Whitehaven coal
10 July 2025
Aaron Broderick captures the story of Whitehaven’s Remote Operating Centre through Indigenous art
Aaron Broderick, Whitehaven Supervisor – Mine and Plant Control, is a proud Bundjalung man who grew up in South East Queensland and identifies strongly with the Bundjalung Nation in northern New South Wales. More recently, while scattering his grandfather’s ashes in Gayndah, his family discovered their connection to the Wakka Wakka people. This further deepened Aaron’s understanding of the diversity among Aboriginal groups, each with their own languages, stories, and traditions.
Originally a primary school teacher, Aaron transitioned into mining in 2007 when a friend invited him and his family to stay in Blackwater with the aim of finding a job with one of the local mining companies. With a young family in tow, he gave himself a week to find employment.
“I told my wife Karley that if I got a job, we’d stay and if I didn’t, we’d go back to Brisbane,” Aaron recalled.
“I made some phone calls and one of the businesses asked me to drop my resume off and called me back an hour later. They asked me a few questions before telling me I was to start the next day. I borrowed a uniform and some boots off the mate we were staying with to get started and never looked back.
“I started by cleaning draglines, before moving into the electrical department, where I earned an adult apprenticeship, and became an electrician. In 2013 I finished my apprenticeship and started fulltime at BHP Blackwater as a Field Maintenance Electrician and, eventually, Step Up Supervisor until 2019 when the family moved back to Brisbane for my children, Jada and Kyran, to go to high school.”
Blackwater offered opportunities and a community Aaron believes he was unlikely to have found in the city.
“Blackwater was amazing for our family. It was just a small town. Your friends became family, because everyone looked after each other’s kids. The kids did so many more sports there because it is a small town and they had the opportunity to try everything. It was also small compared to the city so we walked everywhere. People in the town assumed we didn’t have a car because they’d always see us walking.”
When the family moved back to Brisbane in 2019, Aaron’s role transitioned into BMA’s Brisbane based Remote Operating Centre (ROC). In April 2024, when Whitehaven purchased BMA’s Blackwater mine, Aaron came across to Whitehaven giving him the opportunity to be part of Whitehaven’s new Remote Operating Centre from day one.
“We started with limited controllers who transitioned, myself as the first supervisor, and we now have a full team of leaders and controllers. Most of those have dual skills, either pre-strip and coal or Blackwater and Daunia. The skill level that we’ve grown in twelve months has been amazing for the business.”
A strong sense of connection with his team and across all levels of the business is one of Aaron’s favourite parts of working for Whitehaven, and one he wants to ensure continues to deepen through communication and meaningful conversations.
During NAIDOC Week 2024, he reflected on the significant milestone that had been achieved at Whitehaven with the establishment of the ROC. Recognising the importance of this achievement, he saw an opportunity to use his artwork to not only tell the story of the ROC, but also to spark conversations around Indigenous culture and perspectives.
While the idea for the artwork came to Aaron during NAIDOC Week 2024, he chose to create the piece in 2025 to reflect the journey of the ROC one year after it began operations.
“Connections tells the story of the Whitehaven ROC one year on – it provides a visual representation of how we continue to grow, adapt and connect. I wanted to inspire others to engage in storytelling through art and start a conversation,” Aaron said.
“The painting represents what the ROC has grown to in twelve months, and we’ll use this to reflect in years to come and see the ROC’s growth. It captures not only our structure, but also our spirit — one of movement, unity, and connection.”
After completing the Connections artwork on canvas, Aaron transformed the design into a large mural on the wall outside Whitehaven’s ROC. In addition to being a striking visual feature, the mural has become a collaborative project. Each of the thirty-two ROC controllers were invited to contribute by painting their footprint using the side of their palm and their fingers, symbolising their individual role in the ROC’s journey. Staff from Whitehaven’s Brisbane office also took part, further strengthening the sense of shared achievement and connection across teams.
Alongside work, family life and his art, Aaron made time to train for and compete in the Gold Coast Marathon held last weekend in honour of his sister, Kayla, who passed away recently. With his son and nephew also completing, the trio have raised over $12,000 for Cure Cancer. You can support Aaron’s fundraising by donating to Cure Cancer here.
Whitehaven is proud to support Aaron’s mural as part of its broader commitment to building cultural awareness amongst its workforce. Whitehaven implements a range of initiatives to promote a stronger understanding of Indigenous connections to the land on which we operate, as well as the sites, places and objects that are significant to Indigenous peoples and culture. You can find out more about our Indigenous engagement approach here: https://whitehavencoal.com.au/sustainability/indigenous-engagement.
About Connections
At the heart of the painting is Brisbane, home to the ROC, positioned beside the Brisbane river to anchor the artwork in both physical and cultural context. Radiating from the ROC are footprints representing each of the thirty-two controllers across Fixed Plant and Mine Control, connecting outward to the sites they oversee. The Blackwater mine site appears in the upper left, nestled beside the Blackdown Tablelands in the Central Highlands, while Daunia mine site slides in from the north-east, mirroring its geographic placement. Surrounding Brisbane, Blackwater and Daunia are thirty-six clusters of dots symbolising the ROC controllers and supervisors who maintain a continuous 24/7 operational connection.