SKHKAC

A Place of Healing

Following purchase from the Uniting Church in 2006 the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC) is coordinating the return of a 2.7ha block of bush (known as the bush block) located adjacent the original Sister Kate’s Home to SKHKAC for the development of a Place of Healing.

The Bush Block provides an amazing opportunity for SKHKAC to build capacity within the organisation and continue to expand on the programs they already offer.

The SKHKAC Bush Block a is 2.7 hectare site located in Queens Park, Perth, Western Australia. The site sits adjacent Queen’s Park Primary School and Sister Kate’s Aged Care. The site holds great significance for those who stayed at Sister Kate’s as children, the Bush Block was a safe place where the children would play, and families who came to Perth to visit their children in the home would secretly camp. It is fitting that the site continues to offer support and healing for SKHKAC and the wider community.

Below is the current concept plan for the Place of Healing.

Place of Healing Environment Program

In 2019 SKHKAC commenced a program of environmental works at the Place of Healing. The Place of Healing has three different species of banksia trees, Biara (Candlestick Banksia) and Bulgalla (Firewood Banksia and Holly-leaved Banksia). The Fire Bringer bird, Kaarak (Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo) and Ngo-lak (White-tailed Black Cockatoo) regularly fly over the Place of Healing and forage on the Bulgalla and other trees.

The removal of invasive weeds at the Place of Healing is programmed under a project funded by the Swan Canning River Recovery Stage Three, supported by Perth NRM through funding from the Australian Government.

SKHKAC are returning healing plants and other plants of country to the Place of Healing. In 2021 Queens Park Primary School students helped plant 200 seedlings for NAIDOC week. The 2021 NAIDOC theme is to Heal Country! This project Dookoorniny Boodja (Caring for Country – Our Way) is supported by funding from the Western Australian Government’s State NRM Program.