Darren was a special friend, an inspiration, and a guide for many of us. He had an incredible passion for music, an infectious love for comedy, and an unmatched enthusiasm for data—a combination that made him truly unique. His vibrant spirit and unique sense of humour brought laughter to every room he entered. We knew him by many names: “Data Daddy,” “Darre,” and “Daz,” all of which he embraced wholeheartedly, even suggesting a few improvements. On many work trips, we were lucky enough to hear his stories about family, Yamatji history, his music, and his crazy ideas about data and tech that he believed would change the world. Central to these ideas was his deep desire for Blakfullas to achieve Indigenous data sovereignty. He envisioned a future where Aboriginal people not only loved data and maps but also used their own ways of knowing, doing, and being to lead in the data and evaluation space. He was a passionate advocate for Aboriginal-led evaluation, believing deeply in the power of communities to tell their own stories, using their own data. His insightful guidance and unwavering support empowered countless individuals and organizations to embrace this vision. We are committed to honouring Darren’s thought leadership and commitment to supporting more blackfullas to love data the way he did, and to achieve the data sovereignty he so passionately championed.

In memory of Darren, we encourage you to share your favourite memories below. Whether it's a hilarious joke he told, a favourite song he introduced you to, or a brilliant insight he shared about data, let's celebrate his life and remember the joy he brought into our lives.