Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association
Restoring ecosystems, reinvigorating cultural heritage, reconnecting communities with rivers
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that this website contains images and names of deceased persons.
Community-driven | Collaborative | Connected to Country
We have a unique opportunity to change the future for Australian rivers but we need your help.
Your input is very important to us. The more people complete this survey, the stronger our plan for the future will be, so we want to hear from everyone!
Ngallaka Moort (OUR ORGANISATION)
We are a Noongar-led environmental charity located on Whadjuk Boodja in the Perth Hills.
We believe that combining traditional Aboriginal knowledge with the latest scientific approaches will deliver the strongest future for Country and forge a shared, community‑led journey to healing and reviving Country.
Our work is critical to restoring ecosystems and reinvigorating cultural heritage that has been degraded over time, allowing us to reconnect communities through a shared love for country.
Our activities are led from a Noongar perspective but designed so everyone can benefit from the knowledge and systems that have balanced these lands from the beginning.
Our objectives are to:
- Protect and restore the natural environment and its cultural significance from an Aboriginal perspective.
- Provide education, research, training and management on the natural environment.
- Engage with the wider community and encourage greater participation in the natural environment.
moort koomba (OUR PEOPLE)
We are story-tellers, researchers, writers, artists, engineers, scientists and historians.
Bibbul Ngarma Aboriginal Association was established in 2022 by Chairperson Walter McGuire, a Noongar Traditional Owner.
Our Board is Aboriginal-led and includes our Senior Elder, May McGuire, who guides everything we do.
Our Executive Director is Francesca Flynn, an environmental scientist and river enthusiast who co-created the BBB Program with our much loved Uncle and Senior Elder, the late Greg Ugle.
In 2026, we launched our BBB Rangers team, who contribute to maintaining and improving the natural and cultural environment of the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) catchment.
The BBB Rangers provide employment and culturally-appropriate career pathways for local Aboriginal people in land and water management, with a focus on Noongar people and women rangers.
A new collaborative and community-led program for healthy rivers.
Most Western Australian rivers are degraded. Less than 1% of our major rivers are in pristine condition, and despite the good work of many, river health continues to decline.
In 2024, we launched the BoorYul-Bah-Bilya (BBB) program to address declining river health.
BBB is using the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) to create a transformative new model of river catchment management to mark the 2029 Perth
Bicentenary.
Our ambition is not just to restore one river, but to create a transferable model that inspires the revival of all rivers across Australia and beyond.
At its heart, BBB brings together thousands of years of Noongar knowledge and stewardship with the latest scientific approaches. This blending of old and new knowledge centres on restoring ecosystems, reinvigorating culture and reconnecting communities with their rivers.
BBB is currently focused on the Mandoon Bilya (Helena River) catchment, a freshwater system of over 900 seasonal waterways including Darkin River, Beraking Brook, Pickering Brook, Piesse Brook, Nyaania Creek, Elder Creek, Kadina Brook, Wariin Brook, Bending Gully and Hacketts Gully.
BOORYUL-BAH-BILYA RANGERS
We recently launched our BBB Rangers team, who are proudly supported by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
While Expressions of Interest have now closed, we’re always happy to hear from community members who’d like to be involved.
If you’re interested in becoming a BBB Ranger, email us on admin@bibbul.org and we’ll let you know when future opportunities arise.
SUPPORT US
We are an independent and bi-partisan charity that is deductible gift recipient (DGR) endorsed for gifts of money and/or property to further our objectives.
We are a small but growing charity (1 staff and 14 amazing volunteers) that relies on the generosity of our team and community to deliver activities.
We are working hard to restore ecosystem health, reinvigorate natural and cultural heritage, and reconnect people with rivers.
By donating to us, you’ll help us create transformative change in our community and far beyond.
You can support us by making a one-off donation, setting up a regular direct debit, donating your Containers for Change refund (Membership No: C11616605), or making a bequest. To find out more, visit our Donations page.
If you have other ideas about supporting us, contact us on manager@bibbul.org
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