The Future of Housing and Urban Design on Gununa

By University of Queensland’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning | 22 January 2024

The research presented in this blog was conducted by the University of Queensland as part of State Library's Purpose Built exhibition.

Project Overview

Gununa, Mornington Island is facing a range of problems familiar to many in remote Indigenous communities: housing that is not fit for purpose, both culturally and environmentally, with too little housing for the community and energy security disparities.

Engaged by the Mornington Shire Council to provide guidance on a future development on the Island, the research team for this project began by surveying existing housing stock and infrastructure. They spoke with home occupiers to determine the current state of the built environment on the Island, and assessed the needs of the community for the future.

A view of Mornington Island

This informed a report for the Mornington Shire Council, which aimed to better inform the Council about how to improve current procurement practices and implement design for housing on the Island in a way that considers the community cultures and the environment. It includes a guideline called Gununaean Design Principles, and a Briefing and Procurement Model.

Print out of a map with sticky notes stuck on it.

Children on the Island highlighted what they would like to change on Gununa

The aim is to produce dwellings that are economically sustainable for residents and government cost models, as well as climatically and culturally appropriate. Recommendations include siting dwellings with passive design principles in mind to maximise breezes, reduce sun exposure, and provide ample shaded outdoor spaces; offering greater diversity of housing options to allow for a range of family types and sizes; facilitating privacy; and supporting community interaction.

Future research will integrate energy experts to go beyond housing design, and look at broader infrastructure issues connected with disparities on the Island embedded in the built environment.

Included in the exhibition are children's drawings of the Island created together with UQ researchers in 2022. These sit alongside children's drawings of the Island created in 1975 as part of a series of some 3383 drawings and paintings on paper made between 1975-1977 by Aboriginal children from 70 schools across Australia. These artworks were collected by the Aboriginal Arts Board for potential use in 'The Aboriginal Children's History of Australia: Written and Illustrated by Australia's Aboriginal Children'. The book, published by Rigby, Adelaide in 1977, forms part of the National Library of Australia catalogue, while the original artworks are held by the National Museum of Australia.