Towards Sustainability => Mikes Magic Doughnut

Bana Yarralji managed to obtain the absolutely invaluable assistance of the Cape York Institute to assist review all of their dreams and visions variously documented over more than 10 years, and so point them down the optimum path to realizing those dreams and visions.

Bana Yarralji started off with a sustainabilty compass (courtesy of Andre Grant from the Centre for Appropriate Technology) wildly spinning from N - nature past W - wellbeing through S - society/culture .. into E economy etc:

Now, following the Cape York Institute Review, Bana Yarralji has ended up with Mike's Magic Doughnut, within the core of which Bana Yarralji's future is believed to lie, as a 'host' to whole range of paying invitee's and visitors offering up a place for cultural experiences, wellbeing experiences, nature experiences, with economic divedends being ploughed back into realizing Bana Yarralji's vision to see Nyungkal lore restored, and Nyungkal people living and working on country.

For Bana Yarralji's cultural enterprise endeavour, then, Friday 29 July was a significant day, as it is the day that Mike's Magic Doughnut was explained to Marilyn and Peter Wallace's family and friends, and the decision was made to form the Bana Yarralji enterprise as a special kind of hosting service operating from country, creating paying partnerships and offering a country based cultural hosting services to begin generating income to pay to make Bana Yarralji's dreams and visions come real.

This, then, is to be the essence of the emerging cultural enterprise, and below are two photos, one of Mike Winer and Helen Murphy (authors of the Bana Yarralji sustainability plan), and one of Peter and Marilyn considering the advice and direction obtained.

Starting off with a Toilet Block

One of the key catalysts that has worked to transform two cultural entrepreneur's dreams and visions into a real life venture has been the building of a toilet block recommended to Marilyn and Peter by the Centre for Approriate Technology back in 2008 as being the first essential step to achieving their dreams.

A planner from James Cook University has made the comment that community development in remote areas is all about toilet blocks!   For Marilyn, Peter, and Andre Grant (Centre for Appropriate Technology), for more than three years, it has certainly been 'all about tiolet blocks', recently culminating in a recent newspaper article subtitled 'Cape York's most expensive loo.

The effort involved in actually seeing a toilet block built at the place chosen for Marilyn and Peter by Marilyn's father, within core Nyungkal country (ie Kunawarra estate)  turned out to be a matter of sheer determination and persistence working through over $140 000 worth of pro-bono support and assistance from groups such as Engineers without Borders, Aurecon, and Norton Rose ..  consulting people, building relations, preparing plans, draw up all the designs, producing reports, addressing legal issues, obtaining all necessary approvals etc etc.

The same planner from James Cook University (Sharon Harwood) has also described Marilyn, Peter et al's combined efforts to find way through the maze of regulations, laws, and approvals is being a first for almost any Aboriginal based enterprise in Cape York.

Whatever the case may be, the last three weeks represent a very significant milestone, laying a very substantial foundation from which the Bana Yarralji cultural enterprise hopes and expects to be able to launch:   ie after more than three years and long extended efforts by many, the toilet block is finally being built  .. and on being built, is starting to look a bit like a palace from which Marilyn and Peter plus family will be able to oversee the whole Bana Yarralji cultural enterprise?

Introducing Kuku Nyungkal country

Bana Yarralji Bubu is the trade name Marilyn Wallace, Peter Wallace and some of their more extended family have chosen for their cultural enterprise. 

Bana Yarralji Bubu translates, within the critically endangered Kuku Nyungkal language to mean "cool, freshwater country" .. an appropriate trade name for a venture that is so focused on opening up a better future for the rich World Heritage listed, wet tropical forests, springs  waterfalls, waterholes, and waters that is the home of Kuku Nyungkal country.

A good introduction to:

*  the cultural entreprenuers (Marilyn & Peter Wallace);
*  to the country into which they wish to restore Kuku Nyungkal people and Kuku Nyungkal lore;
*  to the Kuku Nyungkal language that they wish to hear spoken again in thise area, and
*  to the place on country from which they are making their visions and dreams come true

..  is all available in the form of a short 6 minute video in which Marilyn features, entitled "Walking on Country with Spirits"