Australia has appointed its first Indigenous consul-general to the United States.
Benson Saulo was born in Bordertown, South Australia, but raised in Tamworth, New South Wales.
Mr Saulo's mother was from Bordertown and lived in a tin shed on the outskirts of town in her early years, while his father was from the New Island province of Papua New Guinea.
Mr Saulo is of the Wemba Wemba, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara nations of western Victoria.
As a 15-year-old he did a traineeship with a bank while he completed high school, which sparked his interest in finance.
Later he moved to Melbourne to work as a financial analyst and held senior roles with companies like ANZ, PwC Indigenous Consulting and Good Shepherd Microfinance.
The 32-year-old will take on the role as consul-general in Houston, Texas.
"It's really looking at Australia's diplomatic relationships … as well as trade and also investment," Mr Saulo said.
"The role that I hope to play and the role I've always played … in life, professionally and personally, has always been the ability to bring people together.
"To be able to convene a respectful and informed dialogue and if I can play a small role in my time over in Houston, but also here in Australia, it's something that I'd hope to do."
He will take up the role at the end of this year.
