Co-Founder, Baldja · Director, Wilco Electrical · 2026 Australian of the Year – Local Hero
Frank is a proud Whadjuk-Yued Noongar man, husband and father, whose family are connected to the Shaw mob on his father's side. Being offered a mature-age electrical apprenticeship as a single dad was a defining moment — he moved quickly from electrician to site supervisor, to project manager, and in 2016 to co-owner and director of Wilco Electrical.
Determined to pay forward the opportunities that transformed his life, in 2016 Frank pledged to create 20 electrical apprenticeships for Aboriginal men and women by 2020. By December 2020, he and his team had generated 23 Aboriginal employment positions, 14 of them electrical apprenticeships. He co-founded Kardan Construction in 2019 to widen the range of trades, and in 2020 co-founded Baldja. As of November 2025, Frank and his teams have created over 70 skills-based positions for Aboriginal peoples — work recognised nationally in his appointment as 2026 Australian of the Year Local Hero.
Director, RSGx
Baldja was created with the vision of providing meaningful employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with targets for apprenticeships and sustainable work across the energy, infrastructure and resources sectors. From the outset, the team set ambitious objectives to make a real difference — and to that end, 10% of all profits derived from Baldja's business activities and projects is set aside to give Aboriginal team members the best chance of succeeding in their chosen careers.
"I am very proud to partner RSGx with Wilco Electrical and Kardan Construction, both established Supply Nation certified companies. Enhancing our service offering while maximising the benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a clearly measurable way is an ideal way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the communities in which we work."
Baldja commissioned inspiring not-for-profit organisation Art vs Depression (AVD), which uses art as a platform to empower those most at risk in our community and to break down the stigma around mental health.
Gracie, a proud Māori man from AVD, partnered with Jonica Sullivan, a proud Wongathai woman from Laverton. Directors Frank Mitchell and Niall Conlon proposed three aspects for the piece: a topical view of Balingup (Frank's hometown), Dublin Hills (Niall's hometown in Ireland), and the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River), near which Baldja's office resides. Gracie and Jonica harmonised the three in their own Aboriginal and Māori artistic styles.
