History
Clontarf Foundation run a sophisticated education and life skills programme for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, with the aim for participants engage in schooling, complete Year 12, and transition into meaningful employment.
A brief History
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2000Clontarf pilot programme is launched
2000 –
Academies: 1
Boys: 25
Year 12 Leavers: 13
Staff: 2
The Clontarf Foundation pilot programme is launched in Perth, WA with a budget of $35k.2000 -
2001Clontarf’s first corporate partner
2001 –
Academies: 1
Boys: 92
Year 12 Leavers: 17
Staff: 3
Wesfarmers becomes Clontarf’s first corporate partner.2001 -
2002A second academy in Kalgoorlie
2002 –
Academies: 2
Boys: 102
Year 12 Leavers: 21
Staff: 3
A second academy is established in Kalgoorlie, WA. 21 boys complete Year 12 at Clontarf Aboriginal College, the biggest number recorded at the school. Clontarf appoints its first Employment Officer to work with the Year 12 leavers.2002 -
2003Clontarf Foundation Inc. is registered
2003 –
Academies: 2
Boys: 119
Year 12 Leavers: 21
Staff: 7
The Clontarf Foundation Inc. is registered and the ‘Clontarf’ identity born. The Foundation has its first graduate to enrol in university.2003 -
2004A third academy in Geraldton WA
2004 –
Academies: 3
Boys: 186
Year 12 Leavers: 31
Staff: 16
A third academy is established in Geraldton WA. The inaugural Broome to Bicton concert is held in February.2004 -
2005A new academy in Maddington, WA
2005 –
Academies: 4
Boys: 240
Year 12 Leavers: 61
Staff: 18
A new academy is established in Maddington, WA. The Federal and WA Governments extend their funding commitments for a further four years.2005 -
2006New academies in Broome and Albany
2006 –
Academies: 6
Boys: 424
Year 12 Leavers: 75
Staff: 21
New academies are established in Broome and Albany, WA. 14 Clontarf boys travel to South Africa as part of an Indigenous Australian Rules schoolboy team.2006 -
2007Commences operations in the Northern Territory
2007 –
Academies: 11
Boys: 752
Year 12 Leavers: 75
Staff: 64
Clontarf commences inaugural operations in the Northern Territory with the establishment of two new academies in Alice Springs – the expansion beyond WA officially commences. The Foundation opens its first primary school programme at Nulsen Primary School in Esperance, WA.2007 -
2008Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visits Clontarf
2008 –
Academies: 17
Boys: 1,362
Year 12 Leavers: 110
Staff: 77
Then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visits Clontarf academies in Perth and Darwin and announces significant Federal Government investment in Clontarf, allowing the Foundation to expand more rapidly over the ensuing years.2008 -
2009Harvard University case study
2009 –
Academies: 20
Boys: 1,628
Year 12 Leavers: 163
Staff: 104
Harvard University (Boston, USA) conducts a case study on the Foundation – the first ever study of its type on an Australian not-for-profit.2009 -
2010Clontarf commences operations in Victoria
2010 –
Academies: 31
Boys: 2,212
Year 12 Leavers: 169
Staff: 125
Clontarf commences inaugural operations in Victoria with the establishment of academies in Bairnsdale, Mildura, Robinvale, Swan Hill and Warrnambool.2010 -
2011Her Majesty the Queen visits
2011 –
Academies: 38
Boys: 2,289
Year 12 Leavers: 189
Staff: 150
Her Majesty the Queen visits the Clontarf Academy (Waterford, WA).2011 -
2012Clontarf commences operations in New South Wales
2012 –
Academies: 47
Boys: 2,538
Year 12 Leavers: 200
Staff: 160
Clontarf commences inaugural operations in New South Wales with the establishment of new academies Armidale, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Inverell, Moree and Tamworth. Annual student health checks are introduced into every academy.2012 -
2013A national partnership with Cricket Australia
2013 –
Academies: 47
Boys: 2,581
Year 12 Leavers: 253
Staff: 165
A national partnership with Cricket Australia commences and cricket is introduced into the Clontarf programme.2013 -
2014Clontarf’s central administration Bentley
2014 –
Academies: 53
Boys: 3,046
Year 12 Leavers: 172
Staff: 183
Clontarf’s central administration office is moved to a purpose built office in Bentley.2014 -
2015Clontarf commences operations in Queensland
2015 –
Academies: 71
Boys: 3,770
Year 12 Leavers: 314
Staff: 220
Clontarf commences inaugural operations in Queensland with the establishment of academies in Toowoomba, Kingaroy, Warwick, Dalby, Cherbourg and Murgon.
The Foundation’s first academy in the Sydney metropolitan area opens at Endeavour Sports High School, Caringbah.2015 -
2016Clontarf Grows in New South Wales
2016 –
Academies: 74
Boys: 4,446
Year 12 Leavers: 384
Staff: 260
Clontarf rolls out the next phase of expansion in NSW, reaching new communities in Western Sydney and the Mid North Coast.2016 -
2017CLONTARF REACHES FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
2017 –
Academies: 88
Boys: 5,771
Year 12 Leavers: 533
Staff: 330
New academies open in Cairns and Townsville in Queensland, taking the state to more than 1,500 participants and surpassing Western Australia as Clontarf’s second biggest state by enrolment.2017 -
2018Increased Federal Government funding
2018 –
Academies: 89
Boys: 6,125
Year 12 Leavers: 575
Staff: 357
Then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion announces increased Federal Government funding for Clontarf as part of its 1967 Referendum 50th Anniversary Education package. This will allow the Foundation to grow from 6,000 participants to 10,500 participants by the end of 2020.2018 -
2019Commencement in South Australia
2019 –
Academies: 116
Boys: 7,739
Year 12 Leavers: 613
Staff: 465
Clontarf commences inaugural operations in SA. New academies are also established in NSW and WA with a total of 27 new academies opening during the year – the most academy openings in a single year in Clontarf’s history.2019 -
2020Clontarf weathers the storm
2020 –
Academies: 123
Boys: 8,463
Year 12 Leavers: 776
Staff: 475
Clontarf opens three new academies in QLD, located in Brisbane, Palm Beach and Yeppoon. The Foundation continues to operate its network of academies during the COVID-19 pandemic.2020 -
2021Primary school expansion
2021 –
Academies: 136
Boys: 9,290
Year 12 Leavers: 731
Staff: 520
A number of primary school programmes are established in WA and NT to assist in the transition from primary to secondary school.2021
Content Timeline
Rising Stars Shine at Clontarf State of Origin
The 2024 Clontarf Foundation State of Origin Series has been run and won. Building on the success of the 2023 carnival, four teams from Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were selected to represent their academies, schools, families and communities on...
Read MoreNovember 18, 2024Daniel Bromot an Outstanding Apprentice
Daniel Bromot graduated from Kormilda Academy (Darwin, NT) in 2015. He returned home to Yirrkala in the hopes of becoming a mechanic. To assist in in this endeavour, the Clontarf Employment Team helped him to enrol in the Rio Tinto preemployment programme. The programme...
Read MoreMay 7, 2018PM Kicks Goals At Clontarf
There was loud applause at the Clontarf Academy in Waterford, WA in early October as the Prime Minister the Hon. Scott Morrison kicked goals, literally and figuratively, with young men from our WA-based academies. The Prime Minister, who is a long-time supporter of the...
Read MoreOctober 10, 2018Dubbo and Endeavour Boys Swept Up In Royal Couple Visit
The boys from our Dubbo and Endeavour (Caringbah) Academies had the privilege of meeting royalty in October with the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, to Australia. With a substantial media and security throng in tow, the...
Read MoreOctober 15, 2018Alice Awards Night Recognises A Year Of Determination
Academy members from Centralian Senior, Yirara and Centralian Middle School Academies were joined by special guests and members of the community at Centralian Senior College for their end of year awards night in November. Centralian Middle School Academy Director Tom Clements said the night...
Read MoreNovember 30, 2018Broome Boys Build Work-Ready Skills
The senior boys from Broome Academy in WA have worked hard throughout 2018 to become work-ready. The academy staff organised for a number of external agencies and providers to visit the academy room and assist the boys with obtaining important documents and cards such...
Read MoreDecember 3, 2018