Conversation with… Nicolas Parkhill

In each Connections, we ask someone from the alcohol and other drug sector to share a little about their work and life. Introducing NDARC Centre Manager Nicolas Parkhill AM, who has more than 30 years’ experience in public and community health. He was CEO of ACON from 2011 until 2024 and prior to this, worked in numerous senior management and policy roles for NSW Health and the NSW Cabinet Office, including working on the 1999 NSW Drug Summit.

This weekend I will...

Spend time with my kids, tackle some Christmas shopping and celebrate a milestone birthday with a friend. I will also try and finish a book I am reading, do some of the weekly chores… and if the weather is good, dive into the ocean or do some snorkelling at Clovelly. 

If I had more time, I'd...

No question, I would spend it with family and travelling. And doing something artistic… I really don’t feel like a have creative or artistic bone in my body, so doing some courses that push me a little in this regard would be great.

For my next holiday...

This summer break I will spend time in Coffs Harbour with my family, which I am really looking forward. It will be easy summer days, swimming, napping, eating and reading. We are in planning mode now for a bigger holiday next year… nothing is booked in at this point, but I think it will be London, Madrid, Lisbon, Marrakesh and Paris. Even planning a holiday helps lift my spirits and gets me excited.

I can't get enough of...

British crime dramas, baggy shorts, reading, chocolate (of any quality), Italian and Chinese food, and cheese platters. Time with family, friends and loved ones… and sleep. Frustratingly, the sleep part is getting harder as I get older. Long gone are the days that I needed an alarm clock.

I'm really terrible at...

Lots of things… but some of the headlines are cooking, keeping a regular exercise routine, the fast and easy adoption of new technology, answers to questions about myself, growing hair on my head apart from my ears and nostrils, fishing, competition sport, any sport involving a ball, singing, etc., etc., etc.

I'd originally planned to...

Live in the United States. I had spent two Australian summers there during my uni breaks and had my heart set on moving to San Francisco. I ended up ‘winning’ a Green Card through one of the US Government Visa Lotteries, but at around the same time I scored a great, dream job here in Australia. I ended up rescinding the Green Card; however, given the state of the world today, I carry no regrets.

The qualities I most value in my colleagues are...

Kindness, compassion, empathy, flexibility, and willingness to give things a go. Enthusiasm that is balanced with pragmatism is also great a quality I think, particularly when we work in a sector where we often see injustice or less than ideal policy settings established, regardless of the evidence. I am lucky to work with a fantastic team of people who have all of these values, plus many other fine ones, in spades.

My big hope for the drug and alcohol sector is...

I think the drug and alcohol sector has so much to be proud of, and I really hope that we can identify and celebrate those successes. Of course, there is always so much more that can be done and that is needed, and often that is the dominate narrative, but I do think it is important to occasionally take stock and look at the extraordinary successes, advances and progress that has been made. Given this year marks the 40th anniversary of the National Drug Strategy, it is a good time to reflect on those achievements and to move forward with hope. 

I'd originally planned to work...

Marketing and communications, which is where I started post-uni, but then after working in a few PR positions for drug and alcohol social marketing campaigns, I became interested in policy, health promotion and public health more broadly. What I found fascinating (and still do) was the nexus between social justice and health. I was very fortunate to have some incredible mentors when I was working for CEIDA and NSW Health who really supported me and guided me… I will always be grateful for them. 

Career wise, I'm most proud of...

I feel incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunities I have and to have worked with amazing people who have all been smart, committed, giving and passionate. Every worthwhile thing I have been involved with has always had an amazing team driving it, an approach built on partnership and collaboration and grounded in evidence and research.

Some of the exciting things I have loved working on are the 1999 NSW Drug Summit, the rapid roll out of new HIV prevention approaches like PrEP, rapid community-based HIV testing, HIV treatment as prevention, along with justice initiatives for LGBTQ hate crimes, and improved diversity and inclusion programs for LGBTQ people.

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