Christian Lugnan

2022 Cohort

Pronouns: he/him

Working as an accountant, Christian brings his ancestors, language and culture offering a different perspective as a First Nations professional into a mainstream dominated setting.

Christian Lugnan (Gumbaynggirr) is based in Garlimbirla (Coffs Harbour, NSW) working as the Chief Financial Officer at Bularri Muurlay Nyanggan Aboriginal Corporation. He is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) with a Bachelor of Business (Accounting Major) from Southern Cross University. Christian has more than twenty years experience in Commonwealth Government Indigenous Affairs in the areas of community corporate governance (Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations - ORIC) and internal audit (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission - ATSIC). Christian's primary role with BMNAC is to provide financial management advice and support to the team. BMNAC runs Goori Learning Centres for Indigenous students, delivers Gumbaynggirr language classes and the award-winning Gumbaynggirr cultural performances as well as developing an eco-resort. In 2022 BMNAC opened Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School, the first bilingual school of an Aboriginal language in New South Wales.

“I’d like to see our languages spoken in all settings, where junuy-bin (children) and girrwaa (mob) are nyanggan (strong) in all of their aspirations.”

Social change work

Whilst Christian is the CFO of BMNAC, he also actively participates in language and culture revitalisation in the Gumbaynggirr community. Christian has a passion for health and wellbeing and has developed in Gumbaynggirr physical activities for junuybin (children) to enable them to have a Giingan Nyanggan Buurrgi (Peaceful Strong Body). He is a performer with Giingan Yiiliwiyay Girrwaa dance group and hosts a weekly community radio show interviewing First Nations men from his community.