Mowanjum
Mowanjum is located in the Kimberley area in the Northern Territory. United in their belief in Wandjina as a sacred spiritual force and creator of the land, the Mowanjum community are custodians of Wandjina law and iconography.
Mowanjum was established near Derby in 1956 when the Presbyterian church moved residents of Wotjulum mission to a new site in Yampi Sound near Derby. The community lived at the Mowanjum mission site until 1979, when they moved to a new site 10 kilometres from Derby along the Gibb River Road.
10km south-east of Derby
Woddordda (Worrorra), Ngarinyin and Wunambal Gambera people
population (ABS 2021)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders (ABS 2021)
occupied dwellings; 3.9 people per ATSI household (ABS 2021)
Research Partner
Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation
Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation operates the Mowanjum Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre, a creative hub for the Woddordda (Worrorra), Ngarinyin and Wunambal Gambera language groups who make up the Mowanjum community.
Local Research Team
Community co-researchers are employed in each community to support research activities and contribute research findings between site visits. These roles provide local jobs and support capacity building.
Community co-researchers play a central role in the research, liaising between the research team and the local community, providing cultural guidance to the research team, acting as translators, facilitating research activities, identifying possible participants and communicating information to community members.
We’d like to extend our gratitude to the support of our Djarindjin / Lombadina co-researchers and research partners:
Cassidy Charles
Co-Researcher
Vincent Koko
Co-Researcher
Jenni Gould
CEO, Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation
Greg Wilson
Community Resource Manager, Mowanjum Aboriginal Corporation
Photos from research activities
Mapping the Digital Gap
Mapping the Digital Gap is the first extensive study of digital inclusion and use of media and communications services in remote First Nations communities across Australia. Using qualitative and quantitative research methods, the project is providing data to help measure progress on Closing the Gap Target 17, which aims for equivalent levels of digital inclusion for First Nations people by 2026.
Mapping the Digital Gap is a partnership project between the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society (ADM+S) and funding partner Telstra, as part of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index research suite. The research team also partner with local First Nations organisations and co-researchers to undertake on-site research annually in participating communities.