Weeburra Thulgarri (Early Tutoring and Mentoring Support)
Culturally appropriate tutoring and mentoring support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islande children.
About This Program
Weeburra Thulgarri supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by combining educational assistance with cultural identity, mentoring, and emotional development.
The program is designed for children who have experienced vulnerability, including trauma, grief, or disrupted learning.
Delivered in partnership with Public Primary schools the program offers tutoring alongside cultural mentoring. Its goal is to strengthen cultural identity, enhance engagement with school, and build confidence through stable, supportive relationships with trusted adults.
Core Support Areas
Want to Support a Child Through Weeburra Thulgarri?
Whether you’re a parent, carer, or school staff member, we’re here to help children grow through cultural and educational support.
Carl Daylight
Karingal Patient Transition Accommodation Client
Carl Daylight
Karingal Patient Transition Accommodation Client
“It’s very quiet out here. It feels safe and private, and we’ve had not one break in. I get along with everyone out here, they’re all good people,”
Robert Leon
Ernest & Maud Hoolihan Elders Village Tenant
Robert Leon
Ernest & Maud Hoolihan Elders Village Tenant
After a long career working in the mining sector, both underground and as a boilermaker, in Mount Isa and Townsville, Robert Leon now lives a much slower-paced lifestyle in his retirement. Today, his days are filled with visits to friends and neighbours, fishing trips and watching the football.
‘Home’ for Robert is Yumba-Meta’s Ernest & Maud Hoolihan Elders Village, where he has lived for the past eight years since the village first opened in 2012. In fact, Robert was the third tenant to move into the 16-unit complex, and today he is the village’s longest residing tenant.
What’s kept Robert content in his unit for so long is the convenience. “The shops and the doctor are within walking distance, and I walk to the shops every day,” tells Robert.
“The [Yumba-Meta housing] staff are good to deal with, and prompt in fixing things. All the maintenance is done for you. As soon as I say there’s something wrong, they are onto it. My hot water broke down just a couple of weeks ago, and they sent an electrician out the same day.”
In 2018, the Elders Village was one of the first Yumba-Meta-owned housing developments to receive solar panels, which Robert says has drastically reduced his electricity bills. “My bills used to be $150 per quarter,” shares Robert, who estimates his energy bills now total just $50-60 per year.
“Now I’m always in credit; I’ve never been in the red, I’m always in the black. I bought a small air conditioner, and had it running in summer, all the time, and my highest bill was about $41. It’s cheap as. We’ve all got solar panels on out here now, which helps everyone out because we don’t have to worry about big power bills.”
It’s the peace and quiet that Robert says he enjoys most about his home. “It’s very quiet out here. It feels safe and private, and we’ve had not one break in,” says Robert. “I get along with everyone out here, they’re all good people,” he adds of his fellow villagers.
“We have had a few barbeques with the neighbours. We look out for each other. Loneliness is a killer; it’s good to get together.”
