Professor Gary Robinson

Director, Centre for Child Development and Education

Qualifications:

PhD, University of New South Wales, 1993; Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of New South Wales, 1984.

Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:

Principal Supervisor for PhD

Location:

Darwin – Charles Darwin University, Casuarina campus

Biography:
 
Professor Gary Robinson leads the Indigenous Parenting and Family Research and the Suicide Prevention Research themes in the Centre for Child Development and Education.

He has led the evaluation of health, mental health and educational initiatives in the Northern territory, including the Tiwi Coordinated Care Trial (1997-2004) and the National Accelerated Literacy Program (2004-2009). He has conducted long term ethnographic field research into Aboriginal adolescence, family relationships, parenting, suicide and self harm.

He has been responsible for the development and evaluation of school-based early intervention and prevention programs for Indigenous children and parents in urban and remote communities, with the program 'Ngaripirliga’ajirri' in partnership with the Tiwi Health Board and others, (2000-2004) and the Let’s Start Parent-Child Program (2005-2013).

In 2012, he led consultations to develop a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and is currently chief investigator of a study of outcomes of admissions for deliberate self harm in Northern Territory hospitals.
 
Professor Gary Robinson
Email
Research Themes
  • Outcomes of self harm: a study of outcomes of admission for deliberate self harm in NT Hospitals (beyondblue inc and NT Department of Health, 2013-2015)
  • Mura Kazil Sagul: a capacity building partnership to support children and parents in the Torres Strait (Torres Strait Regional Authority and Mura Kosker Sorority Inc., 2013-2014)
  • The Let’s Start Parent-Child Program (Commonwealth Department of Families and Housing and Indigenous Affairs, 2005-2014)
  • The Let’s Start Parent-Child Program (Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2011-2013)
  • Review and consultations for the development of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Strategy. Department of Health and Ageing (tendered contract, 2012-2013).
  1. Robinson, R.W., Tyler, W.B., Silburn, S.R. & Zubrick, S.R. (2012). Gender, Culture and Intervention: Exploring Differences between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Children’s Responses to an Early Intervention Programme. Children and Society, doi:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2011.00424.x [epub ahead of print]
  2. Robinson, R.W., Tyler, W.B., Jones, Y., Silburn, S.R. & Zubrick, S.R. (2012). Context, Diversity and Engagement: Early Intervention with Australian Aboriginal Families in Urban and Remote Contexts. Children and Society, 26(5), 343-355.
  3. Mares, S. & Robinson, G. (2012). Culture, Context and Therapeutic Process: Delivering a parent-child intervention in a remote Aboriginal community. Australasian Psychiatry, 20(2), 102-107.
  4. Nagel, T., Robinson, R., Condon, J. & Trauer, T. (2009). Approach to treatment of mental illness and substance dependence in remote Indigenous communities: Results of a mixed methods study. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 17(4), 174-182.
  5. Robinson, G., Eickelkamp, U., Goodenow, J., Katz, I., Eds. (2008). Contexts of child development: Culture, policy and intervention. Darwin: Charles Darwin University Press.
  6. Robinson, G. & Tyler, W. (2008). Ngaripirliga'ajirri: Implementation of Exploring Together on the Tiwi Islands. Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health (AeJAMH), 7(1), 61-71.
  7. Bailie, R.S., Robinson, G., Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, S.N., Halpin, S. & Wang, Z.. (2006). Investigating the sustainability of outcomes in a chronic disease treatment programme. Social Science & Medicine, 63(6), 1661-1670.
  8. Robinson, G. 2005. Anthropology, explanation and intervention: Risk and resilience in a parent-and child-focused program. Anthropological Forum 15(1), 3-25.
  9. Robinson, G. (2004). Living in sheds: suicide, friendship and research among the Tiwi. In J. Mulcock and L. Hume (Eds), Anthropologists in the Field: Cases in participant observation (pp 153-167). New York: Columbia University Press.
  10. Robinson, G. (1990). Separation, retaliation and suicide: Mourning and the conflicts of young Tiwi men. Oceania, 60(3), 161-178.
Click here to view more Gary Robinson publications in PubMed.
  1. MEDIA RELEASE | Impact of intimate partner violence on child health
  2. Building resilience in remote Aboriginal students
  3. Study highlights dimensions of resilience among remote Aboriginal middle school students
  4. The Australian | Risk study 'would cut child suicides'
  5. Strengthening family relationships through play
  6. NTG Media Release | Investing in Our Children: MECSH Program Evaluation
  7. Guidelines to improve assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thought
  8. Guidelines to improve assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital
  9. New guidelines to improve assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts
  10. NEW GUIDELINES TO IMPROVE CARE OF ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLE AT RISK OF SELF-HARM AND SUICIDE
  11. At Pioneer FC, suicide does discriminate
  12. Urgent response ‘no fix for suicide’
  13. New app uses real-life stories from Indigenous kids to help others deal with bullying
  14. The Wire | NEW ONLINE TOOL INTRODUCED TO PREVENT BULLYING OF INDIGENOUS YOUTH
  15. Digital Trakz - A resource to reduce the impact of teasing in the lives of Aboriginal youth
  16. National Forum on Child Protection | The Stringer
  17. ABC Radio AM | Belyuen Hip Hop on Mental Health
  18. Teenagers make hip hop clip about mental illness
  19. Menzies centre tackles Indigenous youth suicide this World Suicide Prevention Day
  20. Specialist supports the role of culture in communities to keep kids safe this National ATSI Children’s Day
  21. Let's Start in the Tiwis
  22. New study to investigate drivers of Indigenous suicide
  23. Fighting For Life
  24. National consultations seek answers to Indigenous suicide
  25. Confronting the scourge of Indigenous Suicide
  26. Menzies to lead development of Australia's first National Indigenous Suicide Prevention Strategy