Marulu Strategy - Making FASD History!

Fitzroy Valley Initiatives

Picking sweet potatoes in the garden

1991

Local Indigenous women took leadership to improve the well-being of women and their families by establishing the original Marninwarntikura Women's Group in 1991.

1995

The Shelter opened as a refuge centre women and their children in crisis and seeking protection from domestic violence and other issues.

2003

Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre opened. Marninwarntikura is a Walmajarri word. ‘Marnin’ means‘women’, ‘Wanti’ means ‘big mobs of women’ and ‘Kura’means ‘belonging to’. When said together, it means that women who belong to this region, these countries and each other, have come together.

2007

Local Fitzroy Valley women led their community to successfully lobby for restrictions on take-away sales of full strength alcohol.

In September 2007, the Director of Liquor Licensing released his decision on restricting the sale of packaged liquor in Fitzroy Crossing and from the 2 October 2007 alcohol restrictions would be in place for six months.

2008

The Director of Liquor Licensing extended the alcohol restrictions indefinitely beginning on the 18 May 2008, with an annual review to test its ongoing effectiveness.

2008

Women of the Fitzroy Valley communities attended a Bush Meeting and identified the need to address FASD and related issues.

2009

The Marulu Strategy Leadership Team, in collaboration with The George Institute for Global Health and Sydney University, agreed that a prevalence study was needed to document the extent and nature of FASD in the Fitzroy Valley. This study was called the Lililwan Project. 

2013

Marulu Unit was established at Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre in Fitzroy Crossing to support children and their families living with FASD.