Story map.

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Community Resilience on Palm Island

In the heart of the Palm Island community, resilience and connection weave through the everyday lives of its people, as seen in the experiences shared by members of the Ferdys staf…

Community Story1 min readPalm Island

Bwgcolman Way: Community Control for Our Children

A major change to caring arrangements for vulnerable children is at last coming to Palm Island through delegated authority. PICC has named this approach Bwgcolman Way: Empowered a…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Goonyun Anderson: A Journey of Connection and Resilience

Goonyun Anderson’s story is one of connection and resilience, a narrative that seamlessly intertwines his experiences of growing up in Townsville, moving to Brisbane, and his deep-…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Iris: A Journey of Resilience and Family Unity

Elder Iris Forfoot shares a poignant narrative of her family's resilience and unity in the face of hardship on Palm Island. Her parents, Norman and Audrey, came from diverse backgr…

Achievement1 min readPalm Island

PICC Shares Our Story at National Conference

In September 2023, PICC presented twice at the biennial SNAICC Conference, which was held in Darwin. "The Storyline of the Palm Island Children and Family Centre" told the history…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Growing Up on Palm Island: A Journey of Family and Culture

Allan-1's story is a vibrant tapestry of memories from his formative years on Palm Island, where family, culture, and community were tightly woven together. Born in the mid-1960s, …

Allan Palm Island

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Roy Pryor: Building Community on Palm Island

Roy Pryor, a proud member of the Palm Island community, has dedicated his life to enhancing the well-being of his people. Born and bred on Palm Island, Roy left for the mainland to…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Frank Anderson: Memories of Resilience on Palm Island

Elder Frank Anderson recalls his early life on Palm Island with a mixture of nostalgia and resilience. Born into a life of transience, Frank's family moved frequently due to his fa…

Service Success2 min readPalm Island

Elder's Vision: Strengthening Our Future Generations

The Palm Island Aboriginal Community recently gathered to celebrate a momentous occasion, the opening of the newly upgraded Palm Island Early Childhood Center. The day was filled w…

Traditional Knowledge1 min readPalm Island

Elders Speak: "We Should Have Been Consulted"

Ethel, Frank, Elsa, and other elders gathered to discuss the storm's devastating impacts: severe flooding, power outages lasting days, barge delays cutting off supplies, critical f…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Jema Richardson: Dance, Community, and Resilience on Palm Island

Jema Joyce Richardson, a devoted mother and community member of Palm Island, shares her story of resilience and connection. Living near the dam, she recalls the challenges of endur…

Service Story1 min readPalm Island

Playgroup Closed for Weeks: Building Flooded

Jane, Sakia, Gary, Talitha, and Alice from the playgroup describe the devastating flooding that closed their early learning services for 2-3 weeks. Water damaged electrical systems…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elsa Watson: Stories of Resilience on Palm Island

Elsa Watson, a Cultural Advisor from the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, shared her family's poignant history and her own experiences growing up on Palm Island. Her journey is on…

Elsa Watson

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Ethel and Iris: Carrying the Torch of Heritage

Ethel and Iris Ferdies, sisters from the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, carry the stories and struggles of their family with profound dignity. Ethel, reflecting on her roots, in…

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder Ethel: Memories of Palm Island and Family Legacy

Elder Ethel Taylor Robinson, a revered member of the Palm Island community, shares a poignant narrative that weaves her family's history with the broader story of displacement and …

Aunty Ethel Taylor Robertson

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

We Didn’t Need Anything

Thomas - We Didn’t Need Anything === [00:00:00] Your house didn't leak or nothing? No, not, yeah. Good. What was your name? Sorry, brother Thomas. Thomas. Thomas The Tank. Ah, I…

Service Success1 min readPalm Island

Palm Island Digital Service Centre: A New Industry for Our Community

The Palm Island Digital Service Centre opened in 2023, marking a significant milestone for our community. This centre provides sales and customer service for Telstra products to Ab…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Allan: A Journey to Revisit Ancestral Pain

Elder Allan, a member of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, embarks on a poignant journey to Mission Beach. This journey is not just a physical one but an emotional and cultural…

Allan Palm Island

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Keeping the Stories Alive: A Yarn at the Knowledge Centre

Keeping the Stories Alive: A Yarn at the Knowledge Centre === [00:00:00] I didn't need to go anywhere, so it really didn't matter to me. Yeah. And that, but yeah. Yeah. That's a…

Service Success1 min readPalm Island

Bwgcolman Healing Service: A Name That Reflects Our Community

In early 2024, PICC officially changed the name of the Primary Health Centre to the Bwgcolman Healing Service, with new signage installed. This name change occurred after extensive…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Gurtrude Grace Richardson: A Journey of Resilience and Belonging

Elder Ude Grace Richardson, a revered member of the Palm Island community, shared her life story, painting a vivid picture of resilience and belonging. From her early days in Georg…

Community Story5 min readPalm Island

Patricia Doyle: Palm Is Where the Heart Is

Patricia Doyle: Palm Is Where the Heart Is === [00:00:00] Um, my name's Ben. Hi, Patricia Francis. And your sisters? Yeah. Proper sisters. Yep. I'm gonna record, is that okay? Y…

Community Story11 min readPalm Island

From Exemption Cards to Cyclones: Remembering, Surviving and Rebuilding on Palm

From Exemption Cards to Cyclones: Remembering, Surviving and Rebuilding on Palm === [00:00:00] Fires because it took bad or foot, whatever. Yeah. I didn't get affected by any of…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Ruby Sibley: Resilience in the Heart of Palm Island

Ruby Sibley is an Aboriginal woman who has spent her entire life on Palm Island, a place she describes with deep affection. "I love Palm," she says, relishing the peace and quiet h…

Community Story7 min readPalm Island

Two Different Judgements in Australia

Christopher - Two Different Judgements in Australia === [00:00:00] Yep. When that thing happened. Yep. I've got time happened. Yep. It just, it was just the whole island. Yeah. …

Community Story9 min readPalm Island

Daycare Workers - Keeping Early Childhood Going After the Storm

Daycare Workers - Keeping Early Childhood Going After the Storm === [00:00:00] Are we gonna talk specific about the building? Uh, and not anything we can do wherever it takes us…

Community Story4 min readPalm Island

24 Hours Without Power

Rodney, Daniel, George & Carlos: 24 Hours Without Power === [00:00:00] What was that like for you? Oh, we, that power went off. Yeah. About six at, yeah. One to six dark. Yeah. …

Community Story23 min readPalm Island

Men's Group Leader - What Gets Us Out of Bed: Choosing Our Own Day

Men's Group Leader - What Gets Us Out of Bed: Choosing Our Own Day === [00:00:00] Some people get up. Purpose is to go to work every day. Some people might have purpose to, the…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Frank Anderson: Growing Up on Palm Island

Elder Frank Anderson's story is a testament to resilience in the face of challenge and change. Born in Ingham in 1939, Frank's early life was marked by a significant transition whe…

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder Allan: Painting the Stories of Family and Culture

Elder Allan shares a profound connection to his art, a connection nurtured in his youth by his father's teachings. As he recalls, "My dad first taught me when I was a young boy. He…

Allan Palm Island

Community Story28 min readPalm Island

From Floods to Forty Tribes: Yarning About Healing, History and Recovery

From Floods to Forty Tribes: Yarning About Healing, History and Recovery === [00:00:00] And, um, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. The more I, the more I talk to people, the more I get to un…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Ethel Robertson: A Journey of Resilience and Heritage

Elder Ethel Robinson, a cherished member of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, shares a poignant story of her family's journey through adversity and resilience. Ethel's narrativ…

Aunty Ethel Taylor Robertson

Personal Narrative3 min read

Hamilton's Story

"I was actually signed to the Rabbitohs when I got locked up for armed robbery. It ended up being three years inside...but like Joe Kwon always says it was a part of my life and …

Hamilton

Community Story4 min readPalm Island

Agnes Watton - Riding Out the Storm Alone

Agnes Watton - Riding Out the Storm Alone === [00:00:00] Because like she's the only one on the island that's got an elevator. Oh, really? Yeah. Not because of her health. Yep. …

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Frank Anderson: A Journey of Resilience and Community

Elder Frank Daniel Landers shares a poignant story of resilience and community, reflecting on his life journey from Ingham to the Palm Island Aboriginal Community. Born in the 1940…

Community Story2 min read

Elder's Pride: Welcoming Palm Island's Future

On a day marked by the resilience of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, families gathered from far and wide, defying the weather, to celebrate a cornerstone event at the Palm Is…

Personal Narrative1 min readMount Isa, Queensland, Australia

Why I Started BG Fit

Brodie shares the founding story of BG Fit — born from witnessing too many Indigenous young people cycling through the justice system without support.…

Brodie Germaine

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Ethel Robertson: A Journey Through Trials and Triumphs

Elder Ethel Robinson shares a poignant story of her family's history, weaving together threads of resilience and survival. Her father, Tom, was a Southie Aboriginal from Halifax, w…

Aunty Ethel Taylor Robertson

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder Allan: Stories of Great Palm Island

Uncle Allan Welcome stands as a storyteller and custodian of Great Palm Island, weaving together the past and present of a land rich with culture and history. As he speaks, he pain…

Allan Palm Island

Community Story4 min readPalm Island

Clay Alfred - Staying Prepared, Staying Sober

Clay Alfred - Staying Prepared, Staying Sober === [00:00:00] Oh yeah. What, what, um, what was it like for yourself? The storm? It was all right. Um, it was alright. And what wa…

Community Story8 min readPalm Island

Power out

Ruby - Power out === [00:00:00] About Palm Island, you know? Yeah. So yeah, that's us. Amazing. Thank you. Might might take a few pictures. Yep. Yeah we can we do a picture on …

Community Story8 min readPalm Island

Food, Water and Supply Stress

Food, Water and Supply Stress === [00:00:00] Usually a letter, a letterhead, and it's like, I elder blah, support this program, blah. And then, and then it's got a signature. Bu…

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder Ethel Robertson: Stories of Strength and Survival

Ethel Robertson, a respected elder from the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, shares a poignant narrative of resilience and family bonds. Born into a large family of seventeen sibl…

Aunty Ethel Taylor Robertson

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Rebuilding Hope: The Palm Island Child and Family Center

In the close-knit Palm Island community, Hailey Jane Wetzel stands as a pillar of support and resilience. As the manager of the Child and Family Center, Hailey has seen firsthand t…

Service Success2 min readPalm Island

Empowering Palm Island: A Community Control Success Story

Rachel Atkinson, the dedicated CEO of the Palm Island Community Company (PICC), has spent nearly 18 years nurturing a model of community-driven empowerment. Reflecting on her journ…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

58 Years on Palm: ‘I’ve Never Seen Rain Like This

58 Years on Palm: ‘I’ve Never Seen Rain Like This === [00:00:00] Oh, easy. Yeah. I'm grabby from kid. I'm 58 this year. Yeah. I never seen this ever. Really? Can you watch that?…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Cyndel Louise Pryor: A Journey of Connection and Healing

In the heart of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, Elder Del Louise Pryor shares her poignant story, weaving a narrative of connection, loss, and resilience. She begins with her…

Community Story24 min readPalm Island

From Vouchers to Independence: Changing Our Attitude as Men

From Vouchers to Independence: Changing Our Attitude as Men === [00:00:00] And that's in there for money every fortnight. We are taught as men that when you grow up, when you g…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Resilience in the Wake of the Storm: Rebuilding Palm Island's Daycare

In the heart of Palm Island, a story of resilience unfolds as community members strive to restore their vital daycare facility after a devastating storm. The storm left the buildin…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Elder's Vision: Empowering Palm Island Youth

In the heart of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, an elder's voice resonates with wisdom and a vision for empowering the youth through meaningful engagement. The elder speaks o…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Elder Winifred: A Journey Back to Mission Beach

Elder Winifred Obar, a cultural advisor and a secretary for the elders advisory on Palm Island, shares a heartfelt story of community effort and personal connection as she reflects…

Community Story24 min readPalm Island

Justice Group

Justice Group === [00:00:00] Speaker 25: You Right. Just, yeah, I know, I understand. Wasn't he, wasn't he here before? Yeah. Speaker 26: Yeah. I mean, lots of times. Yeah, …

Community Story22 min readPalm Island

Elders - Rain, Roads and No Voice

Elders - Rain, Roads and No Voice === [00:00:00] Put it, put it down here. No, I don't. You hungry then? No. I had something just not long ago. Thank you. You wanna start or wh…

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder Marjorie Burns: Memories of Resilience and Heritage

Elder Marjorie Burns shares a poignant story of her childhood on Palm Island. Her memories are woven with threads of resilience and cultural heritage, set against the backdrop of a…

Community Story5 min readPalm Island

No One Will Do It for You: Purpose, Painting and Men’s Business

No One Will Do It for You: Purpose, Painting and Men’s Business === [00:00:00] Michael, there's two mic. Yeah. One is two or And one is my grandad. One. One. Follow this one, eh…

Service Success1 min readPalm Island

Women's Healing Service: Restructured for Better Support

PICC has remodelled its Women's Healing Service to provide better services to women resident, or at risk of being resident, in the Townsville Women's Correctional Centre. For 2024…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

I Was Safe, But Others Went Under

Craig: ‘I Was Safe, But Others Went Under === [00:00:00] That's good point. Yeah. They're flood. Yep. Did it, did your house get flooded? No. No, no, no. Oh, do you? That's coo…

Community Story3 min readPalm Island

We Look After Each Other: Palm Island Stories From the Flood

We Look After Each Other: Palm Island Stories From the Flood === [00:00:00] That rain. Yeah. Power. Yeah. Lot of family, lot of households went out with power and food. Food, ye…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Elder Allan: Celebrating New Beginnings on Palm Island

On a bright morning, the Palm Island community gathered to celebrate a new chapter in their shared story. Elder Allan, a respected member of the community, stood before a crowd of …

Allan Palm Island

Achievement1 min readPalm Island

Nearly 200 Strong: PICC's Workforce Growth

The number of staff and trainees we employ has increased by a third since last year, with nearly two hundred people now working for PICC. We now employ 197 staff members, up from 1…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Growing Up on Palm Island: A Journey of Family and Tradition

Allan, a member of the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, shares his childhood memories with a mix of nostalgia and reverence for his heritage. Born in the mid-1960s, Allan recalls …

Allan Palm Island

Challenge Overcome2 min read

Rebuilding Hope on Palm Island: A Community's Resilience

The Palm Island Child and Family Center stands as a beacon of hope and resilience for the community, especially after the devastating storm that left the facility inoperable. Hayle…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Winifred Obah: A Journey of Roots and Resilience

Winnie Oba, a cultural advisor from the Palm Island Aboriginal Community, shares a heartfelt narrative of her familial roots and the resilience embedded in her heritage. Her story …

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Henry Doyle: Resilience Amidst the Storm

Henry Doyle, a dedicated member of the Palm Island community, has been a steadfast presence on the island since birth. His love for the island is palpable as he describes it as a '…

Service Success2 min read

Building a Legacy: The Palm Island Community Company

Rachel Atkinson, the CEO of the Palm Island Community Company, has spent over 17 years dedicated to transforming the community through sustainable models of care. Her journey is on…

Challenge Overcome1 min readPalm Island

Community Spirit Endures Through the Storm

Patricia Doyle, a proud member of the Palm Island Aboriginal community, shared her experience during a recent storm that tested the resilience and unity of her community. "Palm is …

Elder Wisdom2 min readPalm Island

Elder's Journey: Preserving the Past for the Future

The community on Palm Island is at a crossroads, as the last of their elders has passed, leaving a profound gap in leadership and cultural transmission. The storyteller, speaking o…

Service Success1 min readPalm Island

Safe Haven: Supporting Our Young People

The Safe Haven continues to be a vital service for Palm Island, providing safe accommodation and support for children and young people who need a safe place to stay. In 2023/24, t…

Community Story2 min readPalm Island

Irene's Palm Island: A Legacy of Family and Tradition

Irene Nleallajar reflects on her life and heritage on Palm Island with profound appreciation and respect. Born in the 1960s, Irene has witnessed the evolution of the community over…

Challenge Overcome2 min readPalm Island

Elder Frank: Memories of Resilience and Growth

Elder Frank Anderson, born in 1939, shared a vivid recollection of his early years, offering a glimpse into a challenging yet formative period of his life. "We got sent to Palm, th…

Community Story3 min readPalm Island

Caring for Elders, Kids and Country

Gale Larry - Caring for Elders, Kids and Country === [00:00:00] Yeah. With our power, some dinner with power was, uh, especially, you know, when the little ones Mm. Elderly peop…

Personal Narrative17 min read

The Fire and the Road

Some roads are laid down in bitumen and policy. Others begin as a track in red earth, beside a fire, when somebody finally listens. In the East Kimberley, Jeremy Donovan is walking…

Jeremy Donovan

Field-Journal2 min read

Our bed is right

A field journal from the Utopia Homelands, with Margaret Lloyd in her own words about a bed off the ground.…

Personal Narrative1 min read

Risilda Hogan's Story

Risilda Hogan, a mother of five in Tennant Creek, shares her journey from living in a tin shed to securing stable housing through employment and support from Stronger Families prog…

Personal7 min read

Oonchiumpa: What Happens When Community Leads

There is a version of this story told through numbers. It has its place. But numbers are a translation, and something always gets lost in the translation. This is the fuller versio…

Personal Narrative2 min readAtnarpa Station, Arrernte Country

Bringing Kids Back to Country

Last month we took eight young people out to Atnarpa for three days on Country. Some of them hadn't been out bush since they were little kids. You could see it in their faces when …

Kristy Bloomfield

Written7 min read

The Cure Already Exists

There is a room I want you to sit in. It is small. The light is fluorescent. We spend $1.3 million a year per child to put them there. And 85 percent go straight back in. The cure …

Advocacy8 min read

Why Australia's Youth Justice System Is Failing — And What Community-Led Solutions Are Already Proving Works

It costs AUD 2,355 per day to detain a child in Brisbane Youth Detention — AUD 859,575 per year — for an 84% reoffending rate. Meanwhile, community-led programs achieve 88% success…

Personal Narrative1 min read

After the Flood

How the 2022 floods devastated the oyster leases and how the farming community pulled together to rebuild.…

Personal Narrative1 min read

Grading Day

The art and labour of grading Sydney Rock oysters — teaching the next generation about quality and pride in craft.…

Personal Narrative3 min readPalm Island, Queensland, Australia

Just Be There for Them

Henry Doyle, a young Aboriginal man born and raised on Palm Island, works in youth services helping kids who've fallen through the cracks. From organising footy teams to converting…

Personal Narrative4 min readMount Isa, Queensland, Australia

When You're at Bush, You Can Be Yourself

Brodie Germaine, a young Pita Pita Wayaka man from Mount Isa, reflects on taking young people out to the Junction on Kalkadoon country through his BG Fit program.…

Brodie Germaine

Personal Narrative3 min readAlice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Coming Home to Love's Creek

Henry Bloomfield, a 67-year-old Elder, shares the multi-generational story of the Bloomfield family's deep connection to Love's Creek station in Central Australia.…

Henry Bloomfield

Personal Narrative3 min readAlice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Creating Our Own History

Kylie Bloomfield speaks powerfully about creating new history on ancestral land. Welcoming school groups, building intergenerational enterprise, and watching her father see the fam…

Kylie Bloomfield

Personal Narrative5 min readPalm Island, Queensland, Australia

Finding a Reason to Get Out of Bed

In a raw men's group session on Palm Island, an Elder facilitator challenges the men to examine what gets them out of bed each morning. confronting the cycle of addiction, dependen…

Personal Narrative4 min readMount Isa, Queensland, Australia

Speak From the Heart and They Will Listen

Uncle George Leon, a Kalkadoon Elder in Mount Isa, spent decades as a Police Liaison Officer engaging four to five hundred kids a week in schools, building trust through tough love…

Personal Narrative4 min readPalm Island, Queensland, Australia

The Little Boat Called Ivy May

Iris, a sixty-five-year-old Elder on Palm Island, tells the story of her father building a small boat called the Ivy May to row to Possum Island and feed the family on turtle, fish…

Personal Narrative4 min readTennant Creek, Northern Territory, Australia

Where the Country Calls Me Home

Dianne Stokes, a traditional owner in Tennant Creek, has spent twenty-four years transforming bare country into a home, starting with nothing but her car for shelter.…

Personal Narrative1 min read

The Morning Tide

Three generations of oyster farming on the river — reading the tides, the seasons, and the signs that nature provides.…

Personal Narrative10 min readTennant Creek, NT

Pakkimjalki Kari: Beds, Washing Machines, and the Blessings We Share

When a brand-new washing machine arrives at Alba Camp in Tennant Creek, Dianne Stokes can't contain her joy. This is the story of beds, washing machines, and what happens when a co…

Personal8 min readWitta, Queensland, Australia

The Last of the Timber Men

Barry Rodgerig grew up in the Sunshine Coast hinterland when timber was king. His mother made it to ninety-one and chose her own exit. This is the story of a man shaped by sawmills…