Larrakia Country, Northern Territory. 6 September, 2024.
Visiting Country and spending time out bush is an important part of our research approach. It provides opportunities for building strong connections and shared understandings between people, places, knowledge systems and of course for Yolŋu, access to fresh delicious ancestral foods.
For the most part, going bush involves driving or being a passenger in a four wheel drive car. This means its crucial that our research team know how to operate a four wheel drive, change heavy tyres (often in tricky places), cross creeks, manual start, and avoid getting bogged!

Photo credit: Sarah Ireland. Team bonding over being bogged.
This week our new team member, Sarah Khaw, was learning all of these important bush driving skills by attending the the 4WD Operations On Unsealed Roads (VTP414) short course. Sarah recently moved with her family from Naarm, Melbourne to join the research team on Larrakia Country, Darwin. Sarah explained that during the course: 'I drove a manual Landcruiser (just like my old Troopy) and automatic Hilux. I learnt how to change a tyre and then had to change a tyre on the practical day. I also practiced manual hill stall starts and managed to ascend the steep hill haha!'
Photo credits: Sarah Khaw. the Four Wheel Drive course.
Sarah shares our values being passionate about maternal health equity.
Sarah shares our values being passionate about maternal health equity. She is a registered midwife and recently submitted her PhD. Her PhD explores how community-based volunteer doula programs may improve migrant women’s maternity care experiences by bridging the gap in culturally-responsive care and factors impacting implementation and sustainability of doula services in Australian maternity settings. This doula research background alongside her newly acquired bush driving skills, make a perfect match for our research project. Sarah will be working side-by-side with the Yolŋu research team to collect qualitative data to document and better understand the impacts, challenges and value of djäkamirr.

Photo credit: Sarah Khaw. Selfie during the Four Wheel Drive Course
The Zine is a fantastic resource providing accessible health information about Women's Business
This week we are excited for the DJÄKMIRR documentary and Molly Institute to be featured in the SEXtember Zine published by 1800 My Options. 1800 My Options is based in Victoria offering confidential and free phone and online services providing information about contraception, pregnancy options (including abortion) and sexual health. The Zine is a fantastic resource providing accessible health information about Women's Business topics like menstruation, anatomy, coercive control, vaccines and body hair. Check it out in the links at the end of this post.
Many thanks 1800 My Options for supporting and promoting our work!

Photo credit: Front cover of SEXtember 2024 published by 1800 My Options.
Learn more with these links:
Articles
Colleague
Welcome Sarah Khaw!