Gunbalanya is a remote Indigenous community in West
Arnhem land. It rests on land which is inexpressibly
beautiful, next to an expansive billabong rich with
crocodiles, fish, turtles and abundant bird life. The population is around 1500 and the main language is Kunwinjku. The demographic trends towards a younger population, with low socioeconomic conditions and health
trajectories reflecting remote Indigenous populations
nationally. Consequently, death and associated
‘sorry business’ is a common occurrence, bringing
the community to a standstill until cultural customs
have been properly observed. Many people live
intermittently in the community, particularly in the dry
season when the community is once again accessible
to the outside world. For this reason, the school terms
have been aligned with the seasons. However, this has
only in part addressed the unpredictability of children’s
attendance. Other key factors encumbering school education in Gunbalanya relate to historical realities, in particular the ravages of colonisation with its associated
unaddressed intergenerational trauma negatively
impacting every aspect of peoples’ lives and
compounded each generation by the pervasiveness
of its own symptoms - addiction, physical and
mental health issues, violence, and social and cultural
breakdown.
Gunbalanya Independent School provides education from Creche to Year 12. The school has been attentive to the needs of students to learn and live well in both Indigenous
and non-Indigenous worlds and has introduced the Learning on Country program from Transition to senior years.
The Gunbalanya Wellbeing Hub is a wellbeing initiative for whole community learning and engagement, under the auspices of Gunbalanya School. As an expansion of the current wellbeing and inclusive practices, the Wellbeing Hub will engage with partners across the community to ensure a shared trauma-informed language and practice for students and families in Gunbalanya community, to overcome social, health and education barriers.