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Celebrating trailblazing female rangers in the far north
The Torres Strait Regional Authority is celebrating the amazing women in Australia’s northernmost ranger program as part of World Female Ranger Week.
In the nation’s remote far north, 18 female Torres Strait Islander rangers are inspiring generations of girls and women – proving that caring for land and sea is everyone’s responsibility.
The Torres Strait region’s beautiful natural environment – home to dugongs, sea turtles, coral reefs, seagrass and more – spreads across 48,000 square kilometres between the tip of Cape York and Papua New Guinea.
Alice Manas is living her dream.
Torres Strait Islander Alice Manas, 35, is living her dream and excelling in the traditionally male-dominated field.
Ten years ago, she started boots-on-ground as a ranger on Boigu before rising the ranks to senior ranger and cluster supervisor.
Now the acting ranger operations manager proudly oversees 60 staff scattered across 13 islands north of Thursday Island up to the outer islands neighbouring PNG.
Rangers undertake activities including pest and weed control, marine debris removal, dugong and turtle management, seagrass monitoring, cultural heritage site protection and preserve traditional ecological knowledge.
“TSRA’s ranger program is special, you won’t find our culture and unique life experiences outside of the Torres Strait,” Ms Manas said.
“In the ranger team I am supported to do meaningful work with our communities every day and grow my career up here in the Torres Strait.
“We are helping bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and western science to give Traditional Owners a full picture about land and sea management.
“Our female ranger group is like a family. We work across many islands but we live, breathe and strive to achieve the same dream, for our environment to be here for future generations,” she said.
The TSRA Rangers started in 2009 with one ranger group on Mabuiag and has grown to 13 ranger groups across 14 Torres Strait communities (13 islands).
Today, female rangers work across the majority of TSRA’s ranger teams.
Billie Roberts made the move across the border from New South Wales to Queensland.
Last year TSRA Environmental Management Program Manager Billie Roberts made the move across the border from New South Wales to Queensland for the world-class ranger program.
With work experience in remote communities across Australia and the Pacific, she is a strong advocate for First Nations-leadership and decision making, including by women.
“TSRA Rangers play a critical role across the Torres Strait islands in empowering local decision-making around land and sea aspirations,” Dr Roberts said.
“Women make up about a third of the local ranger workforce and manage everything from pest and weed control to data and research.
“Female rangers share a different lived experience and lens, this diversity of perspectives, ideas and approaches is invaluable for environmental management across the globe.
“TSRA has one of the most unique and successful ranger projects in the nation, empowering rangers to combine traditional wisdom and western science to care for Country in the best ways possible.”
TSRA Chairperson George Nona said TSRA’s ranger program provided opportunities for experts to share skills and knowledge, including for Islanders ready to return.
“To anyone thinking of taking up a role in the Torres Strait, including our people on the mainland who are thinking of moving back home, I say dive in and help make a difference,” Mr Nona said.
“Bring your best self, experience and resilience because part of our legacy is sharing skills and navigating a path for the next generation to thrive across the whole Torres Strait.
“It is both a privilege and responsibility to help guide local aspirations and future leaders of our unique and remarkable region, there is nowhere else in Australia like the Torres Strait.”
Ready to create impact beyond the office stretching across the sands and seas of the Torres Strait region?
- TSRA is currently on the lookout for a turtle expert to join the team!
The Torres Strait is the northern tip of the Great Barrier Reef and home to six of the world’s seven marine turtle species (green, hawksbill, loggerhead, flatback, leatherback and olive ridley).
Don’t miss this rare opportunity! Learn more and apply at www.tsra.gov.au by 6 July 2025.
