The Honourable Kon Vatskalis JP
Chair
Kon was born on the Greek island of Cephalonia and spent most of his early life in Athens, Greece. He migrated to Australia in 1983 and pursued further studies in public health, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health from the Western Australian Institute of Technology in 1986, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science from Murdoch University in 1989. He later completed a Graduate Certificate in Public Service Management through Flinders University.
After relocating to Darwin in 1994, Kon worked with the Department of Health and later with Danila Dilba, an Indigenous health service provider. His commitment to public service led to his election to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 2001 as the Member for Casuarina. He was immediately appointed as a Minister and served in the Territory Labor Government until 2012. His ministerial portfolios included Health, Mining and Primary Industries, Tourism, Sport, Infrastructure and Planning, and Children and Families.
Kon resigned from the Legislative Assembly in 2014 and commenced work with the Leukaemia Foundation in 2015. In recognition of his contribution to politics in the Northern Territory, he was granted the lifelong title of “Honourable” by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2014.
In 2017, Kon was elected as Lord Mayor of Darwin, a role in which he continues to serve. He also holds the position of President of the Local Government Association of the Northern Territory (LGANT), where he advocates for strong, effective local government and regional development across the Territory.
