Tapapa Lewis: Sharing cultures and giving back to community
Tapapa Lewis is a family man whose love and passion spill out into the community. That community is Paraburdoo.
A mining town in the Pilbara region, Paraburdoo has fewer than 1,500 residents, of which Tapapa makes a great impact, and vice versa.
“We moved to Paraburdoo in 2021 to try out mining,” recalls Tapapa. “We loved Para as soon as we got here, adapted quickly and I’m forever grateful for Paraburdoo and the Yinhawangka people who allowed me to share my passion for life.”
With Māori heritage, Tapapa soon launched the Paraburdoo Māori Culture Club, of which he is the President. He is also President of the Golf Club and a member of the Pilbara Bruthas, a group that focuses on mental health and wellbeing.
As result of involvement in various groups and clubs, Tapapa has delivered initiatives that engage residents to increase community spirit and cultural appreciation. These include Hip Hop Jam sessions and basketball competitions for young people, plus an annual event called Matariki, and Mana Moana classes that teach young people to understand natural water ways and surroundings in a cultural way.
“The children are our future and, because of how small our community is, it’s even more important to share as much and do as much as we can to show our future generation what’s important in life,” says Tapapa. “Sharing, caring, passion and kindness are all real and achievable if you put your mind to it and don’t give up and surround yourself with good people.”
The father of five credits the local community organisations, community clubs and people for “creating positive ideas that build pathways for those involved to learn how to make ordinary situations extraordinary.”
For the contribution and impact he has made on the Paraburdoo community, Tapapa was named a Shire of Ashburton Community Citizen of the Year at the beginning of 2025. On the same day, the Pilbara Bruthas was given the Active Citizenship Award.
Tapapa is incredibly humble about receiving the award, which he even kept a secret from his fellow Bruthas.
“I’ll be honest, at first it made me feel a little embarrassed – I didn’t even tell any of the Pilbara Bruthas Club! I don’t do anything for personal gain, although I learn a heck of a lot. It is always based around the bigger picture. We are a small town community with little resources, so every positive gathering is important.”
While Tapapa does not help out his community for recognition, months after receiving the award, he acknowledges the significant impact and purpose it can have on the individual and the community.
“It’s about the ‘unsung hero’ who volunteers without expectation, who keeps turning up for the greater good. These people will rarely know their own value so it is most definitely important to recognise these people. They deserve recognition and should be recognised.”
Help others to be recognised by nominating them in the Community Citizen of the Year Awards. Nominations for the 2026 Awards close Friday 31 October 2025.