259 Kildare Road, Doonside NSW 2767 02 8613 5061
About Us
Welcome to Yanala
Yanala is a dedicated space for Aboriginal children, families, and community in Greater Western Sydney — a place to grow, connect, and walk together.
Located on Dharug Country, Yanala means "walk together" in Dharug language. It reflects our commitment to journey alongside community, creating a safe, supportive, and culturally strong environment for all who come through our doors.
Early Learning Centre
On one side of the site is our 39-place Early Learning Centre, providing high-quality care and education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 6 weeks to 6 years.
Grounded in culture and connection to Country, our early childhood program supports each child to grow strong in identity, wellbeing and learning,guided by Aboriginal educators and cultural ways of knowing, being and doing.
Community &
Family Hub
On the other side, Yanala operates as a Community and Family Hub, offering wrap-around services and free programs for mob of all ages.
With a focus on practical support, healing and connection, we offer:
-
Outreach health and support services (e.g. maternal health, counselling, housing, Centrelink)
-
Homework clubs, playgroup, and youth programs
-
Community barbecues, food hampers, sports clinics
-
Kinship support and cultural group activities
Everything we do is grounded in cultural safety, community voice, and the belief that Aboriginal families deserve services built for and by them.
Our Story
Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation (SRAC) has proudly served the Aboriginal communities of Greater Western Sydney since 1996 standing strong as a community-controlled organisation built by mob, for mob.
Our mission has always been to create safer, healthier, and stronger futures for Aboriginal people by delivering services that are culturally safe, community-driven, and grounded in connection to culture and Country.
Reclaiming Community Space
In 2024, SRAC received funding to restore and re-open the doors of the former Doonside Aboriginal Child and Family Centre (ACFC), a once-vibrant space that had been closed for too long.
We saw the need. Families needed access to culturally safe early childhood education. Elders called for a space to gather. Parents needed wrap-around support without having to fight systems alone. Young people needed connection, not punishment. Our community needed its centre back.
SRAC stepped up to bring it back to life, not just as it was, but as something new, something owned by community.
Walking Forward Together: Yanala
After months of community yarns, consultation with Dharug Elders and language holders, and a community-wide vote — a new name was chosen:
Yanala — a Dharug word meaning "walk together."
Yanala now stands as a powerful symbol of shared journey, cultural strength and community-led care.
Today, Yanala operates as both:
-
A 39-place Early Learning Centre for Aboriginal children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, and
-
A Community & Family Hub delivering free programs, outreach health and support services, and safe spaces for families to gather, heal, and grow.
This is more than a building.
It’s a return of ownership, a revival of culture, and a commitment to walk together — now and into the future
.
📍 Yanala Aboriginal Community & Family Centre
Proudly operated by Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
SRAC acknowledges all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Traditional Custodians of Country and we recognise their ongoing connection to land, sea, Culture and our Communities. We pay our respect to our Elders past and present and to our future leaders.
2025 Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation - All Rights Reserved - Created by Visualise then Design