Uncle Ronald Heron, is a highly respected senior elder of the of the Yaegl people of Northern New South Wales, and an anthropologist, historian and former university lecturer.
Born in the Clarence Valley in 1947, Uncle Ron was schooled in the prevailing mission system of the day. He worked until his early thirties cutting and burning cane and picking peas before moving into a role as an Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol counsellor.
He moved to Canberra and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Letters, by thesis (now Masters of Letters), in prehistory and anthropology. Heron then lectured for 10 years at Southern Cross University, Lismore in Indigenous Studies. As an academic he has contributed to many publications, including ethnographic books on the North Coast Aboriginal peoples, and remains a frequently cited researcher.
Uncle Ron has contributed to extensive research at Macquarie University including on bush medicines, has been a contributing author on books on Yaegl bush resources in international scientific journals, has presented lectures and storytelling at Macquarie led National Science Week activities and has co-developed the long running and successful River of Learning celebrations at Maclean High School.
Despite advancing age, Uncle Ron’s drive has not diminished and in the last few years he has successfully studied for TAFE certification in Tourism and Guiding and has started taking tourists around the Clarence region.
Circulanation supports Uncle Ron’s aspirations to share his knowledge through Dreamtime Storytelling events and guiding with locals and tourists in the NSW Northern Rivers region of Yamba and Maclean.
