Christopher Zaro
Clan – Tig Dauareb and Meriam Samsep (Father) & Darnley Island (Mother)
My father’s totems are the green sea turtle, man-o-war hawk, tiger shark and Torres Strait pigeon and pelican on my mother’s side.
Seaman* (star)
Royal Australian Navy
I was born in Canberra, ACT in 1999 and moved to Cairns in 2004. In 2016, I graduated from Year 12 at Trinity Bay High School, and half a year later, I started working as an apprentice shipwright on the Torres Strait pearling luggers, Antonia, Triton and Stephen Davies. I enjoyed the work and being at sea but I wanted to do something different – yet similar. So, in February 2024, I enlisted, and my career in the Royal Australian Navy began. A lot of the knowledge I had transferred over really well. I am still at the beginning of my journey, but I’m keen to see where this career will lead me.
My goal is to be placed in a position in the Navy that allows me to go back to Cairns and help recruit Indigenous Australians into the ADF. In this role, I can be a point of cultural connection between the Royal Australian Navy and the Indigenous people of our country.