Murawin CEO Carol Vale announced as a member of the NSW Regional Development Advisory Council.

Jan 9, 2024

We are delighted that Murawin’s CEO Carol Vale, Dunghutti woman with connections to Gumbaynggirr and Anaiwan peoples, has been appointed as a Member of the Regional Development Advisory Council. The council “is tasked with ensuring regional and rural communities are placed at the centre of government decision making, will play an important role in modernising the Regional Development Act (2004), and provide independent advice to the Minister for Regional NSW to ensure projects are evidence-based and achieve real outcomes for communities.” 

Carol has dedicated her career to working towards improving outcomes for Aboriginal communities though a career that spans over three decades in a variety of NSW Government agencies including Aboriginal Affairs, Education and Housing and more recently as a co-Founder and CEO of Murawin. She has been at the forefront of developing and leading initiatives aimed at socially and economically empowering communities throughout NSW.   

Carol brings to the role insights from the numerous projects and works completed to date through Murawin that focussed on ensuring Indigenous voices and perspectives in areas such as planning and renewable energy, community development and infrastructure, environment and climate change.   

Additionally, Murawin’s Tiddas in Business program provides support to female First Nations entrepreneurs in regional areas equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and skills to succeed in business so that they can become a driver of change for their families and contribute to closing the gap in Indigenous economic disadvantage. 

Carol is excited to deepen her work even further in regional NSW and continue to advocate for developments that value, include and service, not only First Nations peoples, but ALL people in regional NSW. 

We want to congratulate Carol on her well-deserved appointment to the Council. She will be an invaluable member, bringing her extensive experience in regional development and social planning to the table to collaborate with the other members of the Ccouncil, and the communities they serve. 

Read the full NSW Government media release to see other appointees and further information about what the council will be tasked to do: https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/regional-development-advisory-council  

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.