Noah Smith, a young man on a mission

I doubt you’ll be surprised to learn that the Northern Beaches Young Citizen of the Year, the Y NSW Youth Parliamentary Member for Pittwater and youth Premier, the member of The First Nations Advisory Group to the federal government, the NSW state debating champion, the passionate Bush to Bowl employee, the Bilgola Beach SLSC IRB crew member, Gomeroi descendant and the proud recipient of the Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin GO Foundation scholarship is not your average teenager.

That’s a resume that would take most of us many lifetimes to replicate, let alone before finishing high school. But spend a moment with Noah “Wombats” Smith and have him gleefully inform you one of the best ways to infuriate a nature lover, bird watcher or local magazine publisher is by saying, “Tawny Frogmouths are my favourite owl”, and your faith in humanity and the cheekiness of 17year old Aussies will be restored.

All jokes aside, this Barrenjoey High School Year 11 student is a young man on a mission – to advocate for the people who need it most. “My father passed away when I was nine years old,” says Noah. “And I know first-hand the role that effective advocacy played in helping my mother and our family through those times. Advocating for the people who need assistance, for wisely using resources to achieve the best outcomes, these are the fundamental building blocks for society.”

Noah’s grasp of effective advocacy is a clear sign of the wisdom beyond his years, and with a supreme intellect, thoughtful understanding of any number of contemporary challenges, and a deep sense of compassion for all members of society, Noah’s mission is sure to be a success.

When attending Parliament House in Canberra for The First Nations Youth Advisory Group meetings, Noah said, “We are all from different parts of the country, but all from the same country. We want to see change and we want things to be better for young people.” This advisory group’s ideas and perspectives will help shape First Nations education policies and programs.

When delivering the Acknowledgement of Country at the annual RSL and Schools Remember Anzac Commemoration, Noah said, “If we don’t learn from the past, what will our future look like?” These words run deep, as Noah’s family, like so many Aboriginal Australians, have courageous forefathers who fought valiantly to defend our country.

“Many Australians have similar stories, yet the Indigenous men and women that fought beside my grandfathers were denied the same benefits, rights and support that non-Indigenous soldiers received when they returned home. They weren’t given land, full pay or permitted in RSL clubs.”

It’s with this in mind that Noah, and countless young Australians, are looking towards the Voice referendum with slight unease. “There’s concern that if the Voice is unsuccessful, it could be devastating,” explains Noah. “Using the Republic referendum as a benchmark, if we’re unsuccessful this year, it would seem likely we’re many decades from this landmark achievement. Despite that fear, I’m hopeful the Voice will be successful, and we’re soon to see positive change, inclusion and formal recognition for Indigenous Australians.”

Regardless the outcome, Noah’s mission to advocate for all Australians will continue, and with his exceptional capacity to collaborate, educate, learn and inspire, we’ll be seeing a lot more of this young man in the years to come, with even more great achievements to look forward to.