Stepfamilies Australia

Congratulations to Meriki Onus (they/them) and Djaran Murray-Jackson (he/him) for being elected as the new Co-Chairs of the First Peoples’ Assembly/Gellung Warl. Gellung Warl (tip of the spear or pointed spear in Gunaikurnai language). It is a new body formed as part of Australia’s First Treaty designed to make decisions about First Nations Peoples, provide oversight to government and ensure truth-telling in the healing process. As Rueben Berg, Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly, stated in his first address to Victoria’s Parliament, “The tip is Gellung Warl, the wood of the spear is our community, the binding is Treaty, the line of sight and the throw are our self-determination".

Treaty has been a long time coming, and we stand behind every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person and community who has fought hard for this milestone. First Nations autonomy, agency and voice are key to the ongoing truth-telling process, ensuring that decisions about First Nations people are made by First Nations people.

Recognising First Nations peoples as the custodians of the lands and responding to the harms of colonisation are top listed priority in our Social Justice Action Plan and Framework. DSS is proud to stand in solidarity with Gellung Warl, and as an ally supports Treaty wholeheartedly. Treaty is an important step in rectifying the injustice of colonisation, and a necessary step for healing. We support the First Peoples’ Assembly and Gellung Warl in their work, and wish Meriki and Djaran all the best.

Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.

Image credit First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria

What a fantastic week at the Family and Relationship Services Australia (FRSA) Conference in Brisbane last week!

Our team and partners did an incredible job showcasing the breadth and impact of Drummond Street Services' work while keeping audiences engaged and inspired along the way.

From conversations about intersectionality, to musical workshops helping children explore body positivity, and discussions on co-designing research and evaluation with young people, the team highlighted the power of inclusive, community-led practice, with a little ukulele playing in the mix too. Well done, all!

Today, 17 May 2026, marks International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, a global moment of solidarity and resistance for LGBTIQA+ communities.

What if the “wicked stepmother” wasn’t the villain after all?

MARA by Hanna Pyliotis reimagines the Cinderella story through the eyes of Mara, a single mum navigating love, grief, and the complexities of stepfamily life. When she marries a widower still mourning his first wife, unsettling moments begin to surface, blurring the line between reality and something darker.

We had the pleasure of connecting with Hanna during her time in Australia a few years ago for an early staging of MARA, and her thoughtful approach to stepfamily dynamics really shines through in this work.

A powerful, human story that invites us to rethink familiar stereotypes around (step)motherhood and belonging.

https://www.theatreworks.org.au/2026/mara

When your child is struggling, it can feel overwhelming and isolating. You do not have to go through it alone.

Connected Stories is a support group for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 12 with mental health needs. It is a safe, understanding space to share experiences, connect with others, and feel supported.

For more information, call (03) 9663 6733 or email [email protected]

As today is National Closing the Gap Day we thought we'd share this important post from V***A on how to close the gap!:

“Today on National Close the Gap Day, we call on governments to honour their commitments to address the extreme disparity between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in health, education, employment, justice and economic outcomes. Last year, the Closing the Gap Independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Led Review found that through inaction, resource imbalances and poor financial strategies, the government had failed to live up to its promises and enact meaningful change. We call on all levels of government to genuinely partner with ACCOs like V***A to support Aboriginal led, evidence-based changes to policies, legislation and systems; and to reform funding models and structures to ensure progress is achieved for our communities. Continued failure to close the gap cannot be accepted – this is quite literally matter of life and death.”

This International Working Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with women everywhere.

We recognise the women who came before us, whose organising, courage and collective action secured many of the rights and protections we rely on today. We stand on their shoulders. At the same time, we know there is still work to do to achieve genuine equity, safety and economic justice for all women.

We also take this opportunity to express out opposition to the Far Work Commission's proposed changes to the SCHADS Award that could reduce pay for a large part of our our workforce, a workforce made up largely of women.

Valuing care and community work means protecting fair wages and conditions. Our sector deserves respect, security and recognition, not cuts.

A very important reminder to update your will: Blended families driving surge in estate disputes as Australians fail to update their wills

Jennifer Williamson: Blended families driving surge in estate disputes as Australians fail to update their wills Brisbane solicitor Jennifer Williamson, principal and founder of Williamson and Associates, is warning that the rapid rise of so-called 'Brady Bunch' families is creating significant estate planning havoc, with more than half of Australians failing to...

You can apply now for Redress for Historical Institutional Abuse.

If you experienced abuse and/or neglect as a child in institutions
in Victoria prior to 1990, you can apply for Redress.

Redress has been set up to recognise and acknowledge what happened,
and the harm caused.

Support is available to applicants, at any stage of the process, through
free and confidential Redress support services.

No amount of money can ever make up for what happened, but we can
acknowledge what has happened in the past and can support people
to address the impacts of abuse and neglect on their lives.

Find out more, visit https://buff.ly/NcQZdov.

Drummond Street Services does not celebrate Invasion Day.

This day marks the start of dispossession, violence and the ongoing denial of First Nations sovereignty. It is a day of mourning and resistance, not celebration.

If you are in Melbourne, join us at the Invasion Day rally: Victorian Parliament steps, 11 am.

We march in solidarity with First Nations peoples, calling for sovereignty, land rights, an end to Black deaths in custody and ALL the systemic injustices that First Nations communities continue to face.