Our Blog
ACHL's Inaugural Annual Report
ACHL is proud to present our very first Annual Report for 2021.
Since ACHL was established in 2016, as Australia’s only national independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community housing provider, we have come leaps and bounds in ensuring we provide safe, affordable and stable housing to our people.
Within this report, we share with you our updates on our latest projects and activities.
“ACHL is looking forward to the future and the potential growth that our organisation can bring to the Community Housing Sector and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and communities, nationally.
“We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we have enjoyed undertaking the work,” said Stacey Broadbent, ACHL National Operations Manager.
Read the 2021 ACHL Annual Report here.
NAIDOC Week - Heal Country
NAIDOC WEEK is here! And every year, we celebrate National Aboriginal Islander Day of Commemoration/Celebration (NAIDOC) from July 4th-11th. This year’s theme for NAIDOC week is Heal Country.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, country is built into our DNA. Country is more than a suburb or location. This is because it sustains our lives spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially and culturally.
We often speak of country as if it is a person, because country to us is family, kin, lore, ceremony, traditions and language. Through our connections we speak to country, celebrate country and country in turn speaks to us.
Healing Country means hearing the concerns and pleas of our people for greater management and involvement of our country for all people. Ensuring our cultural knowledge is embraced and that our culture and values are understood and respected by all people. Further, understanding that country is integral in all our interactions with each.
Getting involved in ‘Healing Country’ can be done in a number of ways – ask questions, engage with your local Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander community, go for a walk and see what country has to offer, appreciate the birds singing in the morning or evening, look for signs that country is talking to you, pay attention to your surroundings and you will be surprised by what you see or go barefoot while walking on the grass or sand (feel the energy of country).
If you would like to know more about NAIDOC events in your local community, check out NAIDOC website or your local Aboriginal organisation.
HAPPY NAIDOC WEEK EVERYONE!
Journey towards Reconciliation
2021 marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of Australia’s formal reconciliation process. On a mission to provide better housing options for Aboriginal communities across the country, Aboriginal Community Housing Limited (ACHL) has appointed two proud Indigenous women to oversee the delivery of ACHL’s strategic objectives.
ACHL has welcomed Stacey Broadbent as the National Manager and Cheryl Axleby as the South Australian Relationship Manager for Australia’s first independent national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and managed community housing provider, ACHL.
We recently launched our brand new ACHL website to be easy to use and navigable, and an excellent resource that caters to the needs of our tenants, partners, and community. The new website is complete with a visually appealing design, using traditional earth colours. The artwork has been exclusively created by Indigenous artist Ngarrindjeri man, Jordan Lovegrove and the website has been developed by Aboriginal agency, Dreamtime.
Reflecting on Sorry Day
National Sorry Day is held on May 26th and marks the day that the landmark ‘Bringing them Home’ report was tabled in Federal parliament in 1997.
It is a time to remember the past policies of forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and listen, learn, and feel the painful stories of the Stolen Generations. It is also the time to recognise the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the power of saying sorry.
The team at the Kempsey office acknowledged and reflected on the sad and painful stories of the Stolen Generation. Respected local Elders joined in creating a beautiful ‘Sorry Day’ artwork and a morning tea.
