'building communities' capacity through empowerment, healing and leadership.'
NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
Building communities' capacity through empowerment and strengthening
cultural, social and emotional wellbeing.
ABOUT GERALDTON
Geraldton is one of the states largest regional centres in Western Australia's mid-west region, 450km from Perth.
The traditional owners of the mid-West or Murchison/Gascoyne region are the Yamatji Aboriginal people. Yamatji country stretches from Carnavon in the north to Meekatharra in the east; and to Jurien Bay in the south and covers nearly one-fifth of the state.
The first recorded European contact was in 1616, when Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog landed on the west coast.
Although many Europoean expeditions visited the coast during the next 200 years, there was no lasting attempt to establish a permanent settlement until the mid-1800s when the Swan River Colony began to expand.
Prominent organisations in the region that actively promote and support Yamatji culture and rights is the Yamatji Language Centre and the Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation (YMAC) the official native title representative body for the Murchison, Gascyone and Pilbara regions.
KEY FACTS ABOUT GERALDTON
Local Language Groups: The main Yamatji language groups, The Kartu languages, including Naagaja, Nanda, Malagana, Budimia, Inggada and the most widely spoken language of Wadjarri.
Population: Geraldton has a population of almost 36,000 of which 9.5% identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. (ABS, 2011)
Local Services:
These are some of the positive initiatives happening in Geraldton.
