Aboriginal Culture, Heritage
& Arts Association of NSW

Uniting community through art, culture and caring for country.

The Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation (CUAC) was established as a community organisation in 1992 through the efforts of the current staff members and Management Committee members in collaboration with the Illawarra TAFE.

The organisation was established primarily because of the neglect and lack of service provision to the Coomaditchie community. The organisation has provided welfare and advocacy services to the community for over 30 years since its incorporation in 1993, as well as being active in bush regeneration, art projects and cultural heritage and community development programs.

Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation aims to:

• Work to improve the social well-being of Aboriginal people, particularly those in crisis, by assisting with the relief of poverty, sickness, suffering, distress, misfortune, destitution and helplessness through the provision of appropriate welfare services to members of the Aboriginal community.
• Raise the self-esteem, pride, motivation and dignity of Aboriginal people through culturally appropriate programs that strengthen Aboriginal identity and culture and encourage self-determination.
• Raise the awareness and support in the broader community of local Aboriginal culture and heritage issues; establish a multi-purpose cultural centre at Coomaditchie.
• Develop and maintain an Aboriginal bush tucker trail and information bay at Coomaditchie Lagoon.
• Provide opportunities for the local Aboriginal community to participate in a range of social, cultural, education and employment programs and activities to assist them to improve their life circumstances.
• Operate and maintain a gift fund to be known as “The Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation Gift Fund”, in accordance with the requirements of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Coomaditchie’s contribution to cultural awareness, education, and knowledge sharing is hugely significant to the Illawarra region, with a commitment to sharing culture with schools, universities, and the wider community.

The corporation has a distinct focus on community initiatives, with programs designed to connect Aboriginal people to the culture, heritage and sacred knowledge from Elders. The corporation also a particular interest in other vulnerable community groups. These initiatives have included a Learning Hub for students to develop their literacy, numeracy, and academic skills, as well as the Ngaramura project which assists young people to re-engage with education through a cultural learning framework. The Deadly Women Deadly Kids Program run at Coomaditchie also seeks to support the community in its tackling of drivers of poor health outcomes for Aboriginal Australians, educating community members on the importance of staying healthy through food and exercise.

Coomaditchie has a thriving art community, represented by the Illawarra region’s most richly admired artists. Coomaditchie’s artists represent the culture of coastal people, and the organisation uses art as a tool to engage with and support the wider community. The network of artists at CUAC are established, having the privilege of learning from their chairperson Aunty Narelle Thomas alongside her sister, co-chairperson and collaborator Aunty Lorraine Brown. Together, the pair have worked tirelessly for the community and country for more than 25 years, whilst creating a truly prolific amount of public art together in the Illawarra region. Aunty Lorraine, speaking to the art style of bold colours and structure emblematic of their art describes it as; “We are East Coast Saltwater People. My colours symbolise my life.”