First Indigenous ORIC Registrar Appointed

Gunggari man Selwyn Button has been appointed the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations, making him the first Indigenous person appointed to the role. The role of the Registrar and ORIC is to facilitate and improve the effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and accountability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations. 

Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion congratulated Mr Button on his appointment as the chief corporate regulator of Indigenous corporations registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act).

“Mr Selwyn Button is an eminently qualified and credentialed individual, and we are very lucky to bring his wealth of experience to the role of Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations” Minister Scullion said.

Mr Button is a qualified teacher and a former member of the Queensland Police Service. Most recently, he worked for the Queensland Government as the Assistant Director-General (Indigenous Education). Prior to that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council and Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane Limited. He has served on a number of Indigenous councils and committees including the Queensland Indigenous Education Consultative Committee, Queensland Council of Social Services and the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Human Services Coalition. Mr Button is currently a Director of the Lowitja Institute.

Mr Button commenced in the role of Registrar on 10 December 2018 and holds the role for five years.

Mr Button said he feels privileged to have been given the opportunity to work with Indigenous corporations around the country in this important role.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations are increasingly at the forefront of service delivery in our communities, and the more we continue this movement the more empowered our communities will be.

 “As Registrar I am looking forward to working with Indigenous corporations to build capacity to take on even larger projects, and ensure the highest standards of governance to give governments and the private sector increased confidence to do business with Indigenous corporations” Mr Button said.


SANTS acknowledges that the land on which our office is based is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and we respect their spiritual and cultural relationship with their country.