THE 30 years devoted by Swan youth worker and Noongar man Graham Cox to reaching out a caring hand to others was celebrated last week at Swan City Youth Service.

Mr Cox sat on his golden throne as visitors arrived to give him a hug, have a laugh at the seat arranged in his honour, and strike up conversations about his achievements since beginning his career on April 1, 1995.

Swan City Youth Service general manager Rachel Robertson said the date he chose to start work had become a long-standing legend in the office.

“When Graham arrived for his first day of work on April 1, his boss looked at him and said, ‘Who starts a new job on April Fools’ Day?’,” she said.

“So, naturally, Graham turned around, got back in his car, and went home.

“Thankfully, he returned the next day – and the rest, as they say, is history.”

She said Mr Cox had made a lasting impact over his three decades of service.

“He played a pivotal role in the Gordon Enquiry, which led to the closure of the Swan Valley Camps, ensuring justice for young people who had suffered abuse,” she said.

“He also spearheaded efforts to improve safety measures around volatile substances, advocating for secure storage in hardware stores like Bunnings and WA Salvage.”

Ms Robertson said Mr Cox remained a steady and passionate force, even as youth work took its toll on many.

“In a field where burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are all too common, Graham has found the balance that has allowed him to keep showing up, day after day, for three incredible decades,” she said.

Among his most recent initiatives is the Kadadjing Circle, a school-based program developed five years ago to help young people shift their mindset away from prison as a rite of passage and toward cultural identity, storytelling, creativity and healing.

“We just guide these young blokes on their journey,” Mr Cox said.

“It’s not our journey – people think when they come into this job that they can change people.

“You cannot change people.”

Instead, he said, young people should be supported to uncover their own strengths.

“We give them different options, we give them different ways of seeing things,” he said.

“We give them choices and options – they change themselves.”

Known to many as Uncle Graham or Unc, Mr Cox has worked with generations of local youth, including volatile substance users and those other services turned away.

“Our doors are never closed,” he said.

“Even if it’s an older guy off the street that wants a feed, you’ve got to give them the staples of life.”

His reflections were filled with humility and humour, but he made clear the work was never about ego.

“I don’t just love myself; I idolise myself,” he once joked to a colleague but the wisdom followed close behind.

“It’s not our job to walk in the shoes of young people,” he said.

“It is our job to walk behind them on their journey, so that we can be ready to catch them when they fall back.”

Over the years, Mr Cox has helped inspire a new generation of youth workers and community advocates, many of whom started out as students or volunteers under his mentorship.

“I personally start every day knowing nothing,” he said.

“Then I work my way through the day by listening to stories from the young people.”

In 2023, Mr Cox was named Midland NAIDOC’s male Elder of the year. He was also a participant in the Swan Lullabies project, which helped showcase Noongar language and the gentle strength of fatherhood as an Aboriginal man.

In 2024, he was recognised with the Swan Chamber of Commerce’s employee of the year award.

Mr Cox said that he still loved his job as he loved it the day he began and if he lost the passion for youth work, he would walk out instantly.

“But through all those years I never doubted my ability, I never doubted the job, I never doubted the young people and I never ever doubted my work colleagues – and I'm still here.”