Making the Best of the Early Years: the Tambellup Way

This research describes a study of Tambellup, a small rural town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia (WA). Tambellup achieved, as reported here, very positive results for year one children (first year of school) in the 2007 regional Australian Early Development Index testing. In 2009, the Great Southern General Practice Network (GSGPN), which has a facilitating role in providing early intervention strategies to families with young children at risk of disadvantage, requested that public health staff at Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, undertake an exploratory study to discover the factors that are protective of children’s development in Tambellup, in part because it has a much higher Aboriginal population than the national average. This article describes the subsequent research and its findings.

From the abstract: "This 2009 qualitative study interviewed both adult members of the local Aboriginal community (Noongar people; n = 23), and non-Aboriginal leaders from a cross-section of organisations, services and the community (n = 14) to determine what made growing up in Tambellup a positive experience. Aboriginal participants were introduced to the researchers by a local cultural consultant....Face-to-face interviews were carried out with Aboriginal participants and telephone interviews were undertaken with non-Aboriginal participants. All interviews were conducted using a standard schedule of questions as a guide, supplemented by clarifying and broadening questions from research team members. Data were analysed in a multi-stage process of collation, extraction of common themes and verification of themes with study participants and other stakeholders. Findings were presented to local Aboriginal leaders at a community meeting and a final report was prepared and circulated to community members."

Factors cited as strengths that effectively promote the well-being and healthy development of children in their early years in the community include the following:

• Connectedness and strong communication - people were strongly connected through family relationships, organisations, and businesses, fostering a safe and supportive community for children, enabling them to encounter high levels of social cohesion and social capital, enriched by the relationships and social contacts that they and their immediate families experienced in the town. “Communication between various individuals, groups, services and networks within Tambellup was deemed to be effective, with the local newspaper being a pivotal tool for the distribution of town news. The primary school was also mentioned as an integral dispenser of information; using the newspaper and other means to keep the community informed about school matters. The small size of the town was seen as advantageous with respect to the flow of information, including informal communication channels among families."
  
• Community leadership - people reported high levels of respect for the efforts of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community leaders and recognition of the value of their work in Tambellup. "Members of the community were easily motivated and leadership capacity appeared to be widespread. A recent example cited was the development of a school holiday activity program, initiated by adults from the Aboriginal community, and made available to all children. This program began in response to concerns that some children were bored and ‘getting into mischief'....interviewees stressed that the holiday program was just one example of a broader capacity within the community to take action and to be supported in doing so. The significant role of Aboriginal women Elders in Tambellup was also noted. They were identified as key community role models who played a pivotal part in the town's leadership and development."
  
• Participation in services and programmes - the willingness to work together was identified as being a consistent feature, including on projects such as the redevelopment of the town park, efforts to keep the Tambellup newspaper venture afloat, and support for the local emergency response services, as well as efforts for children including parents working together to apply for a government grant for the primary school and the assistance rendered by parents and past pupils in planning and building a shaded play area. People also extended support for families in crisis, for example stepping in to ‘”look after the children”. School and teacher contributions included programmes to support parents during the critical early years of child development, including playgroup programmes and teaching parents child development, health, and safety skills. The leadership skills and personal qualities of the principal were seen as critical. Aboriginal interviewees indicated that a matter of particular importance to them was the effort teachers put into facilitating the transition to school of Aboriginal children, ensuring all children were valued as part of the school community and in early and positive interventions to address any problems children encountered. The health centre provided all community members with health services.
  
• Positive cross-cultural relationships and pride in history and culture - while some racism was mentioned, it was generally superseded by cross-cultural ties. "In part, the quality of cross-cultural ties was attributed to the stability of the community’s population, its history, and positive leadership and role modelling in cross-cultural relationships. Another aspect appeared to be that the Aboriginal members of the Tambellup community had pride in their own history and culture and strove to pass this on to their children.”
  
• Human capital and common goals - the willingness of residents to participate in community events was seen to support the development of local children by ensuring that families remained connected, maintained their awareness of broader policies and programmes, and gained relevant health and well-being information. "Service providers believed the community shared the goal of offering as many opportunities to local children as possible, facilitated by high quality education, the maintenance of a safe environment within the township, and strong parenting role models. Recreational groups and organisations were identified as playing key roles, serving as vehicles for enhancing communication and the wellbeing of children, in particular sporting clubs and events, which acted as opportunities for town-based and farming families, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities, to join together."
• Other factors - Aboriginal leaders cited the influence that the Christian faith has had on many members of the local Aboriginal community, and the association of this with abstinence from alcohol.

The study concludes that this range of enabling, reinforcing, and predisposing factors within the community have directly and indirectly contributed to improving the chances of positive development in the community's children. “There was substantial evidence of widespread trust and positive relationships in this close-knit community, where adults looked out for and supported both their own and others’ children. The primary school played a key role in supporting children’s development even before children started school. Good relations generally existed between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal residents, contributing to the stability of the population and providing many role models in successful cross-cultural relationships."