27 May 2021
This week is National Reconciliation Week, an opportunity for all Australian’s to become familiar with our shared histories and to contribute to Reconciliation amongst all Australian cultures. 2021 marks 20 years since the creation of Reconciliation Australia, and this year’s theme is “More than a word, Reconciliation takes action.” To learn more about what we at the Foundation are doing to take action, and the history behind Reconciliation Week, click through to our article below. Read more
21 April 2021
We strongly believe that a large part of keeping the Indigenous Australian culture alive rests on educating our youth (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) on Australian history, including Aboriginal culture, history and language. This month we have collated a list of children's books that are excellent resources for future generations to further their education on our Australian and Aboriginal history. Read more
25 March 2021
This month we’ve interviewed one of the students at the Watarrka School to understand firsthand their experience with education and the projects the Watarrka Foundation has brought to life.
11 February 2021
To ‘acknowledge’ means to recognise the importance or quality of something. This concept and its application in Australia has been imperative to the slow repair of disparities that exists between First Nations People and non-Indigenous Australians. By acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and in turn, giving them the opportunity to welcome us to Country, we promote an awareness of the history and culture of Indigenous people, as well as contribute to mending a long history of dispossession and colonisation. Further to this, by incorporating welcoming and acknowledgement into official meetings and events, we recognise First Nation Peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of this land.
25 January 2021
On the 16th of December 2020, the Watarrka Foundation was honoured to accept the Sports in Community Award at the first annual NT Community Achievement awards ceremony, held in Darwin. The Sports Community award was given to the Foundation in recognition of the annual Sports and Storytelling festival, held each year in Lilla. The Foundation was recognised for the great impact the festival has on local Indigenous students who attend and learn about health and fitness.
11 December 2020
2020 has been a year marked by unpredictability and change. Despite the unusual circumstances in which we all found ourselves, the Watarrka Foundation continued to deliver important programs and initiatives for our community. To wrap up the year, this month we have compiled an overview of our 2020 achievements.
9 November 2020
13 October 2020
29 September 2020
20 August 2020
10 August 2020
28 July 2020
6 July 2020
25 June 2020
22 June 2020
27 May 2020
Celebrated from May 27th to June 3rd, National Reconciliation Week is a time for Australians to come together and learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements. During this week, Australians of all ages, cultures and beliefs are encouraged to reflect on how they can contribute to achieving reconciliation. Here we explore what National Reconciliation Week means to our community and reflect on the 2020 theme #inthistogether, in light of recent events relating to COVID-19.
13 May 2020
Through nation-wide social distancing measures and the implementation of strict biosecurity areas in remote regions, Australia has successfully flattened the curve in its fight against Coronavirus. The Watarrka Foundation is pleased to report that the Watarrka region has had no confirmed cases of COVID-19. We believe that the Feed the Watarrka Community Program played a significant role in this positive outcome. In our first article for May, we provide a food program update, as well as information and resources relating to COVID-19 in Indigenous Communities.
29 April 2020
Implementing the ‘Feed the Watarrka Community Program’ has been our way of taking action to prevent COVID-19 from reaching the vulnerable communities of Watarrka. The program would not have been possible without the generosity and support of those in the community including local tour guide Justin Burrill. After being released from a canceled tour, when travel restrictions were imposed on the Northern Territory, Justin was quick to offer his hand of support and has since been working tirelessly in the Remote Tours Kitchen organising, preparing and delivering meals to our community.
17 April 2020
With the impacts of COVID-19 being felt across the country, the Watarrka Foundation has taken significant steps to stop the spread of the virus to our community. It is known that everyone is at risk of contracting the virus, however Indigenous communities are at greater risk due to a variety of health and lifestyle factors.
26 March 2020
As the threat of the pandemic spreads throughout Australia, the Northern Territory tourism industry has come to a standstill. These measures have been felt in Kings Canyon, our local community and Remote Tours. While practising adequate hygiene and social distancing is important, isolating vulnerable communities is a necessary preventative measure to avoid the spread of COVID-19. In response to these circumstances, the Foundation will be funding a program titled ‘Feed the Watarrka Community Program’.
17 March 2020
For thousands of years Aboriginals have been using fire to hunt animals, maintain ecosystems and manage the land. In a practice called Cool Burning, often referred to as Cultural Burning, small blazes are set alight to clear the underbrush. This process generates patchy habitats preferred by small animals and prevents lightning and wildfires from consuming the land. In light of our recent catastrophic bushfire season, there has been a national shift in consciousness about land management and bush fire prevention.
24 February 2020
For many years the Watarrka Foundation has had the privilege of gaining ongoing support from motivational speaker, coach and educator Andy Fell. Andy generously donates 20% of net profits from his #whatwinnersdo personal development events to the Watarrka Foundation. His generosity is exemplary of the invaluable community support that surrounds the Foundation and assists us in delivering key projects to the Watarrka Community..jpg)
12 February 2020
This year marks the 12th anniversary of the national apology to the Stolen Generations made on the 13th of February 2008, by our then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. This date is an important time for all of us to reflect on how generations of First Nations Peoples have been affected, and will continue to be affected, by past policies from our Government.
30 January 2020
Dark Emu, first published in 2014, examines journal entries written by early colonial settlers in Australia to explore different engineering, agriculture and building practices that were employed by the Indigenous Australian population. Our Director Josie Gardiner recently read the award-winning novel Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe and has highly recommended this as a good read for those interested in learning more about Aboriginal history in Australia.
15 January 2020
There are over 40 sacred Aboriginal sites located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which features in various Aboriginal dreamtime stories and is believed to have been created by great ancestral beings during their first travels across the land. Indigenous Australians have fought hard over the past few decades to protect and show respect to this sacred site.
18 December 2019
2019 has been another big year for the Watarrka Foundation, with a range of projects being completed in the community and the new school classroom officially opened! We wouldn’t have been able to achieve such fantastic results without the ongoing support of our donors and community of volunteers, so thank you to everyone who has helped us throughout the year.
17 December 2019
In November 2019, 5 older students from the Watarrka School had their first excursion to Melbourne on a two week tour. For these 5 children, it was the first time they’d been on a plane and the first time they’d left the Northern Territory. The students were exposed to new and exciting learning environments, and were generously hosted by Mentone Grammar and Braemar College.
9 December 2019
After completing our second classroom build last year, making classrooms at the Watarrka School comfortable and functional has been a big focus for the Foundation, and staff members at the school. The air con project has been on the cards for a while now, and thanks to the help of a few generous donors we’ve been able to organise and implement new air conditioning units throughout the school building.
20 November 2019
Now in it’s 65th year, World Children’s Day, organised by the United Nations is a day to raise awareness on children’s welfare around the world, and promote international togetherness. At the Watarrka Foundation, this celebration is very close to our hearts and aligns directly with the objectives of the Foundation, and how we approach supporting the children of Watarrka.
23 October 2019
Thanks to the generous support from Braemar College and Remote Tours, the children of Watarrka are now enjoying their new, safe and functional basketball court! The project took a lot of organising and support from a range of community groups, and 3 days of hard work levelling and paving the court at the Watarrka School.
15 October 2019
Today we celebrate the International Day of Rural Women, and recognise the amazing impact and contribution women and girls in rural areas and Indigenous communities make.
27 September 2019
As a long term supporter of the Watarrka Foundation, Berwick College in Victoria have recently held their annual “Watarrka Week”, raising close to $2,000 for the Foundation across a range of student-led events.
24 September 2019
The Watarrka Foundation has had the privilege of gaining support from students, staff and parents from Ascham School, Sydney. Every two years, students and teachers from Ascham School visit the Watarrka community as part of a school tour to meet the locals and provide any support they can. The Ascham Parents Association recently provided the Foundation with a cheque for $6,000 raised from a school pop-up stall.
28 August 2019
In 2014, the Watarrka Foundation engaged the skills and expertise of Slow Food Hunter Valley to assist in bringing the Watarrka school vegetable garden back to life. Five years on, the veggie garden and fruit orchard have been fully set up and are thriving.
12 August 2019
That’s a wrap! The annual Sports & Storytelling Festival 2019 has come to a close this week as our volunteers and sponsoring organisations return home, and the Watarrka community is left with great memories and a new passion for education.
17 July 2019
Over the past 5 years Paul Jensen has played an integral part within the Foundation, delivering a range of projects and being a driving force for donations and corporate sponsorship from his home base in Sydney.
8 July 2019
This week is NAIDOC week! NAIDOC week runs from the 7th to the 14th of July and celebrates the culture, achievements and history of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and peoples within Australia.
20 June 2019
Aboriginal tribes have been residing in Australia for more than 40,000 years. And with this long history, comes a long line of storytelling and spirituality that has been passed down from generation to generation, and is commonly known as the dreamtime.
17 June 2019
Help us raise much needed funding for our projects within the Watarrka community before the end of financial year! All donations over $2 are tax deductible, and the Watarrka Foundation will provide you with full tax receipt.
27 May 2019
This week is National Reconciliation Week! National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a week of celebration, and an opportunity for all Australians to learn about the shared history, culture and achievements of our country, and how we can work together to achieve reconciliation in Australia.
13 May 2019
The Watarrka Primary School fruit and veggie project has been a driving force in increasing awareness within the community on how to grow, maintain and cook healthy foods. The project is led by Christine Munro, teacher at the Watarrka Primary School, who began work on the veggie garden almost 5 years ago. Since then, the garden and orchard have produced abundant crops for the community to enjoy.
23 April 2019
The United Nations have declared 2019 the “International Year of Indigenous Languages”. This came after a shocking finding in 2016, that
9 April 2019
Traditional and ceremonial Aboriginal Dance has been a part of the Aboriginal culture for thousands of years. Dances played an important role in the spirituality of Indigenous Australian tribes, and each group had different customs when it came to performing and orchestrating these dances.
21 March 2019
National Close The Gap Day, or NCTGD was started in 2007, launched by Olympic Sprinter Cathy Freeman and Olympic Swimmer Ian Thorpe. The day is an important reminder of the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous life expectancy and health standards within Australia. Now in it’s 12th year, NCTGD aims to raise awareness and close the gap on Australian Indigenous health statistics.
15 March 2019
We’re proud to announce that as of the 9th of March 2019, the second school classroom at Watarrka Primary School has officially been opened! A group of our Foundation Directors, major donors, builders, school staff and the Watarrka community were present for the opening ceremony held at the school.
5 March 2019
We’re very excited to announce that after months of fundraising and organisation, we will be celebrating the opening of the secondary classroom at the Watarrka Primary School on the 9th of March. This classroom will provide a vital opportunity for the local children to continue their schooling on country, living with their families up until year 10.
13 February 2019
Aboriginal Art is one of the oldest art forms on the planet, and has played an important role within Aboriginal society for thousands of years. Australian Aboriginals don’t have a fully formed written language that can be understood across all tribes, so their artwork played an important role in communicating history, ideas and the dreamtime.
29 January 2019
We’re very excited to welcome our newest Watarrka Foundation Board Member, Josie Gardiner to the team. Josie has a wide range of skills and experience that she will be bringing to the team, and will be a driving force in implementing our planned projects for 2019.
14 January 2019
For thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians have been surviving on “bush tucker” and foods provided by the outback. Aboriginals were hunters and gatherers, hunting wildlife to provide meat and gathering fruits, seeds and insects for their daily meals. Each season, weather conditions and geographic location would impact the types of food available, making their diet varied and well balanced.
18 December 2018
2018 has been a big year at the Watarrka Foundation, with many projects successfully completed and notable improvements throughout the Watarrka Community. We’d like to take this time to say a huge thank you to all of our donors and volunteers for their support throughout the year. Without your contribution, these projects would not have been possible.
26 November 2018
Another year has passed with another successful Sports & Storytelling festival coming to a close. The annual festival brings together children from three remote areas (Lila, Areyonga and Finke) to play sports and engage in poetry and storytelling activities, encouraging excitement around education and attending school.
23 November 2018
One of the most important aspects of the Watarrka Foundation’s work within remote NT communities is to encourage and improve the overall health of the community. Since the Foundation’s involvement in the Watarrka and Lilla region, we have implemented a range of projects that aim to improve attitudes towards a healthy and happy lifestyle.
23 October 2018
Aboriginal Australians have been living in the Watarrka region for over 20,000 years, enjoying it's beautiful landscapes, animals and plants. The Traditional Owners of the land are the Luritja and Arrente people, who contributed to the large number of Aboriginal art sites positioned within the Watarrka National Park.
17 October 2018
Richard “Reg” Ramsden is the Founder and Director of the Watarrka Foundation. Reg started the Foundation in 2011 after experiencing first-hand the challenges faced by remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. Reg has lived and worked in central Australia for the past 30 years, and has always put a high importance on giving back to the local community and Traditional Owners in any way he could.
25 September 2018
Manny Bell is an Advisory Board Member of the Watarrka Foundation, and a proud descendant of the Wakka Wakka people from Queensland. Manny has worked hard throughout his life to put education at the forefront of everything he does, which has led him to corporate success, becoming a Solicitor at the prestigious Dentons law firm in Sydney.
13 September 2018
The Watarrka Foundation is proud to announce that construction on the new school classroom has begun! After months of fundraising drives and hard work from our internal team, as well as the fantastic support from all of our donors, we have been able to move ahead with the construction of the new classroom at the Watarrka Primary School in Lilla.
27 August 2018
The Watarrka Foundation is proud to be a part of the upcoming annual Sports and Storytelling Festival. Running from the 29th to the 31st of August, the festival is expected to be the biggest to date involving approximately 40 children from remote communities as well their teachers, community elders and volunteers from various sponsoring organisations.
The main organisations powering this year’s event are Dentons, Westpac, Poetry in Action, The Watarrka Foundation, Remote Tours and NT AFL.
20 August 2018: Fundraising Event 23rd of August.
The Watarrka Foundation is excited to be a part of the upcoming 10x10 charity fundraising event on the 23rd of August, 2018. The event will be held at Dentons Sydney office in the CBD, Jess Miller will be the MC or “Dragon” for the night, and tickets are available to be purchased at www.10x10.pozible.com.
June 2018 Student Initiated Fundraiser
Asha and Miller Davies proposed the fundraiser to guess the number of Jelly Beans in a Jar that they bought themselves. Each afternoon they set up their stall and sold guesses. All proceeds was presented to Reg.
24 May 2018: $10,000 Grant presented to Watarrka Foundation
Tegan Radloff (CommBank Alice Springs Branch Manager) and her team nominated the Watarrka Foundation to apply for a CommBank Foundation Centenary Grant in February. Our application was successful and Tegan presented Jonathan Trollip (Watarrka Foundation Director) with the $10,000 grant on 24 May 2018 in Alice Springs.
June 2018: Construction Scheduled to begin
October 2018: Construction & Fit out of classroom completed.
When: 1,2 & 3 June 2018
Where: Cranbrook School, New South Head Road, Bellevue Hill, Sydney
When: 28 September to 2 October 2018
Where: Watarrka Primary School at Lilla
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