Bickerton Island (Milyakburra)

Since the Remote Laundries project was launched, Groote Eylandt Aboriginal Trust (GEAT) has been interested in getting laundries of their own. They wanted to find a better way to service the Groote Eylandt community with washing facilities and were impressed by the Remote Laundries project. 

GEAT has bought three laundries designated for the East Arnhem Land region, and Bickerton Island is the second laundry to be opened. 

The colourful uniforms and signs on the laundry were designed by students from the Milyakburra School and reflect the community’s pride in and ownership of the laundry. In our experience the more a community is involved in the design, placement and management of the unit, the more it is used by the community. 

This is our first laundry to be run entirely on rainwater. 

The laundry employs 14 people and has been a valuable source of job creation in the community. 

Get to know the Bickerton laundry through their stories

Our Remote Laundries not only address the health issues associated with a lack of washing facilities in remote communities, they create employment opportunities and a hub for conversation and education. Our recent collaboration with the Heart Foundation’s Champions4Change program was one such opportunity.

Read more…

Our newest laundry launched!!

There is a great sense of satisfaction when a new laundry is opened in community. To get to point of completion requires a huge amount of effort, particularly for remote communities. 

The Bickerton Island Community laundry was launched on July 2022 and we had a party to celebrate!!  

First rainwater unit

Getting a reliable water supply to the Bickerton laundry was a challenge and rainwater was the obvious solution. 

This will be the first of our units to source water entirely from a rainwater tank. It’s a great option and something we’ll be looking into doing more of in the future. 

Uniforms designed by the kids

In our experience when local people are involved in the design, staffing and management of their laundry, the community value it more, and use it more. 

Students from Milyakburra School in Bickerton Island came up with the designs of both the uniforms and signage on the laundry. We hope this means the laundry will be used heaps!!