A new centre for men has opened in Kalumburu, a remote community in northern Western Australia, in an effort to improve support and help reduce domestic and family violence. Kalumburu police and residents collaborated on the facility, known as Benyjin Gulaali, or The Men’s Place.
The centre is designed to offer men a place to seek support, de-escalate tensions and, eventually, access emergency accommodation. ABC News Australia reported that it is currently open three mornings a week because it still lacks furniture needed for overnight stays.
The community has fewer than 400 residents and faces a shortage of services for people involved in family violence incidents. Police data cited by ABC News Australia recorded 46 domestic and family violence incidents in Kalumburu in 2026. The community also recorded 193 offences against a person in 2025, its highest number in the previous decade.
Sergeant Brian Welch, one of two police officers in Kalumburu, said men had previously lacked a dedicated place for assistance. Police sometimes offered informal support at the station, including conversation intended to prevent situations from escalating. He said restriction orders could also leave people with nowhere to go after being required to leave their homes.
Community member Jeremy Kowan said men experiencing relationship problems or limited support had often turned to him and other elders for advice. He welcomed the new centre as a dedicated space for men, alongside an existing facility for women.
Colleen Zulian, who runs the Kalumburu Strong Women Centre, said overcrowded housing made it difficult for people subject to orders to stay elsewhere. She told ABC News Australia that men had lacked support and that further counselling and services could help families and younger generations. The centre is expected to expand its role once it receives the furniture required for emergency accommodation.