Damien Miller

2018 Cohort

Pronouns: he/him

Damien is developing a hub for best practice policy to improve socioeconomic outcomes for Indigenous peoples, particularly in the IndoPacific.

Damien is an Australian career diplomat and the first Indigenous Australian to head an Australian diplomatic mission. He is the former Australian Ambassador to Denmark, Norway and Iceland, completing his four-year term in 2017.

A Gangulu man from the area of Mount Morgan, near Rockhampton in Central Queensland, Damien joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in 1995 and has held a number of DFAT roles across South East Asia, as well as serving as Director of the Afghanistan Section in 2009. In 2010, Damien was appointed Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Australia to Germany, before being named Ambassador to Denmark, Norway and Iceland in 2013.

Through his Atlantic Fellowship, Damien hopes to improve the Australian Government’s practical engagement on international Indigenous issues; encourage partnerships to improve Indigenous policy and encourage closer connections between Indigenous peoples in our region.

“While progress is being made on some socio-economic indicators, we need to develop innovative policy solutions to improve the wellbeing and advance the interests of the world’s Indigenous peoples.”