The Derby Context

Jalaris is located in Derby Western Australia, on the edge of the March in King Sound

Population - The population of Derby is about 5,000 people , about half of whom are Aboriginal.  Thirty-seven per cent of the Aboriginal population are under 14 years old, and Aboriginal kids make up over three quarters of the under 14 population of the region. The census data gives a lower Indigenous population, but it is clearly inaccurate.

Poverty - Most families are living in poverty.  The mean household income (remembering that households regularly have over seven people in them) is $300-$400 per week.  The vast majority of Aboriginal families (about 90%) live in rented housing, usually provided by Homeswest.  Overcrowding is a significant issue and unemployment is high.  If you count CDEP about 85% of Aboriginal people in Derby over 15 years are unemployed.

Birth rates - Over a quarter of Aboriginal babies are born to teenage mothers in the Derby region, and over 50% of Aboriginal mothers used tobacco during their pregnancies.  Substance abuse, especially in those under 40, is high and on the increase.  Child neglect, family violence and sexual abuse are all significant issues in the community, flowing on in part from the circumstances described above.

Food and nutrition - According to the Western Australia Aboriginal Child Health Survey, only 28% of Aboriginal kids in the Derby region regularly eat sufficient fresh vegetables. 

Other health issues - Aboriginal kids in the Derby region have a higher incidence of teeth and hearing problems than in other parts of WA.  Although the statistics for health service use in the region are slightly higher than in much of the rest of the State there is a significant proportion of the Aboriginal population who are alienated and distrustful of any mainstream service.

Education - The schools in particular have very low levels of trust within the community at the moment.  Educationally Aboriginal kids are performing far worse than non-Aboriginal kids in Derby, as across the State.  According to WACCHO 60% of Aboriginal kids have low academic performance compared with 19% of all children.

Truancy is a major problem for Derby’s Aboriginal families.  The two local schools have estimated that about 10% of children registered with them fail to attend school on any given day.  This amounts to about 60 children per day in Derby.  Most of these truanting children are Aboriginal.  This number does not include the large but unknown number of unregistered children.

In 2005 Jalaris saw a large increase in these numbers, and in recent months during outreach work we have counted 22 school aged kids truanting on one street alone!  Jalaris has identified 45 extended families in Derby for whom truanting behaviour is an issue, involving 105 school age children and 101 pre-school children.

The Department of Indigenous Affairs Mapping and Gapping analysis of service provision in Derby, as well as the Jayida Burra Family Violence Prevention Forum have also identified truancy as a significant issue in Derby.  However, no specific initiatives have been put forward by either of these organisations.