Honouring Wayne Coolwell for reshaping media landscape

Wayne Coolwell, a Mununjali (Beaudesert) and Wangerriburra (Mount Tamborine) man, is being honoured for a life that reshaped Australian media and Indigenous representation, as detailed by the National Indigenous Radio Service.

The NIRS has honoured Wayne (1956–2025), tracing his path from photography to ABC, landmark broadcasting roles, authorship, institution-building, and an enduring archive.

Key Points

Early life and the spark of photography

Born in Brisbane, Wayne lived in a tin shack in the bush at Victoria Point, where regular crabbing trips with his grandfather were a major influence. He then moved to Aspley. His love of photography began in the late 1960s, after discovering his mother’s National Geographic magazines. Inspired by those pages, he later bought a box brownie camera.

In the mid 1970s, he studied photography at the Seven Hills College of Art (now the Queensland College of Art and Design). He preferred the practical side over theory, never calling himself a great photographer, but describing the craft as part of him. He enjoyed the magic of developing images and the surprise of what would emerge.

From London to the ABC

In 1979, Coolwell moved to London, worked for a marketing magazine, and travelled in Europe, continuing to photograph his experiences. On returning to Brisbane, he entered media, first with Queensland newspapers, then joined the ABC as a trainee in 1984. He began in news and current affairs before moving to ABC Sport, where he became well known for his sports broadcasting.

During his time in ABC Sport, Coolwell helped set up the Darwin office and became the first Aboriginal sports commentator at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. In 1990, he became the inaugural presenter of ABC Radio’s national Indigenous programme, Speaking Out, which continues to broadcast weekly and will celebrate its 35th year on air later this year.

Speaking Out

While leading Speaking Out, Coolwell took the programme on the road for two weeks to the US and Canada during the International Year of the World’s Indigenous People. The reporting focused on how other Indigenous groups were marking the year, expanding the programme’s on-the-ground coverage and perspectives.

Reflecting on his approach and motivations, Coolwell spoke in a 2023 State Library of Queensland oral history about the work that drove him.

Books, broadcasting, and a demanding 1990s

The 1990s were a demanding decade for Coolwell, balancing ABC Radio and Television commitments with MC roles at community and corporate events. He also wrote his first book, My Kind of People: Achievement, Identity and Aboriginality, published through UQP. The project took him across the world. Initially asked to profile Aboriginal sporting greats, he chose to broaden the scope to Aboriginal people contributing in diverse fields beyond sport.

The book featured figures including Mark Ella, who was in Italy playing rugby union at the time, emerging musician Archie Roach, budding journalist Stan Grant, and young artist Gordon Bennett, who had won the Moët & Chandon Australian Art Fellowship, taking him to France. In the book’s preface, Coolwell recounted falling from a coconut tree in Fiji and injuring his leg. He was then driven to the airport by a driver who had come directly from a nightclub and fell asleep at the wheel while taking Coolwell to catch his flight back to Australia.

Leaving the ABC

After 15 years with the national broadcaster, Coolwell left the ABC in 1999. Among his final roles there was co-anchoring the ABC coverage of the State Funeral for former senator Neville Bonner. In the years that followed, he helped establish and lead a range of ventures and organisations.

Post-ABC initiatives:

• A restaurant and catering company
• The Brisbane AFL team, Murri Mavericks
• Indigenous Sports Queensland
• The John Newfong Media Prize
• The Centre For Aboriginal Independence And Enterprise (CAIE)
• Chair of the National Indigenous Sports Foundation

These initiatives reflected his ongoing commitment to sport, media, enterprise, and community development, extending his influence well beyond broadcasting.

He continued taking photographs until quite recently. His photographic archive has been acquired by the State Library of Queensland, ensuring long-term public access to his visual record. The National Indigenous Radio Service emphasised that while Coolwell was unsure how he found his way into media, he unquestionably left his mark on the Australian media landscape.

Across photography, radio, television, publishing, public events, and institution-building, Coolwell’s work connected audiences with Indigenous voices and stories. Speaking Out, which he launched in 1990, continues on air weekly. His life’s trajectory—spanning Brisbane, London, Darwin, and international reporting—underscored a career defined by communication, storytelling, and service.

Wayne Coolwell’s story, from early days at Victoria Point to national broadcasting milestones and lasting community institutions, stands preserved in both his published work and the State Library of Queensland’s collection. The National Indigenous Radio Service tribute traces this path in detail, recording a legacy that bridged media and community over decades.