Uncle Ossie was born in Orbost. His mother's people are Kurnigurni from Gippsland and his father's people are from the Monaro. His grandfather was a Native American Indian. Uncle Ossie, the second oldest of nine children, lived in Nowra, Bomaderry, Port Kembla and Termeil. He is a Pastor and has served as Chairman of the Bimbadeen Church College at Cootamundra, as a Federal member of the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship of Australia, as a committee member of Auswide Projects, and as a member of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. Uncle Ossie was NAIDOC Citizen of the Year in 2000, was awarded an AM, an MBE, and was Bega Valley Citizen of the Year in 2002.
