The Indigenous Data Network is pleased to welcome Casey Haseloff, who joins us as the ARDC Indigenous Intern for 2025.
Casey is an Aboriginal man of Gunditjmara descent, with family connections to Lake Condah in Western Victoria. His family later relocated to Ballarat, where Casey grew up before moving to Melbourne to pursue his studies.
Currently completing a Master of Data Science, Casey brings strong analytical skills and a deep interest in how data can be used to support informed decision-making and create positive change. His pathway into data science started with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Statistics/Stochastic Modelling, which led to a role at NAB as part of the technology and data graduate program. After gaining valuable industry experience, Casey returned to study to further develop his technical expertise and explore the broader applications of data science.
“The people around there had their Master’s in Data Science and were doing more advanced analytics, so I decided to pursue that and then leave NAB and focus on my studies” Casey said.
Through the internship, Casey is particularly looking forward to building his knowledge in Indigenous Data Governance and Sovereignty recognising that this is an area he’s only recently begun to explore.
“I only started looking into Indigenous data late last year,” Casey said. “The sovereignty and governance side of it really stood out — the focus on collaboration is something I haven’t seen before, and it feels like a really positive space to be a part of.”
Casey has also been thinking about the role data might play in language preservation and the importance of capturing cultural knowledge for future generations.
“We’re coming to a point where those generations are starting to pass, and if we don’t start storing it now, then we’ll lose that forever,” Casey said. “I think we’ve already lost so many languages and dialects.”
For Casey, the opportunity to apply his growing technical skills in a space that directly benefits the community is something he values.
“I think the ability to have impact is something I didn’t have in my previous work,” he said. “I didn’t know how I was positively contributing to community. And I think this allows me to do it in a way that I couldn’t really imagine — to mix two things, my culture and my degree and what I’m interested in.”
Outside of his professional and academic pursuits, Casey enjoys AFL, futsal, trivia nights with friends, and working on puzzles — a passion that began during afternoons spent solving jigsaws with his Nan.
“I’d always go home after primary school to my Nan and Pop’s and sit down there and watch Bold and the Beautiful with my Nan and do puzzles at her house,” Casey said.
Now in its third year, the ARDC Indigenous Internship Program continues to highlight the importance of creating pathways for young Indigenous people into data, and research infrastructure careers. It is a key part of the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Indigenous Research Data Commons (HASS and Indigenous RDC), which helps researchers use data to understand and preserve Australia’s culture, history, and heritage. The position is located with the Indigenous Data Network, which leads the project Improving Indigenous Research Capabilities as part of the HASS and Indigenous RDC.
Jenny Fewster, Director, HASS and Indigenous RDC, said, “The ARDC’s Indigenous Internship program is crucial for enhancing digital research skills in the HASS and Indigenous research sector. We’re excited to welcome Casey to the ARDC and look forward to collaborating on sharing Indigenous data perspectives and skills throughout the research ecosystem.”
Programs like this help uncover and nurture emerging Indigenous talent, ensuring that the next generation of Indigenous data leaders has the skills and opportunities to contribute to the growing Indigenous data landscape.
The ARDC and the IDN teams are excited to have Casey on board and look forward to working alongside him throughout 2025.
Welcome, Casey.
Learn more about the Improving Indigenous Research Capabilities project.
The ARDC is enabled by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) to support national digital research infrastructure for Australian researchers.
