Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this news article contains name(s) of deceased persons.

New site works are soon set to commence, on a 6,651-hectare Indigenous cattle station that sits on the border of Queensland and New South Wales.

Located on Yuwaalaraay Euahlayi Country in Hebel, Queensland – Currawillinghi station is primarily used for sheep and cattle grazing.

The land has a long pastoral history, spanning back to the 1870s, and to this day, holds strong ties to its 27 apicals, all of whom were instrumental in shaping Currawillinghi.

This year, the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), officially reacquired the property, and is now working with the Yuwaalaraay Euahlayi Aboriginal Corporation (YEAC), who have Native Title rights over Currawillinghi, to manage a series of site upgrades as a pathway to the ILSC’s divestment of the property.

In the coming months, external and internal fences will be established to protect and manage cultural sites. This is in addition to rectifying water points for stock and securing storage for pastoral operations.

Undertaking these works, are the Aboriginal Rangers employed by the Queensland Murray-Darling Catchments Ltd (QMDCL), a community based Indigenous organisation, focusing on natural resource management and environmental services.

These upgrades are set to result in greater cultural, social, and economic opportunities for Yuwaalaraay Euahlayi people – building further capacity for future generations to come.

QMDCL Aboriginal Ranger Program Manager, Cheryl Buchanan, said the work undertaken by the QMDCL Rangers at Currawillinghi has provided many benefits.

“As Program Manager, this work has allowed me to provide historical context to Rangers and discussions about our history.

“Gaining access to cultural sites and getting Country back, assists in the truth telling and healing process that is critical to supporting generational trauma.

“As a team, we are proud to assist and support traditional owner groups as this is all of our story,” said Ms Buchanan.

Currawillinghi has deep cultural and traditional values, bearing the resting place of the ILSC’s first Indigenous General Manager, Mr Murray Chapman.

For the Chapman family, the site is considered ‘ngurrambaa’, a Yuwaalaraay term meaning “the place where one’s spirit is born and exits the world”.
This is a full circle moment for the late Mr Chapman, who had a strong vision of the importance of returning Country to First Nations peoples.

ILSC Group Chief Executive Officer, Joe Morrison, said the development of Currawillinghi station will be a major turning point for the Yuwaalaraay Euahlayi community.

“Now that the ILSC has reacquired the property, we will work closely with YEAC, Yuwaalaraay Euahlayi Traditional Owners and Elders to ensure the station is fit for purpose for many years.

“Assisting Indigenous people in the acquisition and management of Country will only strengthen opportunities for self-determination, something the ILSC strives to achieve in its work,” said Mr Morrison.

Currawillinghi station is located in Hebel, Queensland 4486.