Our Story
NyikBar is the coming together of two First Nations - Nyikina and Bard.
Charles, the owner of NyikBar was born on Nyikina country, one of the many language groups in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. He grew up in the remote Kimberley town, Derby, before going to Perth for high school and university.
Charles’ father is of Nyikina and Chinese descent.
Charles’ mother is a Bardi women, and his maternal grandfather, Doug D’Antoine, was born on Bardi country and is of Bardi/Jawi decent. Doug was married to Laurelle, who was born on Kunmunya Mission, an extremely remote location - 200km north of Derby as the crow flies. His maternal great grandparents came from Mapoon Mission, on the coast of Cape York Peninsula. Charles is equally proud of their Torres Strait Islander heritage.
Charles Prouse
Charles is a Nyikina man from the Kimberley, Western Australia, and has lived in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Charles has over 20 years' experience in Indigenous affairs across Australia. He holds a Master of Public Administration from the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University (USA) and a Bachelor of Science, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of Western Australia (UWA).
Charles was the Global Supplier Diversity Manager at Lendlease, leading their First Nations supplier procurement program and the development of a global supplier diversity process and reporting framework. Prior to that, Charles was CEO of Supply Nation, implementing its corporate membership fee business model and worked with the Australian Government to introduce its inaugural Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP).
His other roles have included CEO of the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) and manager of the New South Wales Indigenous Employment Program with Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
Charles is proud of his early work at the Kimberley Land Council and Native Title Services Victoria to promote Caring for Country programs and was involved in the early establishment of the national Indigenous Ranger network. He started his career at the Western Australia Department of Aboriginal Affairs, mapping cultural heritage sites across the state.
Charles is a board member of the Aurora Education Foundation and The Benevolent Society,