BANIYALA BACKGROUND & HISTORY
Baniyala (also known as Yilpara) is a community of 150 people, picturesquely situated on Blue Mud Bay on the western side of the Gulf of Carpenteria in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is remote – 200 kilometers south of the nearest town, which is Nhulunbuy (Gove) in East Arnhem Land. The Baniyala settlement was re-established by traditional Blue Mud Bay landowners in the early 1970s as part of the 'Homelands' movement.
The community has maintained its language – a dialect of Yolgnu – and treasures its cultural traditions. Its artists are well known and represented in Australian collections, in the United States and in the Quay Branly museum in Paris.
The Baniyala community has long been alcohol and illicit drug free, and does not tolerate violence or any other form of social dysfunction. The population has gradually increased, but with no employment and no private property rights, Baniyala families are living on welfare in dilapidated public housing.
Health
Crowded housing and poor nutrition contributed to poor health. 'Glue ear' (otitis media), neglected rheumatic fever leading to open-heart surgery, and diarrheal and chest diseases were endemic. Neglected diabetes meant that Baniyala diabetics had to move to larger centers for insulin and dialysis treatment. The lack of education played a major role in the community's poor health – Baniyala diabetics do not have the literacy to use a glucometer to test their blood sugar. No dentist had visited in its first 30 years. Baniyala was one of the East Arnhem Land communities to which the Northern Territory government sold kava (a proscribed drug in Australia, though a ceremonial drink in the Pacific) through the Laynhapuy Homelands Association. Kava consumption meant that in addition to poor nutrition and ill health, most adults were lethargic for several days a week.
Education
The Northern Territory Department of Education has for many years operated a 'Homeland Learning Centre' in Baniyala. The more than 40 Northern Territory Homeland Learning Centers are not schools. They do not have full-time qualified teachers; instead fly-in or drive-in teachers attend for a few hours a day for one or two days a week. For the remainder of the school week, unqualified local 'assistant teachers' are in charge of classes.
The result of Homeland Learning Centre 'education' is that an entire generation has not learned English, reading, writing or arithmetic. The few older residents who received some mission education are far better educated than their children or grandchildren. Baniyala children, like all Indigenous children in Homelands, never sat annual government literacy and numeracy tests. The teachers knew the students could not read the tests.
PROGRESS AT BANIYALA
After years of requests, Baniyala had acquired a reliable water supply in 2001 and electricity in 2004. In the early 2000's the community sought resident teachers and adult literacy classes from Laynhapuy Homelands Association, the organization responsible for providing government services to Baniyala and other East Arnhem homelands.
The Baniyala community became dissatisfied with its Homeland Learning Centre because Baniyala children were not being taught to read, write or count, let alone acquire wider knowledge such as science, history or geography. The community elders knew that without real education and real jobs, they were locked into lives on welfare, and in 2004 the community elders sought outside help in Sydney. They found it in The Team, lead by Andy Buttfield and Robert Bradshaw, both Members of the Rotary Club of Sydney Cove. Andy being a Charter Member of the Club and a Paul Harris Fellow.
Andy and eight other Rotarians and friends camped at Baniyala in June 2005 to investigate the situation. They listened to the elders. Impressed by the community's quiet strength and appalled by the schooling, health and housing, The Team undertook a five-year support program for Baniyala.
In 2006 The Team designed and supervised Baniyala's young men in construction of an Art Centre to increase the community's income earning capacity, and a Women's Centre to provide a social centre and a place for a pre-school. The NT Administrator, Mr. Ted Egan AO, officially opened the two buildings on 2nd May 2007. In addition in 2007 The Team designed and supervised the building by the Baniyala young men of a modern, three bedroom fully equipped house as accommodation for teachers and other visitors. In addition to Commonwealth funding, The Team found substantial support from material suppliers and freight companies.
The Team introduced a volunteer dental service, sourcing equipment and supplies. On their first visit in 2006 the dentists had 29 patients who urgently needed dental work. In mid-2007 a health centre was built, inaugurating more regular health services. The Commonwealth Government's decision in June 2007 to end kava sales dramatically improved health and increased the community's development capacity. The community was supportive of and greatly relieved by this decision.
It was evident to the 40 visitors who attended Baniyala in 2008 for the official opening of the three-bedroom house by Warren Mundine, that Baniyala was gradually becoming transformed. The community was clean and tidy, the grass was cut, and public spaces were well maintained. The community staged traditional celebrations for the visitors and was able to gauge the impact of small-scale tourism.
With support and training, in 2009 the Baniyala store was able to re-open. It now qualifies for the Commonwealth Government's Basics Card by selling food including meat, fruit and vegetables. The Baniyala community garden has been re-established. Its fruit and vegetable surplus is being sold through the Baniyala store.
With pressure from Baniyala and The Team, the NT Department of Education agreed in 2008 to convert the Homeland Learning Centre to a school in 2010. Two teachers' houses have been built so that three full-time teachers now teach a junior class and a senior class. Full time teaching of the 56 enrolled children began in January 2009.
With the building of the two teachers' houses, the three-bedroom house built by The Team and the Baniyala lads has become a community small business, providing visitors’ with rental accommodation. Its management is being taken over by Baniyala in accordance with an agreement signed at the beginning of its construction.
Late 2010 the Baniyala project became independent of RCSC and formally incorporated the Indigenous Community Benevolent Fund (ICBF) as an independent legal entity able to receive and manage significant donor funds. RCSC has the opportunity to continue offering support to the ICBF through specifically identified projects.
