Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa opens
After more than a year of construction, the beautiful Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa Cultural Wellbeing Centre is complete. NBY officially took possession on 28th February and we have been moving into the new buildings. There will be an official opening of the Centre in June, but in the meantime we are settling in.
The Language and HIPPY teams have moved into their new ‘nest’; a welcoming and generous space that will be used to nurture the growth of the Yawuru community with language programs and early childhood development.
NBY’s Cultural team have also got a new space with purpose built features to manage important cultural items in the Mangara archive. The space provides museum grade facilities for the housing of unique artefacts and cultural objects of Yawuru’s history as well as providing a new space to develop projects and exhibitions. We are enjoying the space as the gardens grow and the artworks become embedded in their landscape setting.
This community focused space offers venue facilities for conferences, meetings, training and trade shows. Our state of the art facilities can accommodate up to 100 people in a comfortable, fully equipped space. Along with the Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa Centre, our Mabu Mayi Café will be opening in the coming months and will offer in-house catering options; until that time we can assist with other catering options to suit your needs.
If you are interested in booking the facility, please contact the Facilities Manager on 08 9192 9616
CEO Report
Ngaji mingan,
We welcome the advent of the dry season with marul bringing the cooler easterly breezes to Broome. We know this also heralds the start of the busiest time of the year with many visitors to the Kimberley, and at NBY it’s no exception. We’ve already hosted a number of visitors over the last couple of months, including the Kuruma Marthudunera Aboriginal Corporation, Senator Jordan Steele-John and Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Hon Roger Cook. The Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa centre is also starting to welcome visitors and we held the annual Yawuru Easter Party on our own grounds for the first time. We know everyone had a wonderful time and seeing the grounds so busy with families and fun brings the project to life.
With the move into Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa, NBY is also expanding its capacity in-house and we are recruiting a number of key positions that will establish a foundation for sustainable economic expansion.
NBY is positioning itself for a challenging future by diversifying its economic base to ensure that we can continue to support the high quality programs that empower our community. We are an important part of Broome’s developing growth and are working with major stakeholders to increase regional growth. NBY has been key to the development of the Broome Growth Plan and is also involved in the Chinatown Revitalisation and Town Beach redevelopments. The completion of these projects is close and will enhance the story of Broome and its unique identity that is so strongly connected to our identity and heritage. We’re glad the future of the town will showcase our art, our connection to pearling, our characters and stories in its landscape.
And finally, we are all aware that the federal election is on May 18. I encourage everyone to participate in the democratic process and vote. Let your voice be heard.
Galiya
Country
GUNIYAN BINBA CONSERVATION PARK DRAFT JOINT MANAGEMENT PLAN 2019
The Guniyan Binba Conservation Park Draft Joint Management Plan 2019 is available for public comment. This Management Plan works with the three existing plans for different areas of the Yawuru Conservation Estate and the over-arching Yawuru Cultural Management Plan. These plans ensure country is well managed and is based on Yawuru values to encourage people to enjoy the area in a sustainable way for the benefit of future generations.
The Guniyan Binba Conservation Park is jointly managed by Yawuru, the Shire of Broome and the Conservation and Parks Commission. It is an intertidal reserve that covers an area north of Cable Beach to Willie Creek.
The draft joint management plan is available here or you can get a hard copy of the plan from the following locations:
- Parks and Wildlife Service Head Office, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, WA, 6151
- Parks and Wildlife Service Broome Work Centre, 111 Herbert St, Broome, WA, 6725
- Nyamba Buru Yawuru Office, 55 Reid Rd, Broome, WA, 6725
- Shire of Broome Office, Cnr Weld and Haas St, Broome, WA. 6725
The plan was prepared jointly on behalf of the Conservation and Parks Commission by DBCA, Yawuru and the Shire of Broome in accordance with the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984. The closing date for public submissions is Friday 28 June 2019. Public submissions on the plan can be made online at dbca.wa.gov.au/haveyoursay, or posted to:
There will be a public information session at NBY on Tuesday 21st May at 4:30pm - 6:00pm with the Environmental Services team.
At the close of the public submissions period, the plan will be reviewed considering all the submissions received. A summary of the submissions and details about how the plan was or was not amended in response to the submissions will be made available along with the final management plan.
If you have any queries, please contact Clare Atkins, DBCA, on (08) 9842 4550.
Fire Season
We love this cooler weather and it heralds the start of the prescribed fire season. The Yawuru Country Mangers will be working with Roebuck Plains Station, DFES and DBCA out on country over the next 6 weeks to conduct burning operations.
We burn at this time of the year to reduce the likelihood of large wildfires later in the season. This is called right-way fire and follows the traditional burning methodology of small patch burning across the landscape.
By having low-intensity burn patches across the landscape, we are both reducing fire risk later in the season and creating a habitat that is favourable to many native small and medium-sized animals such as the Bilby and the Spectacled Hare-Wallaby. These species need a diversity of fire ages to survive in the landscape. For example, the SHW prefers long-unburnt areas to hide from predators but also needs the young forbs and grasses in recently burnt areas for food.
NBY and DFES will to keep you up to date with the fire activity on our facebook page as these burns get underway.
Australian Coastal Awards
The Shire in association with NBY and Baird have won the 2019 Australian Coastal Awards for ‘Building Resilience through a Methodical Coastal Planning and Management Process’ in the ‘Planning and Management’ category.
NBY’s Chris Parker, Dean Mathews and the Country Managers worked with Andrew Close and others at the Shire of Broome on their shoreline monitoring project in the joint management areas. Using NBY equipment and GIS knowledge, drone images are crucial to the project and demonstrate the capacity and potential of the partnership. We acknowledge support of DOT and DPLH for funding and technical support for the various coastal planning projects.
Don’t miss this amazing community event. Our Yawuru Country Managers have been working with Theatre Kimberley and the Broome Bird Observatory to tell the tale with giant puppets of Curtis the Curlew and the life of our incredible shore birds. The free event will be a great family experience and we hope to see you there.
Community
Yawuru at the table for Youth Empowerment
The Kimberley Suicide Prevention Trial Working Group recently met in Broome and Bianca Graham, NBY Youth Engagement Officer is a West Kimberley delegate along with Jacob Corpus from KAMS. The group met to discuss the findings of WA Coroner’s Report into suicide deaths in the Kimberley.
The Working Group has high profile leadership with the Hon Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Health and the meeting was attended by the Hon Roger Cook, Deputy WA Premier and Minister for Health, Senator the Hon Patrick Dodson and Member for the Kimberley, the Hon Josie Farrer MLC for the Kimberley. The group is made up of 40 representatives from communities, organisations and government and it aims to improve outcomes on the ground for communities by establishing better coordination and delivery of mental health and other services led and designed by Indigenous people.
Bianca continues to spread her wings and share Yawuru principles of mabu liyan; she is attending the Orygen ‘By Young People for Young People’ event in Melbourne to deliver a keynote address on the challenges and rewards of youth advocacy and working in youth development is remote Australia.
HIPPY is growing up
The small NBY HIPPY team is growing up fast and has had a busy start to the year with new office, new staff and new families.
The new Age 4 tutors Jillian Walley and Ann Janette Phillips have started and Vanessa Gregory is continuing her 2nd year of tutoring with her age 5 families. Kamisa White has stepped up to a new role as Early Childhood trainee coordinator and will be working with Rebecca Ross HIPPY coordinator. The team welcomed Ron Holmes a consultant from HIPPY Australia to the office with Michelle Councillor the Derby HIPPY coordinator for two days of training.
The 2019 HIPPY program has 17 new age 4 families, and 9 aged 5 families continuing from 2018. We still have a few vacancies for families and if you want to join the HIPPY program, contact Rebecca Ross or Kamisa White: hippy@yawuru.org.au
Work and training programs
Warrmijala Murrgurlayi (Rise Up to Work) is a sustainable employment program partnership between NBY and Shell Prelude. It’s an opportunity to improve the training conversion rate and scale the existing program, with the added benefit of being able to leverage the TTW Program to support job placement. to increase positive social impact through pre-employment and vocational training which results in Yawuru and other Indigenous Youth secure sustainable employment in the oil and gas industry, its supply chain, or the wider Broome economy.
With the program starting to gain momentum, we have purchased a 4WD, spoke to Sandy Dann about this new exciting joint venture, the Communication team have been busy with designing the branding and an interview with Molly Hunt from the ABC to discuss the different employment programs available through Yawuru. .
Stay tuned… Next month we commence with recruiting for our first lot of clients to partake in the Program
Housing
NBY and Community Housing Ltd has just hosted a Youth Housing community consultation at NBY to discuss issues facing young people looking for housing in Broome. The outcomes from the event will help us to plan for possible future youth accommodation opportunities and helps us to better understand the issues faced and what people are looking for.
There are still a number of 3 bedroom properties vacant in the Jirril Mingaran Housing Program. If you’d like to find out about Yawuru Housing, call the Housing team on 9192 9600.
Yawuru Housing Community Reference Group
The Yawuru Housing Reference Group is looking for new members. It’s a great chance to contribute to the development of future housing programs. We value the community’s feedback on strategies and plans and welcome suggestions to improve housing options and to help the development of programs and initiative that increase the wellbeing of the community.
Please contact the Housing unit on 9192 9600 or housing@yawuru.org.au for a copy of the terms of reference and an application form.
Out and about
Yawuru has been busy with community activities including the ANZAC Day service at Bedford Park. Jason Richardson and Bart Pigram led the Catafalque Party to their mount at the Cenotaph and a smoking ceremony, Welcome to Country and wreath laying with Senator Dodson added to the solemnity and significance of the day.
Yawuru Easter party
The annual Yawuru Easter party was held on site at Liyan-ngan Nyirrwa for the first time and great afternoon was had by many youngsters in the community. It was great to share our new space with the community and we look forward to many more events in the future.
Culture
WANGGAJARLI BURUGUN WE ARE COMING HOME: The Repatriation of ancestral remains
On 3rd April a delegation of Yawuru and Karajarri people travelled to Germany for the very important business of repatriating a number of ancestral remains. It was thought that the remains of eight people were held in museums and scientific collections in Leipzig and Dresden, however upon arrival, a total of 14 sets of remains were delivered to the delegation. An emotional and significant ceremony to return the remains was held in Berlin with other cultural groups from Cairns and representatives from the Australian Government. The repatriation is part of the ‘Return, Reconcile, Renew’ program through the Department of Culture and the Arts.
Our delegation returned to Perth on 18th April and a moving ceremony was held at the WA Museum with Noongar representatives who will take care of the ancestors at a secure site until they can be returned to Broome. There are other ancestral remains in different Institutions around the world and Yawuru will continue to work towards bringing them home.
Plans for an appropriate memorial resting site are underway and it will be a testament to the history and experiences of the colonial era which led to enslavement of people in the pearling and pastoral industries.
Keep an eye out for a full story of the journey which will be shown in coming days on the ABC TV1 program ‘7.30’.
Cultural qualifications
Congratulations to Naomi Appleby and Dean Matthews who have both been accepted into the Deakin University Graduate Diploma in Natural and Cultural Resource Management. They are following on the heels of Lloyd Pigram who has already completed the course with flying colours
Naomi one of Yawuru’s emerging curators, will be even more busy as she has also successfully secured a placement on the Encounters Fellowships program with the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. With only six spots Australia wide, Naomi has been offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain professional development in this hands-on program and partner with cultural institutions in Australia, the United Kingdom and France. The program will give Naomi behind-the-scenes experience in areas such as collections research and preservation, exhibition planning, digital storytelling, educational programming, Indigenous design thinking, leadership and project management practices. We are very proud of her and she is VERY excited!!
New Yawuru language teacher
Isobel Varney is now qualified as a Yawuru language teacher and will be joining other respected language teachers in local Broome primary schools to increase Yawuru language skills..
Isobel was one of the graduates of the inaugural Walalangga Yawuru Language Program in 2018 and also undertook additional studies to achieve WA Teachers Registration Board requirements to teach languages other than English. She has already taken some language classes and we know she will continue to increase her skills and be an asset to the language programs within our local schools.