Tyá Dynevor (pronounced Tia Den-knee-vah) is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mixed-race woman. Her Mother’s people are the Gudjal People from Charters Towers/Burdekin Catchment; Gurindji People from Kalkarindji, Wave Hill Country (NT) and the Gumuligal of Wagedagam Peoples from Mabuiag Island in the Torres Straits. Her Father’s people are the Kullili tribe from Thargomindah, South-west Queensland.
With one final assessment remaining to complete, Tyá will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree (majoring in Zoology & Ecology) from James Cook University (JCU) by the end of 2025. She currently works full-time at the Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) in the Tropical Indigenous Ethnobotany Centre (TIEC), located at the Australian Tropical Herbarium, JCU. She is an active First Nations youth advocate and a co-founding member of NAILSMA’s Young People For Country Working Group (YPCWG).
Tyá was awarded as one of the finalists for the QLD Young Achiever Award 2025 in the Kennelly Constructions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Achievement Award category as well as being a research assistant for the Traditional Owner COTS project at James Cook University (JCU). She amplified the voices of Reef Traditional Owners, shaping governance conversations with government bodies. Her role evolved into a cadetship program, creating opportunities for Indigenous researchers. Tyá also mentors Indigenous students as an ambassador and tutor at JCU. She has won the VPG Young Changemakers award and participated in the Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program.
Tyá is also an active volunteer for the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre (CAFNEC), notably co-facilitating Climate Justice workshops and supporting flood-affected communities. Most recently, Tyá was invited to join the People’s Delegation in Canberra to speak with MPs in Parliament House about climate change and how it is impacting every living being on a local, national and international scale.
