65, Youth Support Worker, NT

For proud Iwaidja man Robbie Cooper, entering the MasterChef kitchen is not simply an opportunity to share his food, but also his rich culture and history.

Growing up in Darwin, Robbie was one of six boys who loved footy, fishing and boxing. Recognised as an accomplished AFL and rugby league player, Robbie’s 50-odd year working life has spanned the construction and trucking industries, before a 20-year stint working in the juvenile justice and adult corrections system as a guard and program coordinator. With a Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Health Promotion among other qualifications, Robbie is now a youth support worker in a supported bail program.

Like many Aboriginal families in the Northern Territory, Robbie’s ancestry incorporates Asian heritage, including Malaysian, Indonesian and Filipino, along with Torres Strait Islander.

Labelling his cooking style ‘Aboriginal Asian fusion’, Robbie is equally at-home cooking on country as he is creating modern Australian cuisine at home in Darwin. With a deep understanding of flavour combinations, Robbie is famed for his curries and chilli mud crab, with skills gleaned from both mum and dad in the kitchen, along with the Aunties of his community. Having a big family means catering for crowds doesn’t daunt him. Dad and stepdad to 10 children, Robbie is also a grandfather and step grandfather to 14 grandchildren.

It is on Robbie’s traditional land, Wiligi Outstation in West Arnhem Land, nestled on the Cobourg Peninsula overlooking the Arafua Sea, that he sees his future in food. Passionate about fresh produce, when on country Robbie fishes and hunts, collects oysters, spears stingrays and catches crabs. Cultivating a huge vegetable patch and tropical fruit trees, the dream is to become self-sufficient and, following MasterChef, Robbie intends to host food experiences on country, inviting people to camp, catch, cook, connect and learn about the oldest living culture on earth.

As the eldest contestant in the competition, Robbie will relish the opportunity to be an Uncle to the group and share his wisdom.