Gurriny Yealamucka Aboriginal Health Services
Gurriny Yealamucka Aboriginal Health Services was the first community-controlled health service of its kind in Australia to deliver a primary health service in an Aboriginal community. A true success story that sits at the heart of the Yarrabah community, Gurriny Yealamucka is not just successful, but loved. So when we were asked to help them refresh their branding and marketing material, we knew it had to be done carefully and respectfully.
The brief
The people of Yarrabah have long been fierce advocates for self-determination of the health, social, emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing of their people. Starting with the Yarrabah Aboriginal Council in 1988, before becoming the Yarrabah Health Council in 1991 then transitioning to Gurriny Yealamucka Aboriginal Health Services in 2000, Gurriny Yealamucka has a long and proud history.
Gurriny Yealamucka’s original branding carried profound meaning and historical significance for both the people that work at Gurriny Yealamucka and the wider community. Our challenge was to take this original logo and branding and make it more usable and practical for everyday use, while still retaining this meaning and significance.
The good
The logo for Gurriny Yealamucka (which means ‘good healing’ in the language of the Gunggandji Peoples of Yarrabah) represents members of the community surrounding healing waters.
Water is deeply revered in Aboriginal culture. A sacred and essential resource, it represents life, connection, and the ability to heal. By representing community members speaking language to the water, causing the healing waters to bubble up, the logo puts culture, community and healing at the centre of everything Gurriny Yealamucka does.
Working with the original logo, as well as traditional artwork ‘Woven Remedies’, created by Gunggandji woman Aunty Philomena Yeatman, we set about creating a branding suite that was true to the original artworks, while sensitively modernising for a range of uses. This suite then extended and adapted across a range of different corporate and marketing assets from car livery, window signage and uniforms, right through to the ideation and creation of a range of live action and animated videos.
The impact
Unveiled to the people of Yarrabah in December 2025, the modernised branding and assets has been met with overwhelming approval from staff and community alike. Perhaps most importantly, the new branding has also gotten the seal of approval from the Elders involved in its initial creation. And we couldn’t ask for more than that.
The modernised logo stayed true to the style, story and intent of the original. Bold new corporate assets were then created to bring the revitalised branding to life.
A series of live action videos were created telling the proud story of Gurriny Yealamucka and its services.
A suite of animated videos covering everything from personal hygiene to mental health were created to help the community.
