Spotlight

Coffs Harbour in New South Wales is known as one of Australia’s popular holiday destinations; it is also home to the thriving Kulai Pre-School Aboriginal Corporation.

You don’t have to spend very long at Kulai preschool to realise that the little ones are very well looked after. The preschool has been caring for and educating Coffs Harbour Aboriginal children since 1961. In fact some of the previous management committee members are former students of Kulai.

It has been a very busy and very successful 2009 for Ungooroo Aboriginal Corporation—and it looks like the coming year is going to be even busier. Ungooroo, located at Singleton in New South Wales, provides essential services to the Aboriginal community in the Upper Hunter Valley region, including resumé help and training workshops for job seekers and computer literacy courses.

Girringun Aboriginal Corporation is located at Cardwell, half-way between Townsville and Cairns in north-Queensland. The corporation represents the interests of traditional owners from nine tribal groups: Bandjin, Djiru, Girramay, Gugu Badhun, Gulnay, Jirrbal, Nywaigi, Warrgamay and Warungnu. Girringun is the name of the ancestral creator of the Warangnu, Jirrbal, Warrgamay and Girramay people. This ancestral creator is responsible for the marriage and hunting lore.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) is the native title representative body for traditional owners of the Pilbara, Murchison and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. There are over 25 traditional owner groups represented by the corporation, which protects the interests of the people and their country and provides them with a range of professional services, such as legal representation for native title claims and heritage protection services.

Being armed with the skills and knowledge for good corporate governance is the key to running a successful corporation. Thirty-three new business governance graduates from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporations across Australia now have nationally recognised qualifications and the skills and knowledge necessary to make a real difference in their communities.

The Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation (WDNWPT) represents Yanangu families on dialysis and helps them to develop renal services in their home communities so they no longer have to move permanently to Alice Springs for treatment. It makes sense then that in Pintupi ‘nganampa walytja palyantjaku tjutaku’ literally means ‘making all our families well’.

Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts Aboriginal Corporation (GCAAC) is the newest Aboriginal art centre in the Northern Territory and in August they will hold their first commercial art exhibition.

Located on the shores of Lake Evella in north-east Arnhem Land, about 230 kilometres west of Nhulunbuy, Gapuwiyak was originally set up as a mission in 1969 and today has a population of approximately 700 people.

Gurriny Yealamucka* (Good Healing) Health Services Aboriginal Corporation (Gurriny) has a holistic approach to improving the health, social and emotional wellbeing of the 3000 people that make up Yarrabah’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Part of this is its community healing, delivered through the men’s and women’s groups and youth programs, which has won accolades and is supported by researchers from James Cook University and the University of Queensland.

Tjanpi Desert Weavers is an ‘art centre without walls or borders’ spanning the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara (NPY) tri-state region of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory.