Murrup partners with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in four locations in Queensland and the Northern Territory, to deliver place-based programs that support children and young people through their early years, school journey, and beyond.
Founded in Palm Island as the Cathy Freeman Foundation in 2007, Murrup has grown to support communities in Woorabinda, Galiwin’ku, and Wurrumiyanga. ‘Murrup’ is the word for Spirit in Woi Wurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri People, who are the traditional owners of the lands where the organisation’s head office is based in Naarm/Melbourne. The transition from the Cathy Freeman Foundation to Murrup, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, is a significant step forward for the organisation and demonstrates its renewed focus on culture, First Nations leadership, and place-based impact.
Two-thirds of Murrup’s Board are First Nations Peoples and 100% of staff in Murrup’s four partner communities are local people, ensuring that programs are culturally relevant and delivered with a local lens.
In each of the communities Murrup serves, co-design is undertaken to develop and deliver place-based programs, supporting young people and families in their homes, schools, and neighbourhoods, while helping them navigate systems and services.
Murrup’s programs span:
Murrup’s programs are designed to support children and their families across the life course and are underpinned by emerging neuroscience research combined with cultural ways of knowing and doing. All programs are implemented on the ground by local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, ensuring projects are appropriate to the community context, and also providing positive role models for young people and building the capacity of the community in a long term and sustainable manner.
Strong Transitions was conceived in 2021 in Woorabinda, when a group of young people asked for help to get their learner’s licences. In the process of supporting them, Murrup discovered that few of them had the necessary identification, which created a barrier to them getting their permit, and accessing many of the tools needed for employment, further study, and to lead a healthy and productive life.
From there, the Strong Transitions program expanded to support 15–18-year-olds to obtain necessary IDs, industry-specific micro-credentialling and certifications (such as a Blue Card and White Card), clothes, and equipment, and to connect with work experience.
Since its inception in Woorabinda, the program has supported 58 young people and has expanded to Palm Island (QLD) and Wurrumiyanga (NT). The program recently supported three young people in Woorabinda to obtain their Bronze Medallion and then gain employment at the local pool.
“The [Murrup] team helped me to get the IDs I needed, which took a few months to get sorted. Without them, it would have been much harder,” – Michael Singho, program participant and lifeguard
Murrup recently brought staff together from its four remote communities for professional learning – many travelling outside their communities for the first time. The organisation is now committed to creating a learning and development program for its community-based staff, supporting both their ongoing employability and improved outcomes for children and young people.
Murrup has been successful in its first Queensland State Government grant, which will support its workforce strategy in Palm Island and Woorabinda. A new funding agreement with TFFF will support Murrup’s learning and development strategy in the Northern Territory, in Wurrumiyanga and Galiwin’ku.
By investing in education, leadership, and capacity-building, Murrup is creating pathways for young people to thrive and shaping stronger futures for families across its remote communities.
Cover photo: Young community members on the beach in Galiwin'ku. All photos courtesy of Murrup.
Murrup is supported through the Resilience stream.
