Our Programs

The Larrakia Nation delivers a range of programs, projects and services.  Some respond to the specific needs of the Larrakia, while others fulfil the cultural obligations of the Larrakia to care for visitors on country. 

The Larrakia have been exercising these responsibilities for thousands of years.  Today, the delivery of programs, projects and services to Indigenous, and increasingly non-Indigenous peoples, are contemporary expressions of meeting long-held cultural responsibilities.  While this work demonstrates deep compassion and empathy for the plight of others, it stands as evidence of the cultural continuity of the Larrakia.

The Larrakia Nation provides critical front-lines services to some of the most marginalized and disadvantaged people in Australia.  Many of Larrakia’s clients are Indigenous and are houseless and/or homeless, living in and around Darwin on Larrakia lands.  Locally, this is often referred to as ‘staying in the Long Grass’. 

The provision of services to people in the Long Grass has not been easy due to: the sheer numbers of people affected (the highest rate in the country); sustained and systemic neglect; and their socio-economic circumstances.  Their needs are highly complex and while the Larrakia provide critical, in many cases, life sustaining services, the underlying issues of abject poverty and intergenerational trauma continue to shape the experience of everyday life for individuals and communities.