enjoying activities such as hiking, gardening, plant care, camping and other outdoor recreational activities. Additionally, Troy has dedicated volunteer work in conservation and parks as well as a training program in conservation and ecosystem management, where he was able to learn about natural bush regeneration, plant identification, tree planting and weed control management. As of 2025, Troy will be taking on part-time studies in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, where he would like to work towards a career in national parks, conservation and First Nation Peoples work. 

Troy Joined the EDO in February 2024 as the First Nations Program administrator, bringing with him years of administration skills and experience.