Our History

It was 1988 when Gary Morris and Val March first crossed paths. Newly arrived in Kempsey, Val was volunteering at the local youth centre where Gary was working.

By June 1988, Val was manager of Home Care NSW, but was concerned the organisation was not meeting the needs of Aboriginal members of the community. Val approached Gary for assistance. Thus began a working relationship that has endured for the past 20 years and enabled the establishment of Booroongen Djugun Limited.

In 1989 Gary Morris and Val March, along with other health and welfare workers, called a public meeting to discuss the development of an Aboriginal Aged Care Facility.

The idea for the design of the aged care facility came from the views and opinions held by the Elders. For the Elders, the totems of fire, water, earth, and sun were seen as having strong ties to traditional life. To meet their needs, extensive consultation has taken place at a grass roots level. This has allowed an aged care facility to be developed that reflects the spiritual feelings connected with the traditions and customs of Aboriginal people.

BDL opened its business operations in June 1991. The first of its community-based services commenced in 1992. The College conducted its first community outreach training in 1994, and in 1997 the Corporation welcomed the Aboriginal community and Kempsey community to the official opening of BDL’s aged care facility.

Gary Morris, a Dunghutti Elder, was born at Kempsey District Hospital in 1954 and grew up on Burnt Bridge Mission. His mother is Aunty Maggie J Morris who was the patron of the Gumbayngirr language and was recognised by the United Nations for her contribution to preserving Gumbayngirr language.

Gary is the co-founder of Booroongen Djugun Limited (BDL) (along with Val March), and the former CEO of the Organisation.

From an early age, Gary has been active politically at the grass level in Aboriginal affairs and is a strong advocate for his people. Gary is an campaigner for social change.

Val March has a background in business development, management, and training and had developed and/or managed many businesses before arriving in Kempsey in 1988.

Val managed the Kempsey Branch of the Home Care Service of NSW which introduced her to Kempsey community based home support services for the aged and people with disabilities. Through this involvement, Val recognised that Aboriginal peoples of the Macleay area were not receiving adequate care services to meet their cultural and individual needs.

In the role of Director of Operations, Val supervised the services/sections of the organisation.

Since co-founding Booroongen Djugun, Val worked as an assessor, trainer and marker at Booroongen Djugun College where she taught both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, distance education programs and employees of both Booroongen Djugun and other organisations in the surrounding areas.

2013 Northern Rivers Landcare Award – Winner Indigenous Award

2013 Australasian Native Orchid Society Inc. -Conservation Award for the Phaius australis (Dunghutti) Project. with the North East Branch, Heritage Division, Office of Environment and Heritage

2012 Banksia Environmental Awards – Indigenous Caring for Country – Finalist, Jidaanga Cultural Project

2010 Achievement: Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water 2010 Community Sustainability Award

2009 Winner of the “Macleay Valley Business Award” for “Aboriginal Employment Strategy: Outstanding Aboriginal Achievement”

2009 Commendation: Premier’s Award for Excellence in Leadership in Aboriginal Communities

2004 Winner of “Australian Indigenous Community Provider of the Year 2004” Adult Learning Australia in partnership with Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), and Australian National Training Authority (ANTA).

2003 Winner of “Aboriginal Community Business of the Year” Community Groups, Kempsey NAIDOC Awards.

2002 Winner of the Excellence in Vocational Training and Aged Care Award, Kempsey West Rotary Club.

2001 Selected for National Case Study in relation to Staff Development (education and training of College Staff) by Department of Education Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA).

2001 Winner of “Outstanding Provider of Programs for Indigenous Australians Adult Learner’s Week 2001 Awards, Australian National Training Authority and Adult Learners Australia Inc.

2001 Winner of “Aboriginal Community Business of the Year”, Community Groups, Macleay Valley NAIDOC Week Awards 2001.

2001 Finalist, “Small Training Provider of the Year”, 2001 NSW Training Awards, NSW Department of Education and Training.

2001 Selected for “2001 ShowCasing Nationally Recognised Training” Community Services and Health Training Australia.

2000 WADU Demonstration National Project for the Booroongen Djugun Certificate III Community Care (Nursing Assistant) course

2000 Recognised by the Prime Minister’s Taskforce Identifying Good Practice in Supporting Youth Transitions to Independence

2000 A Finalist in the NSW Training Awards for Excellence in VET in Schools – the Booroongen Djugun Certificate III Community Care Services (Nursing Assistant) course. Providing Health related courses for Year 9 – 12

2000 Adult Community Education and Education Access, Award ‘Recognition in Building Pride in the Community’

2000 Inaugural Many Rivers Regional Council, NAIDOC Community Achievement Awards, ‘Aboriginal Community Business of the Year’, ATSIC 2000

2000 Australia’s Holiday Coast Development Board’s 2000 Excellence in Business Awards ‘Business of the Year’

2000 International Adult Learners Week 2000 Award, NSW Winner, Outstanding Indigenous Learner – Christine McKiernan, Booroongen Djugun College

2000 Selected for National Case Study for Indigenous Students 15 – 20 years at Booroongen Djugun College, DETYA Research Follow, Department of Education Training and Youth Affairs, Canberra (one of three Case Studies in Australia).

1999 A NSW Finalist in the Australian National Training Awards for “Excellence in VET in Schools” – the Booroongen Djugun Certificate III Community Care Services (Nursing Assistant) course. Providing Health related courses for Year 9 -12

1999 NSW Winner, Adult Learners Week 1999, ‘Outstanding Provider of Programs for Indigenous Australian Adults’, Australian National Training Authority and Adult Learning Australia Inc
1997 Mid North Coast Regional Development Board, Achievement Innovation & Excellence in Business

1996 North Coast Regional Development Board, Excellence in Business Award for New Business

1995 NSW Winner, Employer of the Year, NSW Community Services and Health Sector, Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Awards

Boooongen Djugun Limited has been represented in numerous Conferences and Publications for our work:

March Val and Gary Morris, Understanding the Cultural Needs of the Aboriginal Aged, Regional Conference by Booroongen Djugun Limited, Kempsey, 5 March 1991
March Val, Basic Survival Welfare Service for Rural Aboriginals, Australian Institute of Welfare and Community Workers, National Conference, Greenmount, 23-25 August 1991
The Lamp, Conference about the Aboriginal Aged, Vol 50 No , March 1992
Morris Gary, Where are the Aboriginal Aged, State Conference, convened by Booroongen Djugun Limited, Kempsey, 9-10 March 1992
March Val and Gary Morris, Dreamtime: Booroongen Djugun Aboriginal Corporation, Seventh Annual Nursing Issues Congress, New Dimensions in Aged Care, Sydney, 18-19 May 1995
Morris Gary and Val March, Aged Care: Sleeping on Home Ground, page 15, Hospital and Health Care, Yaffa Publishing Group, August 1995
New South Wales Community Services and Health Industry Training Advisory Body Inc NEWSLETTER, Australian Training Awards: Congratulations Booroongen Djugun!
Finalist, NSW Employer of the Year, page 5, December 1995, Issue 9.
March Val, Booroongen Djugun: Sleeping on Home Ground, an Aboriginal Aged Care Perspective, Who’s Doing What in Aged care: Presentations Focusing on Best Practice in Aged Care, Maroba Lodge, Newcastle, 26 June 1997.
March Val, Booroongen Djugun: Vocational Learning for Young Indigenous People, pages 64-67, Aboriginal Studies Association Journal, October 1999, ISBN 0 9585297 1 X.
March Faith, Education and Training: Community Participation in Quality Health Training, Page 37, Report of the Third National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers’ Conference, Cairns, 18-20 October 1999, Published by the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, Sydney May 2000.
March Faith, Health Education for Years 10,11, and 12, Partnerships ’99 Conference, University of New England, Armidale.
March Val, Booroongen Djugun College: College Elders Program, SRP News, page 5, Department of Employment Education Training and Youth Affairs, October 1999, Number 4.
Mid North Coast Aboriginal Health Plan 2000-2005, Booroongen Djugun Limited: Other Key Aboriginal Health Service Providers, page 8, Biripi Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service, Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service, and Mid North Coast Area Health Service, 1 December 1999, ISBN 0734730659, SHP MNCAHS 990103.
Morris Gary and Val March, How to Achieve Best Practice Service Provision in Health, Education, Training and Employment, Conference: Generating Service Delivery Opportunities and Outcomes for Aboriginal Communities, Alice Springs, 12 April 2000.
Department of Employment Education and Youth Affairs, Booroongen Djugun College: College Elders program, What Works? Explorations in Improving Outcomes for Indigenous Students, Commonwealth Government, 2000
Focus on Registered Training Organisations Associated with the Hunter Valley Training Company: Booroongen Djugun Limited, On the Grapevine, The Official Newsletter of the Hunter Valley Training Company, August 2000, Issue 9.
March Faith, Booroongen Djugun College: Teaming Young and Old Brings a Surprising Result, The Official Newsletter of the Australian Student Traineeship Foundation, November 2000, Issue 16, ISSN 1324-4310.
March Faith, IESIP National Conference, Workshop titled Booroongen Djugun College: VET in Schools: At Risk Students in Schools/Health, 15-16 November 2000.
Schwab R G (Jerry), VET-in School for Indigenous Students: Success Through ‘Cultural Fit’, Commonwealth Department of Employment Education Training and Youth Affairs, and Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research The Australian National University, 2000 www.detya.gov.au/iae/fellowship/docs/Jerry Schwab.doc/Jerry Schwab.doc (features Booroongen Djugun College).
Community Services and Health Training Australia Ltd (CSHTA), 2001 Showcasing Nationally Recognised Training, Community Services and Health Training Australia, 2001. (Booroongen Djugun College featured on pp 16-17).
Schwab R G (Jerry), “If You Have a Dream, You Make It Happen”: Approaches to Maximising Educational Engagement among Young Indigenous Students, Research and Evaluation Branch, International Analysis and Evaluation Division, Department of Education Science and Training, December 2001. (Booroongen Djugun College featured on pp31-49).
Department of Employment Education and Youth Affairs, Booroongen Djugun College: What Works. The Work Program, Improving outcomes for Indigenous students, Commonwealth Government, 2002
March Val, Aged Care / Nursing Seminar and Workshop: VET-in-Schools Programs / Certificate III in Aged Care Work, Department of Education Science and Training, highlighting ‘best practice’ case studies in Vocational Education and Training in Schools, 14 November 2003.
Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council Healthy Stories DVD series featuring Booroongen Djugun Aboriginal Corporation. The series, which will be delivered to Indigenous communities via radio, TV and DVD resource materials, aims to increase the uptake of apprenticeships and Certificate III qualifications and above in the Community Services and Health sector by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through raising awareness about the qualifications and potential career paths. July 2010
Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET). Social Inclusion “Blended Classes delivery / assessment methods to meet diversity)”.. What are the benefits?
Val March, Wendy Yarnold -ACPET Conference Brisbane 24 – 26 August 2011
Aboriginal Economic Development Symposium. Warra-Li Resource Unit Inc; NSW Aboriginal Land Council; Regional Development Australia. Introduction to key opportunities and case studies (Business lessons learnt).
Val March, OAM, Faith March, Northern Region Forum, Armidale 29 July 2014
Aboriginal Home Care Staff Managers Workshop Presentation on Booroongen Djugun Limited and Differences between NGSs and Government Agencies, Val March, OAM, Coffs Harbour, 2 June 2015.
Australian Unity, Changes to Australian Unity through Delivery of Aboriginal Community Services, Val March OAM, 22 September 2015.
Australasian Native Orchid Society Inc. 8th Native Orchid Conference and Show. Presentation by Amie McElroy re Phaius australis. Kempsey 3 September 2016.
Kylie O’Bryan, Facilitator and Presenter for ‘Get Your Mob Ready’ Road shows (transition to NDIS), 10 x Presentations delivered, Funding by FACs ( Mid North Coast and Far North Coast) 2017 – 2018.
Kylie O’Bryan, Presentation of BDL Community Care Services transition to NDIS AHMRC (Aboriginal Health Medical Research Council) Newcastle, 2018.
Kylie O’Bryan, Presentation to Minister of Disabilities Mr. Gareth Ward (Sydney) Cultural and Regional needs of people with disabilities and their families, 2019
Kylie O’Bryan, Presentation at NATSIC (National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Corporation) WA. Transition Our Way, 2019.
Gary Morris OAM, Presentation to the National Aged Care Advisory Committee with Minister Ken Wyatt, 2019.
Kylie O’Bryan, Consultation for Royal Commission of Aged Care YPIRAC (Young People in Residential Aged Care) receiving NDIS support. Consultation to be presented in their annual Royal Commission Report 2020.
Val March OAM and Rhonda Smith. Consultation, NAGATSIAC, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), February 2021.

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