The meeting of the co-founders of Gunawuna Jungai was in a sense the union of two visionaries. In 2009, Kieran Smith (hereafter ‘Kieran’) was working with Act for Kids to set up a Safe House in Doomadgee. Kieran took a community engagement approach, ensuring that the Safe House was established in a way that was consistent with the culture of Doomadgee and community expectations. For Kieran, an authentic approach involved immersing himself in the community and, with his employer’s support, taking the time to engage in a way that he describes as the “right process to get the right outcomes” (Research interview transcript, 22 Oct 2024). The right process required him to identify Cultural Authority for Doomadgee. Through this approach Kieran learnt that identifying cultural authority takes time, patience, and an introduction from within community.

When asked about the first time they met, Kieran explains that “one of the community members took me around, introduced me to Barry [Walden]”. Barry remembers being a “bit standoffish” to start with, holding the cultural knowledge that he had, because at that time he “didn’t realise that it would be valued”. The offer to work with Kieran was a pivotal moment in Barry’s leadership journey for the next 15 years towards the establishment of GJ and “setting things right” for Doomadgee. Trust was key. Upon meeting, Kieran explained the process that had brought him to Barry, then said that he would like to engage Barry to show him how to work with the Doomadgee community to establish the SafeHouse within a cultural context. According to Barry, it was the opportunity that he had been waiting for, he just didn’t realise it at the time.

There is no doubt that this meeting was pivotal in the visioning and actualisation of a community-controlled organisation for Doomadgee. The significance is demonstrated through the events that followed.