A year of change – reflections from Murawin CEO Carol Vale 

Dec 19, 2023

Marrung barrang

(good morning)

As the year comes to a close, we at Murawin have a great deal to reflect on.  2023 has been the most challenging year we have had, both personally and professionally.  

The passing of my life partner, our co-founder and Chief Operations Officer, Greg McKenzie has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on the team at Murawin. I couldn’t be prouder of the team for the leadership, grace, and integrity they have shown in relation to managing Sorry Business in a corporate context, whilst continuing to meet the needs of our clients and communities that we work with.

I have said it many times internally, that what we have been through this year is one of the hardest things any company can go through and the strength, compassion, and empathy the team have shown to myself and my family, themselves and the community at large speaks volumes of the type of company Murawin is, and for that I am extremely grateful. 

I want to extend this gratitude to our clients for the understanding and empathy shown towards our company and staff. The wonderful messages and flowers we received filled our offices and homes with the aroma of Australian native flowers for months.

This was greatly appreciated, and it demonstrated the very notion of cultural respect and reciprocity that is at the heart of our work here at Murawin.

There are many of our clients and colleagues that we would like to thank – too many to call out here. However, I do want to make a particular shout out to the Indigenous business advocacy groups, Supply Nation, SEQICC and NSWICC, that have shown support to both myself, and our team throughout this very challenging year.

This year presented other challenges and in the wake of the devastating and disappointing results of the Voice to Parliament Referendum,

Murawin remains committed to reconciliation.

Our work continues to make impact and position the voices of Indigenous Australians front and centre on the key issues that impact their lives and their futures. I again want to thank and commend our staff for their resilience, hard work and empathy shown in the aftermath of the Referendum. Across the year we have worked in many areas including climate change, domestic violence and child safety, employment, education, and economic empowerment. At the heart of all this work, sits the key values of Murawin – create impact, innovative change, aim higher and diversity delivers.

In a year marked by change,  

we have said goodbye to members of the team, some who had been here for many years, and we want to wish them well in all their endeavours and thank them for their work at Murawin.

But alongside the goodbyes come a round of welcomes, as we continue to build the Murawin team with a diverse range of talented people with an exciting range of expertise, knowledge and skills to continue to deliver on our core values.

As well as growing the team, we have expanded our offices into Victoria and Regional NSW, and I am thrilled to announce we have opened an office in my home Country of Armidale, and in Melbourne City. I look forward to collaborating with the broader community of the New England region in improving outcomes for First Nations peoples. This coming to fruition in 2024 is particularly special, as Armidale is where Greg and I first launched Murawin, at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place in 2014.

We look forward to 2024, as there will be much to celebrate, with

Murawin turning 10 years old.

We’re looking forward to sharing the insights and learnings from our last decade of work, creating impact and driving social and economic change through our partnerships and collaborations with our clients and communities throughout Australia and internationally.

“Treat everyone and every moment like they’re important. Whether you’re sitting across from a CEO in a boardroom, or sitting at the craft table with your granddaughter, yarning about why pink is better than purple. Listen and show them respect and your full attention. It’s amazing the impact that this has on people and relationships.” – Greg McKenzie, Co-founder & COO of Murawin, Husband, Father, Pop & Friend

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year to you all!

Sincerely,

Carol Vale, co-founder and CEO, Murawin

BACKGROUND

Murawin, is a Dunghutti word which means “to be educated, and to be responsible with that education.”

It is about not only having the knowledge but knowing what to do with it and passing it on when the time is right. Education has always been a passion for both our co-founders and is at the heart of Murawin’s work facilitating intercultural learning, respect & collaboration.

 

Our logo is also steeped in meaning and symbolism,

merging professionalism with a contemporary flair while staying rooted in Country through stylised elements of waterways and river rocks. These elements, symbolising life, healing, and reconciliation in Indigenous culture, resonate with Murawin’s client-focused approach.

Originating from river Country in regional NSW, Murawin’s founders’ childhood experiences shaped the logo’s significance, reflecting their deep ties to family and Country. The river rocks signify Murawin’s enduring connection to Country and culture, chosen for their symbolism of strength and resilience akin to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. They also represent Murawin’s commitment to positive impact and intergenerational change. Notably, the eight rocks symbolise cofounder Carol Vale’s immediate family members, while the two lines in the logo signify the intertwining of cultures by our two co-founders, Carol and Greg.

VISUAL INDENTITY UPDATE

What we wanted to do was to better reflect Murawin’s story, goals, mission and values through a supporting look and feel that elevated our branding and centred Country, our story and our values.

To do this we started with an updated colour palette.

We wanted a natural colour palette that reflects Country

and gives people a calm and clear perspective just like when time is spent on Country. Simultaneously we wanted it to reflect the professional, rigorous and forward-thinking nature of our work.

Each colour had to be meaningful and tied to Murawin’s story, so we pulled the colours directly from images of Country in areas important to Murawin and its co-founders.

Wollomombi - brand colour

Meaning “the meeting of two water ways”, Wollomombi Falls sits almost side by side with Chandler falls just outside of Armidale. The two rivers come together at the bottom of the waterfalls to become one. It represents our co-founders coming together to form Murawin

Riverbank - primary colour

Represents the banks of the Macquarie River (and other key riverways important to Murawin’s story such as the Macleay)

Peppermint Gum - primary colour

Whenever visiting Armidale, Murawin’s co-founders would collect Peppermint Gum leaves.

Red River Gum - primary colour

Red river gum trees are a favourite tree of both Murawin’s co-founders

Darling River - secondary colour

The Darling River at Bourke is another important river in the Murawin story.

Gara Granite - secondary colour

The Gara River / Blue Hole is a special place to Carol’s family- they would visit a lot growing up

Bourke Sunset - secondary colour

This colour was pulled directly from a photo of a Bourke Sunset taken by our late co-founder Greg McKenzie

Another key piece we have woven throughout this new visual identity is the contrasting black and white to visually represent the intercultural nature of our work and our story.

This duality is an important feature in Murawin’s story and in our work as the conduit between clients and communities.

This colour palette intertwined with artistic elements and the Country-centric imagery that you see throughout our website, reinforces that Country, community and culture are at the heart of everything we do at Murawin.

We are proud to present this new visual identity to the public, our clients, and the communities we work with to better reflect our story, the work we do, and our vision for the future.