From Hesitation to Leadership: Willanna’s Journey of Growth, Partnership, and Change 

When Willanna Morris stepped away from a 20-year career in government child protection and into the non-government organisation (NGO) sector in early 2023, she wasn’t sure what to expect. The language, the frameworks, even the way people worked together—it all felt unfamiliar. She spent her first months observing, learning, and figuring out how she fit into this new space. What she didn’t realise at the time was that one meeting would change everything. 

Six months into her role as the Manager at the Ngukuthati Children and Family Centre in Mount Isa, Willanna was preparing for a visit from Jacinta Perry, the Partnership Officer for the Country Collaborative, part of the Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership (TQKP). Not knowing much about the group, she asked her team to make sure everything looked perfect. But when Jacinta and her colleagues arrived, something unexpected happened. Instead of showcasing only the centre’s strengths, Willanna found herself pointing out the challenges—one of them being a playground that had been broken for nearly a decade. They had fought for funding to fix it for years, but their pleas had gone unheard. What she didn’t know was that after the visitors left, standing together in the car park, they made a decision: they would find a way to help. 

A few months later, the playground was repaired, and children were playing on equipment that had once been left to deteriorate. The moment shifted something in Willanna. She hadn’t realised that being honest about challenges—rather than hiding them—could open doors to real solutions. “I didn’t realise that I could share things that are flaws and that there are other people out there who could help,” she reflected. 

That experience led to another. Jacinta invited Willanna to join the Thriving Queensland Kids Country Collaborative meetings, bringing her into conversations with leaders, policymakers, and changemakers from across Queensland. At first, Willanna hesitated to speak, feeling like her local-level experiences were too small compared to the big-picture discussions. But in the smaller breakout rooms, she found her footing, sharing what she saw in her own community and slowly gaining confidence. “The more I engage, the more I take back to help my local children and families,” she said. “I’m learning and I’m growing.” 

As she grew more comfortable in these spaces, she started to speak about other challenges—ones that had been simmering for years. One of them was a Bush Tucker garden, a dream her team had held onto for nearly a decade but had never been able to fund. She mentioned it in passing during a meeting, not expecting anything to come from it. But that small moment set something bigger in motion. The Tim Fairfax Family Foundation (TFFF), a partner in the Collaborative, took notice. They encouraged her to apply for a grant—something she had never done before. Uncertain but determined, she attended a grant-writing workshop, worked with her team, and put in an application. 

When the email arrived announcing that the grant had been approved, it didn’t just mean a new garden—it meant that Willanna had stepped into a new role. “We were all jumping around when we got the grant. It was the most ecstatic thing—we’re finally going to be able to produce this dream that our team has had for years!” 

That momentum kept building. With each new meeting, each new conversation, Willanna found herself seeing possibilities she hadn’t before. She was invited to an executive leadership program, a space that once would have felt out of reach. She stood up at an event in Melbourne, speaking directly to politicians and policymakers about the realities of rural and remote Aboriginal communities—something she never would have imagined herself doing just a year earlier. 

“Being engaged with TQKP has inspired me—not only to be a voice but to take action,” she said. And that action was making waves. Her centre’s work caught the attention of the local council, who wanted to collaborate on an environmental initiative, integrating their Men’s Shed into a new recycling project. The partnerships she had built through TQKP meant that when funding opportunities arose, people thought of her. 

But the biggest shift wasn’t just external. It was in how she saw herself. “The ‘rub effect’ is real—being around great people pushes me to grow,” she said. “And at the end of the day, the children and families we serve are the ones who benefit the most.” 

A Growing Impact: From Local Change to Community-Wide Action 

Willanna’s leadership has continued to grow, turning ideas into action for her entire community. Most recently, she spearheaded the “Let’s Get Enrolled” event in Mount Isa, a groundbreaking initiative designed to connect families with local education, health, and community services. 

The event was more than just an enrolment drive—it was a place-based systems change initiative in action. Families walked into a welcoming space where they could enrol their children in school or kindy, receive backpacks and school supplies, get free haircuts, access hearing checks, and connect with vital services—all in one place. 

“This is exactly what we talk about when we say system change,” said one of the event’s supporters. “A one-stop shop where families are supported in an integrated, community-driven way.” 

The response was overwhelming. “The community vibe was next level,” said one attendee, noting the huge amount of positive feedback from families and service providers alike. Leaders from philanthropy, education, and government commended Willanna’s work, with one CEO celebrating the “can-do attitude of country communities” and how it showcased “the power of local networks, collaboration, and bringing ideas back home.” 

Encouraged by this success, Willanna is now leading another major event in early 2025, bringing local education, health, and community support services together to focus on enrolment, lifelong learning, and raising the next generation of strong and empowered leaders. “Our aim is to come together to raise a next generation of strong, kind, and empowered future community ‘Caretakers’,” Willanna said. 

Her leadership is now being backed by the Educational Precinct, ensuring that these initiatives don’t just happen once but become part of the fabric of community-driven change in Mount Isa.