November 15, 2012
by Marcus Priaulx
Birds sing and a magpie calls as I taste the best coffee I’ve had in years on the verandah of the Yurri Muntha Café at Cherbourg.
Buttered chicken and rice is placed in front of me and it’s delicious.
Few people outside of Cherbourg realise the café is here but it’s already playing a large role within the small town, serving locals and the many tourists who come to see the nearby Ration Shed Museum complex, as well as visiting government officials.
It’s a big step for a town that lacks most of the small businesses other South Burnett towns take for granted because of past State Government policies about how indigenous communities were managed.
The new café marks an important step in Cherbourg Council’s long-term goal to bring the community into the region’s mainstream.
It is managed by well-known local chef Sheree Strauss who moved to the South Burnett 20 years ago.
Sheree ran the Whipbird Chapel function centre at Coolabunia for three years, then did corporate catering at the South Burnett Enterprise Centre in Kingaroy before branching out into weddings and parties with Kingaroy Catering, which she still operates.
It was in this role she first came to Cherbourg looking for produce from its vegetable farm eight months ago. She was impressed by the quality of the produce, as well as the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council’s efforts to develop businesses that employ the town’s residents.
She heard a job was going for a retail manager and applied.
Sheree believes the Yurri Muntha café’s future is bright.
The project has received funding from the Aboriginal Community Interest Consultative Committee (ACICC), Cherbourg Council and the Federal Government’s Department of Education Employment and Training. This was used to renovate the premises, which are located at the first roundabout as you come into Cherbourg.
The cafe sells cold drinks, sandwiches, tea, coffee, hot lunches and will extend its range to include pickles, chutneys and a bush tucker line of sauces in the near future.
“We’re also developing the catering side for functions and meetings in Cherbourg and Murgon,” Sheree said.
Five full-time staff are being trained.
Sheree believes there will be opportunities for them to become apprentices or trainees within Yurri Muntha or other businesses in the South Burnett.
“We’re just starting, but we want more people to come and try what we provide,” she said.
“It’s a quality product and we’re becoming a profitable Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council business.
“It’s also providing employment and a service to the town. And that can only lead to a happier lifestyle for all.”
[Photo: Marcus Priaulx]
