Ganalili Centre and Juluwarlu Aboriginal Corporation

Ganalili is the Yindjibarndi word for the light in the morning before the rising of the sun. Living up to its name of new beginnings, the centre is set in Roebourne’s old Victoria Hotel, a site of misery and trauma in the past for the Aboriginal community of Roebourne. The Yinjibarndi have transformed this former pub into a dynamic cultural and community hub, and a place of healing and well-being for all. Doubling as the Roebourne Visitor Centre, it is now a gathering place for the community and visitors alike, hosting a healthy-eating café, a gallery and permanent exhibitions which inform visitors about Yindjibarndi country and family. Ganalili is also the point-of-sale for Yindjibarndi art and giftware, and the public face of its sister organisation the Juluwarlu, which is the base for Yinjibarndi artists. Juluwarlu means ‘all together’, and stepping inside is like walking into the bustle of a large family home. Full of life, it is where visitors can meet and chat to artists and their families. As children run around, artists go about their daily business of art-making, or their preparations for the next cultural ventures such as back-to-country trips, art workshops, film-making, puppetry, and preparing for local events. Here, life, art and cultural practices are tightly woven together, realising the vision of Yinjibarndi leaders Michael Woodley and Lorraine Coppin, to bring their community back together, to share, and to ensure the survival of their culture. Regularly hosting Open Studios, Juluwarlu invites visitors to listen to artist talks and to share roo-tail stew and damper. The centre also holds a Yindjibarndi archive and collection, painstakingly collected by the Yinjibarndi people and their supporters over many years.