Remote Australia Online

Remote Indigenous communities in Australia, which are generally small and widely distributed across the continent, face several socio-economic disadvantages. Yet, there are also many successful examples of Indigenous-led enterprises and initiatives in these locations. A history of top-down government policies pertaining to these communities has led to calls for improved engagement with residents regarding economic development, service delivery and climate change vulnerability. At the same time, increased carbon emissions are likely to ensue from economic development efforts if not planned carefully. This article proposes a community-directed approach, the Resilient Communities and Livelihoods Asset Integration Model (ReCLAIM) to achieve low-carbon development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The design of the model is outlined, along with the results of applying the first step of the model, an asset and aspirations identification workshop, with two remote Indigenous communities in Australia. The results of the first workshop indicate that residents in these communities are already applying efficiency, resource-sharing and other strategies to limit resource use. Therefore, the focus in these communities should be on assisting and enhancing outcomes of these endogenous strategies, rather than the behaviour change approach that has often been applied within low-carbon programmes. Behavioural efficiency measures alone will also provide little impact, without commensurate changes to building design and energy supply systems. Both communities had a diversity of assets to employ towards mitigation strategies and development aspirations, although deficiencies in funding, resourcing and long-term working partnerships were also identified. Selection criteria to screen potential strategies were developed from workshop responses, and the process would be applicable to similar communities, globally.

Self-regulation and executive functioning impairments are common in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Given the high rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder identified amongst children living in the remote Fitzroy Valley region of Western Australia, the Alert Program® was identified as a culturally safe intervention for use in local primary schools. Researchers collaborated with Aboriginal Elders, community members, and staff from a Fitzroy Valley primary school to trial the Alert Program®. Teachers were trained to deliver eight Alert Program® lessons to children in class. Self-regulation and executive functioning were measured using teacher and parent/caregiver questionnaires three times. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. Teacher-led delivery of the Alert Program® was feasible in a region with high fetal alcohol spectrum disorder rates. As measured by teacher and parent/caregiver ratings, this curriculum may improve the self-regulation and executive functioning of children for some outcomes and provide sustained effects for some children. This community partnered pilot research, evaluated a school-based program to reduce the behavioral impact of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and informed design of a larger trial across eight Aboriginal community schools.

Dog bites are a worldwide public health concern that can cause serious injury, psychological trauma, disease and death while also affecting animal welfare. This study analyzes dog bite injury data from a clinical file audit performed at Primary Health Care Clinics in three remote Indigenous communities within Far North Queensland, Australia over the period from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2011. There were 229 dog bite presentations involving 201 individuals. An overall incidence rate of 16.5 per 1,000 population was found across the communities. Incidence rates were highest in 35-44 year olds, did not vary with gender of victim, varied between communities and significantly decreased after the strengthening of alcohol restrictions mid-way through the study period. Development of a specific dog bite monitoring system through the Primary Health Care Clinics could enhance knowledge of human-dog interactions, assist in the development of mitigation strategies to reduce dog bites and determine their effectiveness.

BACKGROUND: Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes gonorrhoea, the second most commonly notified sexually transmitted infection in Australia. One of the highest notification rates of gonorrhoea is found in the remote regions of Western Australia (WA). Unlike isolates from the major Australian population centres, the remote community isolates have low rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Population structure and whole-genome comparison of 59 isolates from the Western Australian N. gonorrhoeae collection were used to investigate relatedness of isolates cultured in the metropolitan and remote areas. Core genome phylogeny, multilocus sequencing typing (MLST), N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) and N. gonorrhoeae sequence typing for antimicrobial resistance (NG-STAR) in addition to hierarchical clustering of sequences were used to characterize the isolates. RESULTS: Population structure analysis of the 59 isolates together with 72 isolates from an international collection, revealed six population groups suggesting that N. gonorrhoeae is a weakly clonal species. Two distinct population groups, Aus1 and Aus2, represented 63% of WA isolates and were mostly composed of the remote community isolates that carried no chromosomal AMR genotypes. In contrast, the Western Australian metropolitan isolates were frequently multi-drug resistant and belonged to population groups found in the international database, suggesting international transmission of the isolates. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the population structure of N. gonorrhoeae is distinct between the communities in remote and metropolitan WA. Given the high rate of AMR in metropolitan regions, ongoing surveillance is essential to ensure the enduring efficacy of the empiric gonorrhoea treatment in remote WA.

Aim The objective of this thesis was to investigate the quality of maternal and infant health services and their utilisation at the primary and referral level, by remote dwelling Aboriginal mothers and their infants. Methods Mixed methods were used. Health service use and the quality of service delivery were examined in a retrospective cohort study of 412 Aboriginal women during pregnancy, birth and postpartum and their infants (n=413) during the first year. In addition, 60 interviews were conducted with clinicians and 120 hours of participant observation were undertaken at regional hospital and remote health centres. Results Poor maternal and infant health outcomes, high demand for antenatal and infant care in the remote setting with insufficient staffing and system-wide deficiencies in the quality and coordination of care were identified. Conclusions The resourcing and organisation of health services and the beliefs, attitudes and practices of clinicians were important factors affecting the quality of care in these settings. A significant change to the organisation of services should be seen as a priority for health care planners. Service redesign based on continuity of care, adequate resourcing of services, work load reform including more efficient use of the Aboriginal Health Worker, child health nurse and midwifery workforce and the integration of community-based health service delivery could play a substantial role in improving outcomes.

Formal primary and secondary school education for all students should provide a pathway to overcome inequality and disadvantage. Logically, attending school regularly and often during the compulsory years of school provides the best prospects to achieve educational success and enhance post-school opportunities, particularly for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. However, recent research of Indigenous students living in remote regions of Australia suggests school attendance frequency has little, or no correlation with academic success or failure. Our study of a disadvantaged urban school population also showed no attendance and achievement relationship at student-level for Indigenous students (or non-Indigenous peers). The findings of this study highlight the generally accepted relationship between attendance and achievement does not apply universally for all students. Many factors have potential to influence for Indigenous students’ capacity for educational achievement. We need further research to ensure Indigenous education policy and strategies for improved student outcomes target what matters most.

Summary: The frequencies of human platelet antigen (HPA) systems vary between different racial groups; however, HPA frequency data for some racial groups are still incomplete. We report the distribution of HPA 1–5 systems in Australian Aborigines from a remote community in the north-west of Australia and compare our findings with HPA observed in a Western Australian blood donor population. Using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with sequence-specific primers, 185 indigenous Australians and 1000 Western Australian blood donors were genotyped for each of the HPA 1–5 systems. Comparison of gene frequencies of alleles from HPA-1, -2, -3 and -5 systems showed significant differences between Aboriginal people and Western Australian blood donors (P<0·001). In particular, the frequency of HPA-3b (0·068) in the Australian Aboriginals, from this study, was one of the lowest reported, whilst the frequency of HPA-5b (0·246) was one of the highest for this allele. Gene frequencies were similar to those reported for central Australian Aborigines but with no other ethnic group. In conclusion, this study confirms significant differences in HPA distributions between indigenous Australians, Australian blood donors and other racial groups. These results indicate a higher potential risk of alloimmunization to HPA-1, -2 and -3 in Australian Aborigines receiving transfusion therapy from a Caucasian blood donor population, thereby having practical implications for transfusion and pregnancy risks in people of Aboriginal origin.

Introduction: Aboriginal people across Australia are playing an increasing role in policing their own communities ... Established initially as 'Night Patrols' on remote communities across the Northern Territory, Aboriginal Patrols now operate in a diversity of remote, rural and urban areas of Australia ... Criminologists may find that some of their conceptual instruments, pre-packaged in the Euro-American criminological tool-kit, may be less useful in interrogating the meanings of these Indigenous initiatives in their totality. Driving these initiatives, we suggest, lie a number of dynamics, some of which do not fit into the currently configured crime control 'box'. Others, which are deeply rooted in the unique collective experiences of Australia's Indigenous people require a more nuanced and variegated analysis, combining criminological insight with a sensitivity to questions of post-colonial empowerment.

BACKGROUND: Impetigo is a common infection in children living in remote areas. Immediate plating of impetigo swabs is the gold standard for bacterial recovery but is rarely feasible in remote regions. Bacterial culture increases our understanding of antibiotic resistance and strain diversity, which guides treatment protocols and epidemiological monitoring. METHODS: We investigated three practical alternatives for recovering Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus from transported swabs: dry swabs transported at 4 degrees C with desiccant and plated within 48 h; swabs inoculated into skim milk tryptone glucose glycerol broth (STGGB), transported at 4 degrees C, stored at -70 degrees C and plated within 61 days; and ESwabs inoculated into Amies broth, transported at 4 degrees C and plated within 48 h. Detection of Strep. pyogenes and Staph. aureus from simultaneously collected swabs was compared for the dry vs STGGB (36 sores) and the STGGB vs Amies (39 sores) methods. Swabs were collected from 43 children (75 sores sampled) in a remote community of Northern Territory, Australia in November 2011. The children had impetigo and were participating in the Skin Sore Trial [Australian Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12609000858291]. RESULTS: Recovery of Strep. pyogenes for dry vs STGGB was 72% (26/36) and 92% (33/36) and for STGGB vs Amies was 92% (36/39) for both methods. Staphylococcus aureus recovery for dry vs STGGB was 69% (25/36) and 72% 26/36) and for STGGB vs Amies was 74% (29/39) and 85% (33/39). CONCLUSION: STGGB and Amies media provided higher recovery of Strep. pyogenes than dry swabs. These results and the opportunity to batch and store specimens for molecular studies support the use of STGGB transport media for future impetigo research.

Indigenous Australians suffer a disproportionate burden of preventable chronic disease compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts – much of it diet-related. Increasing fruit and vegetable intakes and reducing sugar-sweetened soft-drink consumption can reduce the risk of preventable chronic disease. There is evidence from some general population studies that subsidising healthier foods can modify dietary behaviour. There is little such evidence relating specifically to socio-economically disadvantaged populations, even though dietary behaviour in such populations is arguably more likely to be susceptible to such interventions. This study will provide original evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of price discounts with or without an in-store nutrition education intervention on food and drink purchasing among a socio-economically disadvantaged population in a real-life setting.

Few frameworks exist to assist food system planning, especially for Indigenous Australian remote communities. We developed a Good Food Planning Tool to support stakeholders to collectively plan and take action for local food system improvement. Development occurred over a four-year period through an evolving four phase participatory process that included literature review, several meetings with representatives of various organisations and communities and application of the Tool with multi-sector groups in each of four Indigenous Australian remote communities. A diverse range of 148 stakeholders, 78 of whom were Indigenous, had input to its development. Five food system domains: (i) Leadership and partnerships; (ii) Traditional food and local food production; (iii) Food businesses; (iv) Buildings, public places and transport; (v) Community and services and 28 activity areas form the framework of the Tool. The Good Food Planning Tool provides a useful framework to facilitate collective appraisal of the food system and to identify opportunities for food system improvement in Indigenous Australian remote communities, with potential for adaptation for wider application.

In February 1996, vivax malaria was diagnosed in a man from a remote community in far north Queensland who had not visited a malarious area for the past 19 years. Microscopy and DNA studies of blood from other residents of the community did not identify a source of infection. It was suspected the infection was transmitted by mosquitoes from a neighbour who had been infected in Papua New Guinea, but whose blood was not available for DNA tests.

Objective To contrast service providers’ perceptions about crystalline methamphetamine (henceforth, ice) use and harm with information communicated in media reports and politicians’ statements. Design In-depth semi structured interviews with service providers about the nature and extent of ice use in the local community and its impact on individual services, clients and town life. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, manually analysed and coded around key themes, interpreted and independently cross-checked for context and accuracy. Setting Two remote towns located in different states and territories operating as service hubs to very remote communities. Participants Twenty-seven key service providers representing local organisations that engage with ice users and/or their families. Results First, compared with alcohol, ice use and ice-related harm were insignificant at the two sites. Ice users were primarily high-earning and -functioning non-Australian Aboriginal tradesmen, and to a lesser extent, professionals and secondary school students. There were few Australian Aboriginal users. Ice was used to ‘party’, keep alert, and escape psychological distress. Second, the ‘Ice Destroys Lives’ campaign and references to an ‘ice epidemic’ amplified public anxiety about ice and ice-related harm in the surveyed communities. Third, the attention on ice distracted from the more extensive harm arising from alcohol use in their communities. Conclusion The respondents questioned the notion of an ‘ice epidemic’ and the use of federal funding for ice-related initiatives in remote communities, especially while general alcohol and other drug services were under-resourced.

Objective: To describe the management of asthma in children in a remote indigenous community and the delivery of subspecialist service through the indigenous health-care model. Methodology: Children referred by indigenous health-care workers were evaluated prospectively by paediatric respiratory physicians, based on a standardized protocol, at a primary health care setting at Thursday Island, Queensland. Results: Forty of the 54 children referred with a provisional diagnosis of asthma did have asthma, with 30% having persistent asthma. Only 59% of parents knew the dose of the medication prescribed and 80% had minimal knowledge of the medications. In 88% of children, the management of asthma was improved by introduction of an appropriate spacer device and changing the dose and type of medications. Conclusions: The management of children with asthma in the Torres region can be improved substantially by the use of age appropriate delivery devices and medications, and improving knowledge of asthma. Specialist delivery service to remote indigenous communities can be effectively delivered in partnership with the indigenous health service. The high proportion of persistent asthma in the Torres Straits community in comparison to urbanised Australia raises issues of inequity of appropriate medical service delivery to remote indigenous communities.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe methods of communication, education practices, perceived challenges and the potential role of nutritionists working in remote Australian Aboriginal communities in order to inform future public health efforts. METHODS: Nutritionists who work or have worked in remote Aboriginal communities in Australia's Northern Territory within the past decade were identified via purposive and snowball sampling, and responded to a semi-structured survey in 2012. Content and interpretive thematic analysis was used to generate themes. RESULTS: Working approaches of 33 nutritionists are presented, representing 110 years of working experience in the Northern Territory. Emerging themes included: 'Community consultation is challenging', 'Partnering with local people is vital', 'Information is not behaviour', 'Localisation of nutrition education is important' and 'Evaluation is tricky'. Available time, training background and workforce structure were said to constrain practice and those nutritionists with longer experience described a more culturally competent practice. CONCLUSIONS: Modifications in structure, training and support of the public health nutrition workforce, facilitation of professional and cultural partnerships, outcome evaluation and localisation and evaluation of health messages may promote more meaningful nutrition communication in remote communities. IMPLICATIONS: Findings can inform further investigation into the structures needed to improve public health skills for nutritionists transitioning from mainstream practice into the challenging cross-cultural context of Aboriginal health settings.

Contemporary diets of Aboriginal people living in remote Australia are characterised by processed foods high in fat and sugar. Within the 'new' food system, evidence suggests many Aboriginal people understand food in their own terms but lack access to consumer information about store-purchased foods, and parents feel inadequate as role models. In a remote Australian Aboriginal community, purposive sampling identified adults who participated in semistructured interviews guided by food-based themes relating to the contemporary food system, parental guidance of children's food choice and channels through which people learn. Interpretive content analysis was used to identify salient themes. In discussions, people identified more closely with dietary qualities or patterns than nutrients, and valued a balanced, fresh diet that made them feel 'light'. People possessed basic knowledge of 'good' store foods, and wanted to increase familiarity and experience with foods in packets and cans through practical and social skills, especially cooking. Education about contemporary foods was obtained from key family role models and outside the home through community-based organisations, including school, rather than pamphlets and flip charts. Freedom of choice was a deeply held value; carers who challenged children's autonomy used strategic distraction, or sought healthier alternatives that did not wholly deny the child. Culturally safe approaches to information sharing and capacity building that contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities requires collaboration and shared responsibility between policy makers, primary healthcare agencies, wider community-based organisations and families.

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has provided an assessment of flood risk, and an associated Floodplain Management Strategy, for four remote Indigenous communities in the Kimberley region to the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage. Flood hydrology in the Kimberley is both unique and varied within the region, where rainfall is driven by tropical cyclone activity or convective thunderstorms during the wet season. The small Indigenous communities tend to be geographically remote, are often isolated by flood waters after large rainfall events and are typically located adjacent to ungauged waterways. As part of this study, two RORB models were built and calibrated to gauged streamflow records, namely Hann River at Phillips Range and Dromedary River at Dromedary. The parameters from these models were compared with those from two previous Kimberley RORB models to assess trends or similarities in the model parameters. The parameters were also compared to the regional values recommended by Australian Rainfall and Runoff guidelines (ARR 2016) for the Kimberley. The Continuing Loss value recommended by ARR 2016 was found to be substantially higher than the calibrated values, and hence is considered unlikely to be representative of the Kimberley region. There are several other gauged catchments in the Kimberley of varying catchment size which could be used to develop a more rigorous set of Kimberley-specific RORB parameters. Based on the comparison of calibrated RORB models, a parameter set was developed for use in the RORB applications for the three ungauged Indigenous community catchments. The investigation of flood risk for the Ngallagunda community, located near the Gibb River Road, is presented as a brief case study.

Objective The aim of the present study was to identify factors affecting the job satisfaction and subsequent retention of Aboriginal mental health workers (AMHWs). Methods Five AMHWs working in New South Wales (NSW) for NSW Health in rural and remote community mental health (CMH) services participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews to understand how employment and rural living factors affected workers' decisions to stay or leave their CMH positions. Results Using a constructivist grounded theory analysis, three aspects negatively impacting the job satisfaction of AMHWs were identified: (1) difficulties being accepted into the team and organisation; (2) culturally specific work challenges; and (3) professional differences and inequality. Conclusions Policy and procedural changes to the AMHW training program may address the lower remuneration and limited career opportunities identified with regard to the Bachelor Health Sciences (Mental Health) qualification. Delivering training to increase levels of understanding about the AMHW training program, and cultural awareness generally, to CMH staff and NSW Health management may assist in addressing the negative team, organisational and cultural issues identified. What is known about the topic? The Bachelor Health Sciences (Mental Health) qualification and traineeship pathway undertaken by AMHWs differs significantly from that of other health professionals working in NSW Health's CMH services. The health workforce literature identifies that each health professional group has its own culture and specific values and that forming and maintaining a profession-specific identity is an extremely important aspect of job satisfaction for health workers. What does the paper add? AMHWs working in rural and remote NSW CMH services commonly experience low levels of job satisfaction, especially while undertaking the embedded training program. Of particular concern is the health sciences qualification not translating into NSW Health's 'professionalised' workplace, as well as having negative effects with regard to remuneration and career opportunities within NSW Health. In addition, role challenges involving cultural differences and managing additional professional and personal boundaries negatively affects the job satisfaction of AMHWs. What are the implications for practice? The current structure of the AMHW training program creates workplace conditions that contribute to job dissatisfaction among rural and remote-based AMHWs. Many issues could be rectified by NSW Health making changes to the degree qualification obtained under the training program, as well as raising the level of understanding about the program and Indigenous cultural awareness generally among CMH staff and NSW Health management.

Warlpiri fire ceremonies, including Jardiwanpa, have been documented in various ethnographies and films for over 100 years. Focused on the documented history of these rituals in Yuendumu, and through ethnographic observations from recent decades, I analyse the transforming meanings of fire ceremonies in contemporary Warlpiri lives. I demonstrate that there have been post-settlement shifts in ritual purpose due to sedentarisation and the increased connections that Warlpiri people have made to a broader world. I note in particular that, when monetary payment for performing Jardiwanpa for filmic representation became standard practice in the 1990s, the intricacies of the Dreaming were no longer central, nor were the original purposes of conflict resolution and the opening up of marriage restrictions. Several films have been made of fire ceremonies, resulting in fixed representations of what otherwise are emergent practices. This has impacted the ways in which these rituals can be held today, and Warlpiri people have had to creatively re-negotiate a space for Jardiwanpa and similar fire ceremonies.

This paper examines attempts by members of a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia, to control alcohol use, and the impact of policy decisions taken by national, territory and local governments on those attempts between 2007 and 2017. The Australian Government’s main policy instrument for reducing alcohol-related harms from 2010 was the Alcohol Management Plan (AMP), officially defined as a plan, negotiated at a local community level with a high level of community input, for the effective management of alcohol use by the local community. The paper shows that the policy as implemented had the unintended consequence of undermining rather than enhancing the capacity of the community to act collectively in managing alcohol, largely as a result of the interactions of four sets of factors: (1) the policies as formulated; (2) actions taken to implement the policies, (3) the responses of those affected by the policies, and (4) the socio-ecological context in which these events occurred. The paper seeks to identify the processes through which these consequences were generated, and the implications for future policy-making, policy implementation and community-level initiatives for managing alcohol in Aboriginal communities.

OBJECTIVE: Hospital and laboratory data indicate that human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is endemic to central Australia, but no community-based studies of its prevalence or disease burden have been reported. We determined the prevalence rates of HTLV-1 infection and of HTLV-1-associated diseases in a remote Indigenous community. SETTING: A remote Northern Territory community. DESIGN: All residents were asked to complete a health survey and offered a limited clinical examination, together with serological tests for HTLV-1 and Strongyloides, and HTLV-1 proviral load (PVL) assessment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HTLV-1 seropositivity rates; HTLV-1 PVL (copies/105 peripheral blood leucocytes [PBL]); presentation with HTLV-1-related clinical disease. RESULTS: HTLV-1 serostatus was determined for 97 of 138 residents (70%). The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection was significantly higher among adults (30 of 74 people tested) than children (1 of 23; P = 0.001). Nine of 30 HTLV-1-positive adults had a clinical syndrome that was potentially attributable to HTLV-1 infection (chronic lung disease, seven; symptomatic strongyloidiasis, two). The median HTLV-1 PVL was significantly higher for adults with chronic lung disease than for those who were asymptomatic (chronic lung disease, 649 copies/105 PBL [IQR, 162-2220]; asymptomatic adults, 40 copies/105 PBL [IQR, 0.9-229]; P = 0.017). Ten of 72 adults tested were seropositive for Strongyloides (six of 28 HTLV-1-positive participants and four of 44 HTLV-1-negative participants; P = 0.17), as were three of 15 children tested; the three children were HTLV-1-negative. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HTLV-1 infection and the rate of disease potentially attributable to HTLV-1 were high among adults in this remote community.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a trachoma control program in a remote community before and after major environmental health improvements. DESIGN: Before-and-after cross-sectional design. The control program was in three rounds - each consisting of community census, screening of children < 13 years, health promotion activities and antibiotic treatment. There were two housing and infrastructure surveys. INTERVENTIONS: Treatment of affected children and their households with azithromycin at baseline, 7 and 21 months, and health promotions. Housing and sewerage infrastructure improvements were completed at 12 months. SETTING: Large, remote Central Australian Aboriginal community, 1998-2000. PARTICIPANTS: All community residents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of active trachoma among children under 13 years; community population changes; and adequacy of housing facilities for healthy living practices. RESULTS: The prevalence of trachoma among children was 40% (95% CI, 32%-46%) at baseline, 33% (95% CI, 26%-40%) at 7 months' follow-up and 37% (95% CI, 29%-46%) at 21 months. These proportions were neither clinically nor statistically significantly different. There was a high degree of population mobility over the study period, with only 32% of residents appearing in all three censuses. The proportion of houses with completely adequate facilities increased from 0 to 16%. CONCLUSIONS: Population mobility (both within and between communities), inadequate housing and continued crowding (despite improvements), as well as uncertainty about compliance with antibiotic treatment, are the likely factors contributing to the lack of effect of this trachoma control program. Because of high population mobility, a region-wide approach is needed for effective trachoma control.

In northern Australia, elaborate forms of indirection and self-effacement shape the media play of young Indigenous Australians. Young people animate celebrity avatars and their iconic voices as kinds of camouflage, breathing life into the artifacts of social media across a range of online platforms and media networks. In turn, they are themselves addressed, affected, and animated by such media. Informed by widely distributed norms of communicative circumspection, these practices register the reach of institutionalized media activism into the lives of young people and enliven the extrainstitutional circuits to which the latter give shape. Such practices also register the distinctive powers of media artifacts as agentive creatures in contemporary social worlds, and the dialogue of animation and self-erasure from which their agency derives.

Background: The consent and community engagement process for research with Indigenous communities is rarely evaluated. Research protocols are not always collaborative, inclusive or culturally respectful. If participants do not trust or understand the research, selection bias may occur in recruitment, affecting study results potentially denying participants the opportunity to provide more knowledge and greater understanding about their community. Poorly informed consent can also harm the individual participant and the community as a whole. Methods: Invited by local Aboriginal community leaders of the Fitzroy Valley, the Kimberley, Western Australia, The Picture Talk project explores the consent process for research. Focus groups of Aboriginal community members were conducted to establish preferences for methods of seeking individual consent. Transcripts were analysed through NVivo10 Qualitative software using grounded theory with inductive and deductive coding. Themes were synthesised with quotes highlighted. Results: Focus groups with Aboriginal community members (n = 6 focus groups of 3–7 participants) were facilitated by a Community Navigator as a cultural guide and interpreter and a researcher. Participants were recruited from all main language groups of the Fitzroy Valley – Gooniyandi, Walmajarri, Wangkatjungka, Bunuba and Nikinya. Participants were aged ≥18 years, with 5 female groups and one male group. Themes identified include: Reputation and trust is essential; The Community Navigator is key; Pictures give the words meaning – milli milli versus Pictures; Achieving consensus in circles; Signing for consent; and Research is needed in the Valley. Conclusion: Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley recommend that researchers collaborate with local leaders, develop trust and foster a good reputation in the community prior to research. Local Aboriginal researchers should be employed to provide cultural guidance throughout the research process and interpret local languages especially for elders. Pictures are preferred to written text to explain research information and most prefer to sign for consent. The Fitzroy Valley welcomes research when collaborative and for the benefit of the community. Future research could include exploring how to support young people, promote health screening and improve understanding of medical knowledge.

This paper considers how tropical Cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin on 24th December 1974, is interpreted for domestic and international visitors at the permanent exhibit at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The paper considers the imagery, text and language used to depict the impact of Cyclone Tracy before, during and after it hit the city. The paper considers how the victims are commemorated and the cyclone is interpreted, within the context of dark tourism. The paper reflects on how the interpretation of such a dark event is presented to ensure visitors receive an appropriate exposure to the event, balanced with a reflective and respectful commemoration of those who died.