Koorie Club News

**WARNING: THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND NAMES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED**

Nation Wide News:

The federal government has unveiled a $68 million First Nations Digital Inclusion investment aimed at boosting digital access and literacy for Indigenous communities nationwide.

A key component of the package is the $20 million First Nations Community Wi-Fi Program, which will roll out free public Wi-Fi to up to 52 remote communities across SA, QLD, TAS, WA and the NT. This expands the previous program, which already delivered free Wi-Fi to 23 communities.Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said digital connectivity is essential for accessing health care, education and financial services, and must form part of Closing the Gap efforts. The government also launched a new national data report and public dashboard, produced by RMIT and Swinburne University as part of a three-year research project into First Nations digital inclusion. Early findings show that while many First Nations Australians are digitally engaged, significant inequalities persist, especially in remote areas and due to affordability issues.Co-chairs of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, Dr Dot West OAM and Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker, said the data highlights the ongoing disadvantages caused by digital exclusion and called on governments and industry to use the research to guide future action.Minister for Communications Anika Wells said the expansion of the Wi-Fi program will help more communities stay connected, run businesses and access vital services.

In a historic milestone, late Yolŋu leader Dr Paul Gurrumuruwuy Wunungmurra has been awarded a posthumous PhD at a special ceremony held at Yalakun outstation in East Arnhem Land, the first Yolŋu person to receive a doctoral degree based entirely on their own original research. Dr Gurrumuruwuy was a respected anthropologist, filmmaker and media scholar whose work championed Yolŋu knowledge systems. Through articles, films and his book, he forged strong intercultural collaborations and showed how First Nations knowledge can stand proudly within academic spaces. The PhD was conferred through Charles Darwin University’s Dual Academy, which equally recognises Yolŋu and Western knowledge systems. His thesis was examined by senior Yolŋu knowledge authorities alongside internationally recognised academics.CDU’s Professor Jennifer Deger described the ceremony as a powerful blending of Yolŋu ceremony and Western academia, reflecting Dr Gurrumuruwuy’s lifelong commitment to creating “new flows of understanding and connection.”CDU Vice-Chancellor Professor Scott Bowman said presenting the doctorate to his family was a profound honour, recognising a man who pursued academic excellence from one of the most remote places in Australia and came close to completing his PhD before passing away.

The Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative (GGAC) has officially opened its new community hub, Dalki Guli, in Horsham, made possible through a $1 million contribution from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC). The new centre provides vital space for GGAC to deliver health, welfare, and family services to the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Jupagulk and Wergaia peoples. The organisation had outgrown its previous premises.Employing 22 First Nations people, the hub will also host Indigenous training and employment programs that support future generations.Board chair Jake Goodes said Dalki Guli was designed as a culturally grounded, welcoming and healing environment incorporating natural materials, textures and storytelling elements. ILSC chief executive Joe Morrison said the hub represents resilience, connection to Country and strong community aspirations. He congratulated GGAC for bringing their vision to life.

Indigenous justice organisation Change the Record has sharply criticised the Victorian government’s proposal to introduce “adult time for violent crime” laws, which would allow children as young as 14 to be tried and sentenced as adults, including facing potential life imprisonment. CEO Jade Lane said the laws would harm vulnerable young people, particularly First Nations children, and push Victoria further away from evidence-based youth justice approaches. The organisation argues that the legislation is a reaction to a “toxic media narrative” about youth crime, noting that Victoria already has its highest youth incarceration rates in years and has recently reopened the Malmsbury Youth Justice Centre. Advocates warn the plan mirrors failed approaches in Queensland and the NT, and say the state is falling behind international standards, with its age of criminal responsibility still at 12. Lane said community-led, First Nations-run prevention programs that keep young people connected to family, culture and education are proven to reduce offending, unlike imprisonment, which increases harm and reoffending. The proposal has sparked widespread criticism from legal groups, health organisations, social services, the Greens, the Commission for Children and Young People, and Senator Lidia Thorpe, who is calling for federal intervention.

Sports News:

The Sydney Sixers have launched a bold First Nations jersey designed by Wiradjuri artist Lua Pellegrini, celebrating Country, community, and connection to water across their three home grounds: the SCG, North Sydney Oval and Coffs International Stadium. The design features three circles representing those venues, surrounded by community symbols, with “U” shapes indicating people gathering by water, a vital cultural and food source. General Manager Rachael Haynes said the kit reflects the club’s commitment to reconciliation and elevating Indigenous voices. Captain Ash Gardner led the Sixers to a dominant opening win, taking 5/15 before batters Ellyse Perry and Sophia Dunkley sealed the chase with more than seven overs to spare.

Hawthorn forward Kaitlyn Ashmore faces a fitness test ahead of the Hawks’ elimination semi-final after scans revealed calf overload linked to ongoing Achilles soreness. Ashmore was subbed out early during last week’s qualifying final loss. High performance manager Aaron Kellett said she remains “technically a test” for selection. Several teammates, Jasmine Fleming, Aine McDonagh and captain Emily Bates (returning from SC joint surgery), are also racing to prove their fitness, while Emily Everist has been ruled out with concussion.

For the first time in more than 20 years, AFL State of Origin football will return next February. Sydney coach and former West Coast champion Dean Cox will lead Western Australia, while Geelong’s premiership coach Chris Scott will take charge of Victoria. Players will be selected based on the location of their original draft club, meaning some athletes may represent a state different from their birthplace. The AFL hopes to build on the success of the 2025 Indigenous All Stars match when reinvigorating the Origin concept. The last true State of Origin clash was in 1999.

Didge ya know?

Did you know the didgeridoo is estimated to be over 1,500 years old, making it one of the oldest continuously played wind instruments in the world? Traditionally crafted from termite-hollowed eucalyptus, each instrument has its own natural shape, sound and story, and the playing technique, called circular breathing, allows musicians to produce sound nonstop without pausing for breath.

Rachel Aden (Koorie Group Leader) – ADE0010@sthelena.vic.edu.au

For any other support needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please visit: https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/