The Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation was established initially to provide services to the residents of the so-called outstations. These small communities sometimes referred to as homelands, gained recognition and funding in the early 1970’s. At that time establishment grants were available to assist Aboriginal people to return and live on their traditional clan estates. In the Maningrida region, some people had never left the bush, and the others who had taken up residence in the newly established government settlement, needed little encouragement to return to their country.

The outstation movement, as it has become known, remains a robust force in many Aboriginal communities, but nowhere more so than in our region. The commitment of people for more than three decades has ensured ongoing support in the form of infrastructure and services. There are now in excess of one hundred houses on the thirty-two BAC outstations. These are home to a population of some seven hundred and fifty people. Many more live in Maningrida for most of the year, but still identify and affiliate strongly with their country and with their outstation.

The Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation constructs and maintains outstation housing and residents pay rent. Additionally we have constructed a network of some seven hundred kilometres of roads providing reliable access for outstation people. As the major rivers in the region have no bridges, access to half of the outstations is not possible by road in the tropical wet season. At this time all travel is by air or boat. BAC has a single engine Cessna 182 and a Bell 47 helicopter which are in frequent use in the wet season, typically assisting to deliver food, evacuate the sick and to transport maintenance and other personnel.

Most of the outstations now have telephone services, which have replaced the HF radios of former years, and provide reliable communications. There are fifteen schools which provide education to outstation children. There are a number of "visiting teachers” based in Maningrida who commute on a rotational basis to the outstations, and who are assisted by aboriginal assistant teachers in each location. The Maningrida Community Health Clinic provides a regular visiting health service, by road or air depending on the season.

BAC employs a team of tradesmen to maintenance and essential services to the outstations. They are supported by teams of Aboriginal workers engaged aspects of construction and maintenance. Nearly all of our houses are equipped with solar power, providing lights, fans and refrigeration. Water supplies are typically bores equipped with solar pumps. Water is pumped to elevated tanks and reticulated by gravity. BAC has a drilling rig which is pressed into service as required. All outstations have ablution facilities and pit toilets.

There are few conventional job opportunities in the bush, although people are now gaining recognition for the maintenance of traditional land management practices, and BAC is attempting to convince governments that the provision of eco-services should be encouraged and rewarded as an essential component of conservation. The outstations are home to many of Australia’s greatest artists, and artwork of exceptional quality is marketed through the Corporation’s art centre, Maningrida Arts and Culture. MAC is famous for bark paintings, but also markets timber sculptures, fibre art, basketry and regalia, most of which is produced on outstations.

The corporations Women’s Centre delivers programmes specific to bush women. BAC Aged Care looks after a number of elderly clients in the bush. BAC provides a fortnightly mobile store service to outstations, known as the “tucker run”. People are able to purchase a range of fresh and packaged foods in addition to variety goods, camping equipment and consumables. Many outstation residents work for the Community Development Employment Project (CDEP). They are paid to provide a range of municipal type services to their communities.

The outstation population are largely responsible for the maintenance of Aboriginal language and culture, and a large number of significant traditional ceremonies are still practiced annually. BAC is committed to ceremonial support as an essential component of outstation life.