His efforts to do so have helped earn the Torres Strait Islander elder a place on this year's Aboriginal Honour Roll.

"I was humbled by the whole experience, being nominated by the Victorian Koori community... I was not expecting as an outsider to be nominated for the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll," Uncle Jim said.

Uncle Jim moved down to Victoria, and later Bendigo, from Cairns because he wanted to see the country, settling in Mandurang South because it seemed a good place to raise children.

In the early days of establishing Aboriginal corporations, he said, he and his brother were approached to get involved in establishing a co-operative in Bendigo.

"It's always been an issue for me and my brother, the rights of Indigenous people," Uncle Jim said.

Related: Advocate and health worker inducted into Aboriginal Honour Roll

With his experience of running a business, Uncle Jim lent some vital knowledge and skill to the undertaking.

He became a cultural officer for the Dja Dja Wurrung Association and later the manager.

During his time as cultural officer, Uncle Jim helped repatriate Aboriginal remains held in museums back to country.

"That was a sobering process," he said.

Part of his work - which he said led to the establishment of the Dja Dja Wurrung native title claims - was a project in which he and two others applied for all cultural sites to be added to the then-Register of the National Estate,

Uncle Jim also became involved in community radio, first at Harcourt, which led to extensive involvement in broadcast media across Australia.

He considers radio to be the best medium to work towards reconciliation.

"The best way to do that is to get onto radio to get some message out, some voice out," he said.

Related: Aboriginal leaders of the region honoured

Uncle Jim was a founding member of the National Indigenous Media Association of Australia, sat on the original board of the National Indigenous Television Network (NITV), was a grants committee member for the Community Broadcasting Foundation, and was involved in the establishment of the National Indigenous Radio Service and Remote Indigenous Media Services.

He has also worked at other Indigenous radio stations across the country, including Radio Larrakia in Darwin, Yamatji Media in Carnarvon, Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association Radio Alice Springs, Kool n Deadly in Melbourne, and Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media.

His activity in radio has also extended beyond Australia: he was vice president Oceania for the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, a United Nations-sponsored community radio group.

Uncle Jim has worked with other organisations outside the media sphere, as a consultant and in negotiating land access agreements.

His entry on the Aboriginal Honour Roll describes him as a "strong and proud warrior" who has dedicated his life to advancing Indigenous rights.

"He continues to use his platform to highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, culture, knowledge and rights," it reads.

"He remains an important voice and extraordinary leader for his community."

While currently in Cairns, Uncle Jim maintains ties to Bendigo.