Our Story

Nalderun came about through the work and legacy of Uncle Brien Nelson and Aunty Julie McHale, who believed that sharing is the way forward for everyone. Today Nalderun is guided by Senior Djaara Elder, Uncle Rick Nelson and supported and led by Kath Coff, our CEO.

Our logo was created by Aunty Julie McHale. The three circles represent Bunjil and the Lore, Bush Foods, and the Mountains and the teachings. A child’s hand sits at the centre.

About Nalderun

We are an Aboriginal Community Controlled Education Organisation based in Central Victoria at the foothills of Liyanganyuk Banyul, on Djaara Country.

Nalderun is the Dja Dja Wurrung word for ‘All Together’. Together with the broader community we are growing our First Nations young people strong and proud through connection to Community, Country, and Culture.

Since 2009, we have been creating cultural education and programs, employment opportunities and wrap-around services to nurture First Nations youth. Led under the guidance of senior Djaara Elder Uncle Rick Nelson and continuing the legacy of Uncle Brien Nelson and Aunty Julie McHale who believed that sharing is the way forward for everyone. From the beginning we were supported by Kath Coff, who now leads Nalderun as CEO.

We currently support more than 150 young people across Djaara Country.

We also work with the broader community to create change through partnerships, events, tours and trainings, to teach about our ways and worldviews for a thriving future for all.

Since 2021 we have a piece of Country to call our own near Chewton, next to the beautiful Grandmother Ancestor Tree Me-Mandook Galk. This is the site of our First Nations Youth-led Bush Tucker Farm and will soon be the home to all our programs when our dream of building an Indigenous Education Place comes to life.

Our Impact

Over more than 18 years we have seen our children become strong, proud and deadly. We know their future, and the future for their children's children is safe, having created programs and ways of being and teaching over many years.

We engage Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing into everything we do. Taking a cyclical, intergenerational and strength-based approach, our programs respond to the challenges young people often face in the mainstream education system and beyond. In our Balotj cyclical mentoring model, children are mentored by youth, youth are mentored by young leaders, and young leaders are mentored by senior leaders and Elders. After eighteen years of this work, we now have several Youth Leaders who have been mentored, built capacity and grown up strong in culture through Nalderun's programs. They are now employed by Nalderun as teachers, mentors, Directors, and co-managers of key programs. These young people are the heart of the organisation, and are active in determining what Nalderun does, and how we grow into the future.

Nalderun has also contributed to systems change where we look at the upstream issues and support and train teachers, local schools and the education system in our ways of teaching and curriculum that follow our protocols. Nalderun has been able to operate for so long through grass-roots people power, volunteers and strong relationships with the broader community that we have built.

We’re a small organisation with a large reach. Each year we grow in response to the needs of our community. This includes running supporting families through our Foodshare program, working with Mob in corrections, healing ceremonies and more. We invite you to join us in our vision and walk-together for the benefit of current and future generations.

Learn more about our aims and impact

Nalderun Annual Report 2025

Nalderun Strategic Plan 2022-25

“...people that work for Nalderun and the people that it attracts are such amazing, honourable, understanding, humble, loving, tolerant humans. There are many Mob and allies who have worked tirelessly for Nalderun, for their belief in how things should be and that’s what makes Nalderun work.”

— Kath Coff (Yorta Yorta) CEO of Nalderun