OUR STORY

Custodianship Across Generations

Yarnbala sits on 28 hectares of Grassy She-oak Woodland on Calcrete, bordering Coffin Bay National Park—one of the last intact examples of a Grassy She-oak Woodland on Calcrete a critically endangered ecosystem. This land carries a quiet history shaped by those who have cared for it, and by those who will care for it next.

For generations the property was held by the Mattsson family—long-time Coffin Bay residents and fishermen whose lives were tied to this coastline and its seasons. Before their stewardship, the land had never been formally owned; it remained largely untouched, a piece of country living by its own rhythms. When the Mattssons chose to pass the property on, they wanted it to remain in local hands—entrusting it to a family who would honour its character and restore its ecological heart.

The slater family

In 2015, the Slater family—Kane and Brooke with their children Arj and Tallara—became the next custodians. By then the land had suffered years of invasion from Aleppo pines and Myrtle-leaf Milkwort (Polygala). On the very first day, the family began the slow work of healing: pulling seedlings by hand, clearing dense infestations, and learning how to listen to the country again. What began as days of effort became years of commitment.

Today that perseverance is visible in the return of native grasses, orchids and birds to a regenerating She-oak woodland. The property now sits partly under a Heritage Agreement, protecting its ecological values for the long term, with a vision for the remaining northern section to be secured by the Yarnbala Foundation.

Yarnbala is more than a place—it is a living exchange of knowledge between generations. Kane and Brooke are passing on what they have learned about reading country, restoring native habitat, caring for wildlife and walking gently on this land to their children, Arj and Tallara. Our hope is that this understanding will continue to guide decisions long into the future, ensuring the land remains protected under covenant and cared for through the Yarnbala Foundation.

We are neighbours to the National Park, connected to a wider mosaic of coastal ecosystems. Every project we undertake—whether restoring habitat, managing invasive species, or welcoming visitors to learn—comes from the belief that conservation is not transactional. It is relational. It belongs to families, to community, and to the generations still to come.

Yarnbala stands for:

• Family-led custodianship for the benefit of the wider region

• Restoring landscapes that support wildlife beyond our boundaries

• Collaboration with community, neighbours and conservation partners

• A legacy measured in generations, not seasons