From Melbourne to Mparntwe: Will's 12-month Jawun adventure

Senior Associate Will Rennick is currently on a 12-month Jawun secondment in Alice Springs. He shares his experiences and highlights so far.

It’s a scorching 40 degrees when we pull into the driveway of our new home in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in February after the long drive from Melbourne. Over the next few weeks, the mercury dips to a wintery 35 degrees every few days but continues to hover around 40 until mid-March.

Have you ever seen a toddler sweat? Our daughter, Zoe, showed us that they can. Our dog, Indy, would tolerate one walk of no more than 1km a day, usually before 7am (when, fun twist, the humidity would be 95% before making way for the blistering, dry afternoon heat). The air conditioner was running 24/7.

What had we done?

We decided to make a ‘desert’ change when my wife, Lena, received an offer to continue her training as a general practitioner in Central Australia. With a one-year-old in tow, living in a remote community wasn’t on the cards, so we settled on Mparntwe. Having been on parental leave since July last year, it was a strange time for me as I went from 101 Collins Street in Melbourne, to full-time dad, to ‘The Alice’, all within the space of just over six months.

I have been fortunate enough to be seconded to Jawun on a part-time basis for our time in Mparntwe. Typically, Jawun secondments last six weeks, but my secondment has been extended for the year that we are spending here. For those not familiar with Jawun, they partner with corporate, government and philanthropic organisations to place skilled people into Indigenous-led organisations across Australia to affect real change.

As with the unconventional duration of my secondment, the nature of my secondment is also unusual. I have a split brief, working part-time at Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation, affectionately known as ‘Purple House’, and part-time with Jawun directly.

Purple House is a remarkable not-for-profit organisation whose core business is providing remote renal dialysis services on Country to Indigenous people suffering from end-stage renal failure. Since its establishment, its offering has expanded to include social support, aged care, NDIS services and a bush medicine social enterprise called ‘Bush Balm’. You can read more about the organisation and ‘the Purple House story’ here, and buy Bush Balm products on their website.

At Purple House, I report directly to their CEO Sarah Brown and have been working on various projects connected to the organisation’s growth. Since the first remote dialysis unit opened in Kintore in 2004, Purple House now coordinates more than 20 remote clinics and has a significant pipeline of future units. I’m working from Purple House’s headquarters in suburban Mparntwe – an oasis for clients and their families who for various reasons cannot be on Country – where meals are shared, a fire is always burning in the courtyard and there are perpetual good vibes in the air. It’s a beautiful place to work.

At Jawun, I’m working with CEO Shane Webster who many of you will have met or heard speak at some point. Shane is a passionate and proud Torres Strait islander man and I’m thoroughly enjoying working with and learning from him.

A highlight from my time with Jawun so far was attending the Central Australia Executive Visit in May, where I was able to pick Shane’s brain and also meet representatives of Jawun’s other partner organisations. Our four-day itinerary was jam-packed and included presentations from some of the Indigenous-led organisations that Jawun seconds to, a trip in a small plane to a remote community in the APY Lands (including sunset views of Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa) and a memorable night in swags under the stars where we discussed the future of reconciliation and reflected on the week.

Swapping the Yarra for the Todd River has been a challenging but extremely rewarding life experience so far. Having found our feet with work and childcare, we’re now enjoying weekends away camping with new friends, swimming in picturesque water holes and getting red dirt everywhere (particularly after Lena successfully convinced me we needed to buy a 4x4 for offroad adventures). I am also very pleased to say that the 40-degree days are well and truly behind us, replaced by cool mornings and warm, sunny afternoons – perfect conditions for exploring this extraordinary place.