Michelle Tobin is an Aboriginal woman of the Yorta Yorta Nation and a descendant of the Stolen Generation. She is a mother to two daughters and 6 grandchildren and lives on the Central Coast NSW with her partner of 17 years. She has lived with HIV for over 34 years, lost her husband to HIV and experienced many levels of stigma and discrimination. This drove Michelle to become a passionate, vocal advocate for HIV issues. 

Michelle worked with the HIV Speakers Bureau for many years and served on several state-and national-level HIV boards and committees. She sits on the Board of the Anwernekenhe National HIV Alliance. (The ANA) as the representative living with HIV and is a community member and Convener of the Positive Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Network (PATSIN). Michelle is a member of the National Association of People with HIV Australia’s Femme Fatales network and one of two women across Australia who advocate for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people living with HIV. She represents the positive voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, especially women, on several advisory committees. 

Recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion -Social Emotional Wellbeing at Sydney University and worked with Positive Life NSW in developing The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Living With or at Risk of HIV Health Co-Designed Project is a needs assessment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) community of NSW, regarding and with consideration to: accessing and engaging with services (including health and social determinants of health-related services); accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and antiretroviral medication (ART); lifestyle choices, including transience; rates of incarceration/custody; and public health orders.