Haydyn Bromley: City of Adelaide's 2021 Citizen of the Year

In 2021, Haydyn Bromley received one of the City of Adelaide's highest honours when he was named Citizen of the Year. The prestigious recognition, presented by Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor at Adelaide Town Hall, acknowledged his outstanding contribution to cultural education and community building across South Australia.

A Recognition of Cultural Leadership

As a respected Adnyamathanha man with over 20 years of experience in education, Haydyn's award validated years of dedicated work in sharing Aboriginal cultural knowledge and fostering understanding across diverse communities. 

The City of Adelaide's selection criteria focused on community contribution, inspirational role modelling, and impact on the City of Adelaide – areas where Haydyn's cultural education work has made a transformative difference.

"Receiving this award was deeply humbling," Haydyn reflects. "It represented not just personal recognition, but acknowledgment of how vital cultural awareness and education are in building stronger, more inclusive communities."

A Journey Across Multiple Sectors

Throughout his career, Haydyn has worked across education, social justice, and industrial rights, always with the goal of building bridges between cultures. 

This diverse experience has shaped his unique approach to cultural awareness training, allowing him to connect authentically with people from all walks of life and professional backgrounds.

In the years leading up to his award, Haydyn had been conducting extensive cultural awareness seminars, workforce training and serving as a guest lecturer at university campuses across Adelaide. 

These opportunities have reinforced his belief in education and awareness as the foundations of genuine cultural understanding.

Building Bookabee Australia

The establishment of Bookabee Australia represents the evolution of Haydyn's commitment to cultural education. 

Through the company's Aboriginal Cultural Sensitivity and Respect training programs, he has worked with businesses across the City of Adelaide and South Australia, helping organisations develop genuine cultural awareness and create more inclusive workplaces.

"Every training session is an opportunity to challenge assumptions and create positive change," Haydyn explains. "When I work with an organisation, we're not just sharing information – we're truth-telling the history of Aboriginal Australia and building understanding form there that can transform individuals and workplace culture."