In 1978, as part of his research in Indigenous land rights for his MA thesis at Carleton, Christian travelled to Australia where, without having ever planned to do so, he attended the law school of the Australian National University. His career highlights in the Australian Public Service included helping draft and implement legislation to set up Australia’s sports drug agency, the National Environment Protection Agency, and a national regime for the recognition of Indigenous native title, as well as managing the Aboriginal Land Rights legislation section in Darwin. His final position before retiring was in the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations, an agency dedicated to assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to set up their own companies to run enterprises like Indigenous health services, sporting clubs, and youth and cultural centres.
