VICKI-TREE STEPHENS LEAVES A LASTING LEGACY IN PORT HEDLAND AS FAMILY AND FRIENDS CELEBRATE HER 50TH IN AOTEAROA

Vicki Tree Stephens celebrating with her friends in Aotearoa, 2026

BY TANGIORA HINAKI

After more than 20 years supporting young people and families in Maripikurinya-Port Hedland, former Youth Involvement Council chief executive Vicki-Tree Stephens has returned to her homeland of Aotearoa New Zealand, leaving behind a legacy of community leadership, advocacy and lasting relationships.

Her departure marks the end of a significant chapter for the Youth Involvement Council (YIC), an organisation she helped build into one of the Pilbara's key youth and family support services.

Stephens announced her departure with a Māori whakataukī reflecting the importance of returning home.“Hokia ki te maunga kia purea ai e ngā hau o Tāwhirimātea” — return to your mountain to be refreshed, purified and replenished by the winds of Tāwhirimātea.

In her farewell, Stephens acknowledged the Kariyarra people, on whose Country she had lived and worked for more than two decades, paying particular thanks to Raylene Button (Gordon) and Uncle Alfy Barker.

She said her work had only been possible because of the generosity, trust and guidance of Aboriginal families who welcomed her into their communities and shared their hopes for future generations.

Originally from Taranaki, Stephens began her journey in Western Australia through relief teaching in Mulan and youth work in Balgo in the Kimberley, before eventually settling in Port Hedland.

She joined Youth Incorporated Council in 2006, initially working in the Youth Accommodation Program, supporting young people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.

Vicki Tree-Stephens steps down from CEO of YIC to focus on family and return home to New Zealand

Over the following two decades, she worked across almost every area of the organisation, spending five years in grassroots roles before leading YIC for almost 15 years.

She later handed the chief executive position to Tania Murray, remaining with the organisation in a capacity-building role focused on staff development, training and special projects.

Under her leadership, YIC expanded its youth accommodation, diversionary and outreach services, rebuilt its Lawson Street youth centre and opened a purpose-built headquarters in 2017.

Its programs now include Deadly Hearts, Mungka Maya, the Youth Accommodation Program, Mingle Mob outreach and patrols, family support and initiatives helping young people obtain their driver's licences.

Throughout her career, Stephens championed trauma-informed care and the importance of understanding the circumstances behind a young person's behaviour.

“One of the things I've learned over the years is that challenging behaviours and strong emotions is really a form of communication,” she told Ngaarda Media.

Her approach placed relationships, empathy and community knowledge at the centre of youth services.

That philosophy extended beyond YIC.

Vicki Tree-Stephens, with her colleagues over the years

Her first role at YIC was within its Youth Accommodation Program, supporting young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. She went on to work across almost every area of the organisation.

“I’ve been with the Youth Involvement Council for 20 years,” Stephens told Ngaarda Media.

She spent about five years working at the grassroots before leading the organisation for almost 15 years.

Independent accounts of her career place her start at YIC in 2006 and her appointment as CEO around 2010.

Her time in leadership coincided with a period of significant growth for YIC.

She attended the very first Rowan’s walk and later became more closely involved when Rowan’s family asked her to help support the event.

“That would be my honour and privilege,” she recalled telling the family.

Stephens said her role was ultimately about listening to the family and helping turn what they wanted into reality, while recognising the many community organisations, volunteers and services behind the event.

Rowan’s Walk has since grown beyond Hedland, with its model and message being taken into other WA communities. The annual event remains centred on connection, remembrance, suicide prevention and ensuring people know support is available.

Stephens’ contribution has been recognised locally and across Western Australia.

Despite those achievements, Stephens has consistently credited the young people and staff who helped shape the organisation.

“Their voices shape every program we run,” she told Ngaarda Media following the award.

She said one of the greatest privileges of her time in Hedland was being able to watch an entire generation of young people grow up.

“I love working with young people and I feel blessed to have been in this community long enough to watch a generation grow up,” she said.

Rowans Walk 2026, Vicki and Tee from YIC

In 2024, she was named Port Hedland Community Citizen of the Year, with the Town of Port Hedland saying countless young people, families and members of the wider community had benefited from her leadership and dedication.

A year later, Stephens received the Leadership Excellence award at the 2025 WA Community Services Excellence Awards. She had previously been a finalist in the same leadership category in 2018.

Her influence has also extended beyond Hedland through involvement with the Western Australian Council of Social Service and the State Government’s Supporting Communities Forum, bringing a regional Pilbara perspective into broader conversations about community services.

But Stephens has consistently pushed recognition back towards the young people, staff and community around her. After receiving the 2025 leadership award, she told Ngaarda Media: “Their voices shape every program we run.”

As she prepares to leave, Stephens said one of the greatest privileges of staying in Hedland for so long had been watching an entire generation grow up.

A HOMECOMING AND A CELEBRATION OF 50 YEARS

Stephens' return to Aotearoa also provided an opportunity for family, friends and former colleagues to reflect on her impact during celebrations for her 50th birthday in Taranaki.

Ngaarda Media's Tangiora Hinaki travelled to Aotearoa for the occasion, joining a large contingent from Australia, including friends and colleagues from Port Hedland.

The gathering brought together people from different chapters of Stephens' life, with tributes reflecting both her professional achievements and the personal relationships she had built over the years.

Among those who travelled from Hedland was a group of colleagues and friends who spoke about Stephens' influence on their families and the wider community.

YIC Operations Manager, Resa Foai, said the number of lives Stephens had touched extended far beyond those gathered for the celebration.

“There's thousands of people lining up like us in this room who she has influenced,” she said.

“They are not here, they're families in Hedland, all around Pilbara.”

She said the choices Stephens and her partner Fran had made throughout their lives had helped others become stronger and more confident.

“We are standing here, elevated, a more strong person because of their decisions as well,” she said.

The group acknowledged Stephens' family before performing a song in their Tokelauan language, reflecting on the meaning of home and her return to Aotearoa.

Lisa Hicks, who travelled from the Pilbara in Western Australia to celebrate Vicki Tree Stephens’ 50th birthday, spoke warmly about the influence Vicki has had on her family. Describing Vicki as a mentor to herself and her two daughters, she recalled inviting her to speak at her daughter’s wedding in Margaret River. “She had the whole room crying. So when Vicki speaks, when she has a presence in the room, it’s just amazing for all of us,” she said. “She took everyone’s breath away. It didn’t matter what culture was in the room.” Lisa ended with a heartfelt tribute on behalf of her family: “I love you, Vic. We are really going to miss you.”

For friends who had known Stephens throughout her years in Hedland, the celebration was an opportunity to recognise the person behind the organisation.

Longtime friend, Carley Morrell reflected on their shared experiences and the enduring friendship that had developed over two decades.

“It's a rich life when you have a sister like Vick,” she said.

“You can see and feel how deeply she connects with people just by looking around the room.”

She described Stephens as someone who was calm, grounded and generous with her time.

“When Vick is spending time with you, she's fully present and she has a generous heart and you can feel that.”

Former YIC Operations Manager, Arita Ellis spoke emotionally about Stephens' leadership and the support she had provided during difficult periods.

“For more than 20 years, Vicky has given an enormous amount to the Hedland community,” she said.

“She worked bloody hard, supported and advocated for people, and changed more lives than you would all probably know.”

Ellis said working under Stephens had also changed her expectations of leadership and workplace culture.

She recalled telling the gathering that Stephens had “ruined me for any future employment”, because she could no longer tolerate toxic workplaces or people being treated poorly.

But beyond her leadership skills, she said Stephens had been someone people could depend on when circumstances became difficult.

“When times are tough and you need someone to stand up and be there, that's it,” she said.

PUTTING THE SAFETY OF YOUNG PEOPLE FIRST

One of the strongest tributes came from Steve Nile who recalled a decision Stephens made while overseeing YIC's Mingle Mob outreach program.

The program was designed to help young people move away from dangerous situations at night, including returning them home.

Mr Niel said Stephens had challenged the expectation that every young person should automatically be taken back to their family home, recognising that home was not always a safe environment.

“I'm not taking the kids home if home is not safe,” he recalled Stephens saying.

He said the decision placed the program's funding at risk but reflected her commitment to protecting vulnerable children.

He argued that Stephens' greatest achievement was not simply building a financially successful organisation, but making sure its services responded to the realities facing young people.

“She's built it so that it actually fits for purpose,” he said.

The example reflected a central theme throughout the celebrations: Stephens' willingness to challenge systems when they did not meet the needs of the communities they were intended to support.

A MOTHER'S TRIBUTE

Among the most personal speeches was a tribute from Stephens' mother, Glennis Stephens who reflected on her daughter's childhood, education and journey from Taranaki to the remote communities of Western Australia.

She described Stephens as a serious and determined child who loved music, humour and Māori culture but also displayed a strong sense of responsibility from an early age.

“Underneath it was your very analytical mind and strong sense of justice that stood out,” she said.

She recalled how Stephens helped care for her younger siblings when family circumstances changed, before pursuing her education and beginning a career in teaching.

Her mother said what began as a short visit to Aboriginal communities in the Australian desert eventually became a life-changing commitment.

“Three weeks became six months,” she recalled.

That experience would ultimately lead Stephens to Port Hedland, where her passion for education, justice and supporting vulnerable children developed into a career spanning two decades.

Her mother spoke of the long hours, difficult decisions and relationships Stephens had built with Aboriginal Elders, families, government agencies and community organisations.

She also acknowledged Fran, Stephens' partner of 20 years, for the support she had provided throughout that journey.

“She has been a rock at your side and I know that has meant a lot to you,” she said.

Looking around the room at those who had travelled from Australia, she thanked the Port Hedland contingent for making the journey and acknowledged the work they continued to do in the Pilbara.

Vicki’s newphews surprised her mum who shared the birthday celebrations with a Haka to mark the occasion

A LEGACY THAT REMAINS IN HEDLAND

While the birthday celebration marked a homecoming for Stephens, the stories shared in Taranaki showed how strongly she remains connected to the community she has left behind.

From young people who found safety through YIC's programs to colleagues who developed their careers under her leadership, her influence extends across families, organisations and generations.

For Stephens, the greatest recognition has never been the awards or the growth of the organisation, but the relationships built over 20 years on Kariyarra Country.

In her farewell message, she described empowering young people across the region as “one of the greatest honours of my life”.

And while she has returned to her mountain, her contribution to Hedland remains in the people, services and community relationships she helped nurture.

“Hedland will always hold a very special place in my heart,” she said.