We’re incredibly excited to welcome Shellie Smith as our guest speaker for the first Women in Building (WIBAS) Breakfast of 2026.
A proud Awabakal woman and eighth-generation Novocastrian, Shellie brings a powerful and deeply personal perspective to architecture, design, and the way we shape the built environment. As an architectural practitioner, researcher, and lecturer at the University of Newcastle, her work invites us to rethink design through the lens of Country — placing relationships, care, and cultural knowledge at the centre of how spaces are created and experienced.
Shellie’s journey weaves together heritage conservation, academic research, and creative practice. From working on significant heritage projects across Newcastle and the Lower Hunter, to contributing to national heritage initiatives in Canberra, she has developed a practice grounded in both history and innovation. Now undertaking a PhD, she explores how traditional cultural practices of the Awabakal people can inform contemporary design in ways that strengthen community and deepen our connection to place.
Through storytelling, historical research, and multi-medium creative work — including public artworks such as the 2022 New Annual Sand Pavilion — Shellie brings living culture into modern spaces, translating the past into meaningful experiences for today.
Her work is not only about design; it’s about reconnection, reawakening cultural heritage, and inspiring ethical, inclusive approaches to building our shared future.
Photo Credit: Edwina Richards
