Sky’s the limit for Drone Essentials graduates in regional remote Queensland

There’s a buzz in the air—literally and figuratively—in Kowanyama, where a group of newly trained drone operators have just earned their wings at a free Drone Essentials workshop at the Studio Digital Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC). 

Delivered by She Maps with funding through State Library of Queensland’s Growing IKCs project, the workshop gave participants hands-on experience in safe manual drone operation, CASA compliance, equipment setup, and flight checks—empowering them to use technology to explore and share the area from a fresh, elevated perspective.

Mark Weaver, Cultural Centre Facilitator at Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council, beautifully captured the energy of the workshop in this video. He described the workshop as an ‘exciting way for the community to harness technology in meaningful, culturally grounded ways.’

Tongue firmly in cheek he also suggested the drones might even offer a safe way to get a close-up look at the huge 4-metre croc residing across the creek from council chambers— ‘so long as it doesn’t take a bite out of the drone,’ he joked.

The benefits and potential of drones in remote communities

Teaching locals to pilot drones presents transformative opportunities as drone technology continues to evolve, strengthening resilience and connectivity in some of Australia’s most isolated regions:

• Health services—drones can rapidly deliver essential medication, medical equipment, and pathology samples to remote clinics, helping bridge gaps in healthcare access and improving patient outcomes.
• Logistics and delivery—drones offer a cost-effective solution for transporting goods and food to areas where traditional transport is limited or disrupted, especially during adverse weather events.
• Emergency services—drones enhance the capabilities of emergency responders in remote search and rescue operations, storm damage assessments, and disaster response.
• Environmental monitoring—drone operation is a valuable skill for rangers, with drones deployed to monitor water quality, track wildlife activity, and even spot rogue crocodiles!

More Drone Essentials workshops coming soon!

• Kowanyama’s certified drone operators can now book and borrow the Studio’s micro drone equipment for local projects, and there’ll be new opportunities to undertake training. Contact Studio at Kowanyama IKC to find out more about this service and other upcoming digital activities:
• Palm Island’s Bwgcolman IKC will be offering free workshops to learn micro-drone piloting and 360º video creation later this year—perfect for rangers, storytellers, creative businesses and other applications.
• Mary Ann Coconut Library (Napranum IKC) will also offer a free Drone Essentials workshop with She Maps so keep a lookout for this great opportunity to gain a drone certification.
• Yarrabah and Lockhart River IKCs are also equipped with micro drone equipment through the Growing IKCs project and have free workshops in the pipeline. 

Download the State Library’s Digital and You app to receive notifications about these and other upcoming free digital workshops in your region or contact your IKC for information.

The Growing IKCs project is a partnership between State Library of Queensland and 16 First Nations councils. The project aims to bridge the digital divide in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by providing access to technology and locally designed learning opportunities.

The project is supported by the Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business.