Homelands Building Program

Garrathiya Station Parolees Ablution Block completed 2008

“they gathered from the living ground” is a simple line from a poem that has been etched into Jack’s memory for many years.

The poem, “The Conqueror” by John Thompson (1907-1968) Jacks father, was the trigger when John Mofflin approached Jack for support for a project where-by indigenous communities in the homelands could again turn to the “living ground” to provide for their shelter.

In general terms the Homelands Building Program is the means to teach indigenous Australians, how to build their own houses in their Homelands, using the “living ground”. The “living ground” are the natural resources available to the people of the Homelands: materials and resources available in their own country such as trees, rock, sand and soil.

The Jack Thompson Foundation work in collaboration with Indigenous communities by their request and instigation. The Homelands Building Program incorporates community collaborative design and requirements and all structures are built according to location specific and residents requirements.

The Homelands Building Program comprises a combination of trained community volunteers and participating trainees, guided by the Jack Thompson Foundation Project Officers and Volunteer Master Builders, with technical assistance from volunteer Engineers and Architects.