Manny was born and raised in Brisbane, attending primary school, high school and University there. His family has a rich history in Queensland, beginning in regional areas where his Grandfather walked from the Cherbourg Missions down to Brisbane to start a new life with Manny's Grandmother. At the Cherbourg Missions the various Aboriginal groups were devoid of practicing any of their respective cultures. This meant they were not able to speak in their traditional language, or act in any way that was different from the Western culture. Most Aboriginal people in Cherbourg at the time were forced to be labourers for local farms and households. Currently the Watarrka School only has the capacity to teach children up till year 6, meaning their school education ends there, or if they wish to continue their education, they need to move away from their families to Alice Springs, or go to boarding school in order to complete their secondary schooling. 

Once they had made the trip to Brisbane, Manny’s Grandfather and Grandmother went on to have 9 children. His Grandfather secured a job as a factory worker to support the family. Manny remembers fondly his Grandfather always putting a high importance on education, saying that his main hope was that his children would work hard, get good respectable jobs and raise their children in a loving and supportive environment.

Manny’s Mother and Father both worked in Government jobs while Manny grew up. His Father had various occupations that assisted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people rise out of disadvantage. In particular, Manny’s Father spent a lot of time working with the homeless around Brisbane, and through his parent’s careers, Manny was exposed to a variety of social justice issues from a young age.

Manny and his siblings were the only Aboriginal children at their primary school in Brisbane. Manny’s Mother would spend time outside of school hours teaching the children, reviewing their homework and motivating them to achieve high results in their schooling.