Awards, accreditation and a new laundry service. We've been busy.
At this time each year, not-for-profits reach out to their donors and supporters to ask for support. Like many of the 65,000 registered charities in Australia, our end-of-financial year campaign is an important part of our income stream. This is especially true this year, when rising fuel and staffing costs have placed additional pressure on our budget, while the need for our programs has never been greater.
However, we know that many of our donors and supporters are feeling the pinch too. And, so, with a heart full of appreciation for all the support you’ve already given us, I ask that if you’re able to, please consider donating to us this tax time.
But support for our work also comes in the form of allyship and advocacy. At a time when there is discourse about winding back dedicated First Nations structures and integrating them into mainstream programs, it is more important than ever to shout from the rooftops about the impact of having truly place-based, culturally-led, locally designed and delivered programs.
We are so grateful to be surrounded by a community of people who support our work, and are more committed than ever to serve our four partner communities with programming we know works.
I would also like to acknowledge the profound contribution Professor Larissa Behrendt has made on our organisation. Larissa is stepping aside as Chair of Murrup and Luke Searle is taking up the role. You can read more about the transition below.
We thank you for being on this journey with us.
Shellee Strickland
Murrup CEO
Murrup welcomes incoming Chair
After six transformational years, Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt AO is stepping aside as Murrup’s Board Chair, to welcome Luke Searle into the role.
Professor Behrendt - an Eualayai/Gamillaroi woman - led the organisation during the challenges of COVID, as well as through a reimagining of the organisation’s service delivery model, reform of its systems, recognition of its status as an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, and even a name change.
‘It has been an honour and a privilege to lead such a wonderful organisation during a period of such profound transformation,’ Larissa said.
‘I am pleased that I hand over the role of Chair to Luke Searle, who I know will continue the strong First Nations leadership on the Murrup Board.’
Luke - a proud Awabakal man - joined the Board in June 2026 and has spent his career in frontline policing, community corrections, Aboriginal justice advocacy and, most recently, investigating sensitive offences involving vulnerable people.
Luke said his experience in the justice system had given him insight into what can happen when young people have unstable home environments, and lack access to education and employment, and positive peers and role models. So, he’s committed to supporting children and young people through programming that sets them up, and supports them, to thrive.
‘I believe that, given the right support and funding, Murrup can continue to deliver programs that are trusted, community-led and based on a self-determined model.’
Murrup CEO Shellee Strickland said she was grateful for Larissa’s leadership and welcomed Luke’s vision for the organisation.
‘The team and I are so grateful to have had Larissa’s support during a period of profound transformation,’ Shellee said.
‘We forward to working with Luke to build on these foundations and continue to deepen our impact in our four partner communities.’
Larissa will remain on the Board until the end of 2026 to support Luke as incoming Chair and to ensure a smooth transition.
In other Board news, we extend our congratulations to Director Professor Tracey Bunda, who was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the King’s Birthday Honour List this year.
Happy Hair program delivers more than sharp styles
In remote First Nations communities, you can’t always just pop to your local barber for a short back and sides. In fact, for many communities, there aren’t qualified hairdressers for hundreds of kilometres.
So, when Murrup's pop-up hair salon returned to Wurrumiyanga earlier this month, 164 people jumped at the chance to have a treatment.
This type of community-based hairdressing is not just about the way people look; it helps with scalp health and lice eradication, improved self-esteem, and community and peer connection.
This successful program started last year and also worked to connect children and young people with the health clinic to have their annual health check and receive access to other services.
Free laundry delivers clean clothes, and loads of other benefits
It was suds and smiles in Woorabinda recently, as the first loads of free washing were completed in Murrup’s Orange Sky laundry.
Hot-water washing and drying of clothes, bedding and towels helps control skin infections and diseases, which can lead to more serious complications. The free service also helps to overcome some of the challenges associated with overcrowded housing, and the cost of running and repairing domestic appliances, especially in remote communities.
The laundry pod is a standalone, semi-permanent structure that is housed at Murrup’s community and youth hub at the Bill Thaiday Centre.
Providing the laundry for community use is in line with Murrup’s commitment to providing wrap-around support.
“Murrup works to address the factors that stand in the way of children and young people getting to school and thriving once they’re there,” Murrup CEO Shellee Strickland said.
“If they’re suffering from skin diseases, or feel shame, children and young people are more likely to disengage from school, community and culture. Providing access to washing facilities will remove some of those barriers.
“And we’ve been able to take on more local staff to run the service.”
This is the second time Murrup and Orange Sky have partnered; the community of Wurrumiyanga in the Northern Territory has benefitted from a mobile laundry service since February last year.
Celebrating our year in review
Murrup is celebrating another impactful year in its 2025 annual report. The pages of the report contains stories of our successes, some of the challenges our partner communities have faced, and the ways we’ve delivered impact through our programming. It also describes the significant investment we’ve continued to make across our organisation through learning and development, and improved processes and procedures.
None of this work would be possible without our partners and supporters, and we hope that you feel a sense of pride in what we’ve been able to achieve because of your support.
A big term for Palm Island
It was a celebration for 102 students in Palm Island, who received prizes and certificates to recognise 90% and above attendance this term.
The ceremony was particularly special for Murrup’s Executive of Programs Kelsey Muhl, who grew up on Palm Island, and worked for the organisation for many years before returning earlier this year.
While we celebrate students and their families for their commitment to attendance, we also acknowledge that some children and young people are unable to attend for reasons outside of their control. That’s why we’re determined to remove the barriers to education that exist outside of the school gates, as well as cheer students on inside them.
We are proud to have successfully achieved full accreditation against the Quality Innovation Performance Limited Health and Community Service Standards 7th Edition v1.1 (2024).
The accreditation process required Murrup to undertake a comprehensive review of its policies, procedures, systems, records, and performance against five industry standards, and to implement actions to address identified gaps and areas for improvement.
Achieving this accreditation is part of our commitment to delivering quality, safe and compliant programs that are based on best-practice and cultural safety.
Mums and their bubs have been getting together each fortnight in Wurrumiyanga to share experiences, get involved in play-based learning and learn new skills, with more than 150 children from birth to 12 taking part since the program started.
The program supports parents and carers to gain confidence in parenting, and to become their child’s best and first educator. Because we know that learning starts at home.
As part of the program, Murrup staff have completed training in the Parenting under Pressure (PuP) program, which addresses some of the unique challenges of parenting in a remote community.
Upskilling our staff in this methodology enables them to deliver best-practice programs, and supports them during their own parenting journey.
Our proud link to music legend
Murrup was proud to cheer on one of our staff members, Donald Wininba Ganambarr, as he travelled from Galiwin’ku to a national stage at the ARIAs earlier this month. Don attended on behalf of Gurrumul – a beloved artist from Elcho Island – who was posthumously inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Having already been inducted as a member of Yothu Yindi, Gurrumul is one a handful of musicians who have been inducted twice.
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