Wyatt Cook-Revell | Walking in two worlds

Wyatt Cook-Revell is a proud Indigenous Australian with family connections to the Birri Gubba, Gurang Gurang, Wangan Jagalingou and Wakka Wakka peoples in Queensland. Wyatt balances a fast-paced legal career at Ashurst while staying connected to his community by serving as President of the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League.

As we reflect on this year's NAIDOC theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, Wyatt shares how he carries these values into everything he does.

I grew up in Gatton, a small town west of Brisbane, where rugby league brought the whole town together and community meant everything.  I did not know any lawyers.  I definitely did not know any Aboriginal lawyers.  The idea of becoming one never crossed my mind, not because I was not ambitious, but because I had never seen anyone like me in that world.

Years later, I still remember walking into Ashurst on my first day as a First Nations intern.  I was 20, nervous as anything, and completely unsure if I belonged.  I did not even know what a "matter" was, but I was there, determined to learn.  That two-week internship turned into something far bigger than I could have imagined: a six-year journey through clerkship, graduate rotations, and eventually being admitted as a solicitor.

Now, I work as a lawyer in employment, discrimination, industrial relations and safety law.  It is a fast-paced and challenging environment, one where I get to help clients navigate complex issues, but also one where I carry my culture and community with me into every room.  For me, it is never just about the work.  It is about how I show up, who I represent, and what I am building for the next generation.

Outside of law, I spend most of my time on rugby league.  I am the President of the Toowoomba Junior Rugby League and sit on the Board of the senior league.  Most weekends, I am behind the scenes managing draws, liaising with clubs, resolving issues, and making sure the competition runs smoothly.  Other days, I am in meetings about the future of the game in our region.  It is a different kind of leadership.  One built on service, consistency, and showing up even when no one is watching.

That balance between the boardroom and the rugby league field is what keeps me grounded.  I often talk about walking in two worlds, and that is what it feels like: navigating professional spaces while staying deeply connected to community, purpose, and the people who raised me.  It is not always easy, but it is where I have found my strength.

Community is my compass.  It guides the way I lead, the way I work, and the way I show up for others coming up behind me.  I am especially proud to be mentoring young Aboriginal law students, helping them believe that not only can they be in this profession, but they can thrive in it.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, speaks deeply to what drives me.  Strength comes from those who came before us, vision is what we build through hard work and belief, and legacy is what we leave behind for others to carry forward.  For me, that means making sure that wherever I go, I leave the door open behind me.  That the systems I work in become more inclusive.  That the young ones coming through footy, university, or community feel seen and supported.  That we do not just talk about the next generation, we listen to them, back them, and build with them.

Because the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders are not just coming.  They are already here.  And I am proud to walk alongside them.

Wyatt Cook-Revell

QUT degrees - Bachelor of Laws (Honours) 2020 and Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice 2022

Have a question for Wyatt? Connect with him on LinkedIn.