Former Kalano CEO Graham Castine had a long history of working and living amongst Aboriginal people in the NT.

Castine moved to the Territory, after a short stint in an administrative position in Weapons Research Establishment, as a Patrol Officer in Training in 1962.

After getting the nod as a Patrol Officer, he worked for the next 13 or 14 years in the field of what was then the Welfare Branch of the NT Administration (Dept. of Territories). Castine gained some recognition as the longest-serving field officer in the NT. He says, “[I] must have done something wrong -or right- depending on which way you look at it. Th[o]se were terrific years – you lived by your wits and nous. Plenty of adventures.”

From there it was into the management stream, firstly as what can best be described as a Regional Manager type position and worked throughout the NT and resident in many remote communities and Territory towns.

In 1984, he was promoted to the position of NT Director and saw 8 years in that job – a tenure that saw out the last years of the old DAA and the first few years of ATSIC.

A short break of about 3 years with a hand at market gardening – plenty of food on the table but no petrol saw me gain the position of Regional Manager for the Commonwealth Dept. of Health in Alice Springs. A position Castine held for just on 3 years then moved to Katherine to take up the CEO position with Kalano Community Association in Katherine. Castine recollects, “It was a bit like coming home. Three plus years there and into my current occupaption of CEO, Sunrsie Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.”

Along the way, Castine met and married locally, lived in Katherine for years and now calls it his home. He’s, “Well known around the traps,” as he says.

The Kalano community is grateful for Graham’s work and wishes him the best during his retirement.