A Journey in Every Bite: The Birrang Bar at SNAICC'25
This week, over 2,000 delegates will gather in Meanjin (Brisbane) on Turrbal and Yuggera Country for the 11th SNAICC National Conference 2025—one of Australia's largest and most significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-focused conferences.
From 7–9 October 2025 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, voices from across the nation will come together to share knowledge, celebrate Culture, and strengthen commitment to improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
And in each delegate bag, there will be something special waiting: our Chocolate On Purpose® Birrang Bar.
The SNAICC'25 Conference: A Gathering of Strength & Purpose
SNAICC'25 is more than just a conference. It's a dynamic space for learning, sharing, and connection—bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous organisations, policymakers, researchers, educators, frontline support workers, government representatives, and students.
This year's theme—"Our Culture. Keep it Strong. We Belong."—reinforces the critical importance of keeping Culture strong and celebrating that strength. It speaks directly to the heart of Cultural identity and belonging in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
This is a powerful platform to listen to Elders, families, and Communities, to strengthen connection to Culture, and to inspire collective action that strengthens Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agency, self-determination, and cultural connection.
Why SNAICC Chose the Birrang Bar
SNAICC (Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care) is Australia's national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. Their work focuses on early childhood development, child and family wellbeing, and Closing the Gap—strengthening Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) to deliver culturally safe, holistic supports for children and families across Australia.
A Perfect Values Alignment
The choice of the Birrang Bar as the SNAICC'25 delegate gift reflects a profound alignment of values:
🍫 100% Indigenous-owned business supporting Indigenous economic self-determination—a core SNAICC strategic priority
🌱 Ethical supply chain supporting 37,000+ Indigenous women cacao farmers globally—embodying SNAICC's commitment to Indigenous-led solutions
🤝 A Social Enterprise returning at least 50% of profits to the Communities we support honouring Culture and Country—mirroring SNAICC's advocacy for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations
💜 Culturally strong storytelling through Wiradjuri language and native botanicals—celebrating the cultural identity SNAICC works to protect
✨ Holistic approach connecting land, sea, and Community—reflecting SNAICC's integrated, wraparound support model
When SNAICC chose our Birrang Bar, they weren't just selecting a conference gift—they were partnering with a business that embodies the very principles they champion: self-determination, cultural strength, ethical practice, and positive change for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The Birrang Bar: A Story in Chocolate
So how does a chocolate bar fit into this powerful gathering?
The Birrang Bar isn't just chocolate. It's a story. A symbol. A journey.
🐚 Birrang: Journey Afar
In Wiradjuri language, 'Birrang' means 'Journey Afar'—and that's exactly what delegates are doing. Travelling from all corners of Australia to gather, share, learn, and grow together on Country.
Embossed with the ancient spiral of the Nautilus shell, this premium chocolate tablet carries deep Cultural meaning. The Nautilus is known as the 'Great Migrator', able to traverse vast oceans, great depths, and a wide range of temperatures. Just like SNAICC delegates, it journeys far and wide, connecting across distances to gather in one powerful place.
🌊 Connection to Country
The Birrang Bar also honours the Traditional Custodians of the land where SNAICC'25 is being held—the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.
These Communities were keen fishermen along Maiwar (Brisbane River), and there are many documented shell middens along its banks—ancient evidence of their intimate relationship with land, sea, and waterways.
This Cultural connection is represented in the Conference Artwork, with Maiwar a central focus of the artwork.
The Nautilus shell embossed on each bar is a beautiful metaphor for this connection: land, sea, and Community, woven together through Culture and story.
The SNAICC'25 Logo: A Visual Story of Connection
The SNAICC 2025 Conference logo is more than beautiful Indigenous artwork—it's a visual narrative of connection, Culture, and Country.
Featuring vibrant Cultural symbols across a map of Australia, the artwork celebrates the conference theme "Our Culture. Keep it Strong. We Belong." while honouring the Traditional Custodians of the land where delegates gather: the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples.
Maiwar: The River That Connects Us
Central to the logo's design is the flowing representation of Maiwar (Brisbane River)—a vital waterway that has sustained the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples for tens of thousands of years.
These Communities maintained an intimate relationship with Maiwar, relying on its abundant resources for sustenance, ceremony, and connection. Along the river's banks, ancient shell middens still stand as evidence of this deep relationship—archaeological sites where generations gathered shellfish, shared meals, and strengthened kinship bonds.
The flowing blue waterways in the SNAICC'25 logo honour this enduring connection to Maiwar and the rich Cultural heritage of the region.
The Birrang Bar: A Perfect Metaphor
This is why our Birrang Bar is such a powerful metaphor for the SNAICC Conference and its artwork.
Just as the ancient shell middens along Maiwar tell stories of gathering, sustenance, and Community connection, the Nautilus shell embossed on each Birrang Bar carries the same symbolism.
🐚 Shell middens = evidence of Community gathering and connection to waterways
🐚 Nautilus shell = the Great Migrator, journeying across oceans to gather in one place
Both represent:
- Journey and migration (delegates travelling from across Australia)
- Connection to waterways (Maiwar and the ocean)
- Community gathering (coming together to share, learn, and strengthen Culture)
- Ancient wisdom (honouring Traditional Custodians and Cultural knowledge)
Thus, the Birrang Bar becomes more than chocolate—it's a tangible connection between the SNAICC'25 logo's artwork, the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples' relationship with Maiwar, and the delegates' own journeys to gather on Country.
Every spiral on the Nautilus shell echoes the ancient spirals of the shell middens. Every bite connects delegates to the waterways, the land, and the Cultural stories that flow through this significant gathering place.
🍫 Crafted with Care & Purpose
Created on Gundungurra Country, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison, the Birrang Bar embodies the values that SNAICC'25 stands for:
🍫 Premium Belgian couverture chocolate—ethically sourced, Fair Trade certified
🍋 Gulalung (Finger Lime) grown on Yuggera Country near Moreton Bay- celebrating native botanicals and Indigenous growers
🌿 100% natural ingredients, no palm oil—protecting Country and planet
🤝 Fair Trade certified and supporting 37,000+ Indigenous women cacao farmers globally
💜 Indigenous owned and made—amplifying Aboriginal voices and economic self-determination
This isn't just a gift. It's storytelling through chocolate speaking to connection, celebrating Culture, and honouring the journeys we make to keep our Children strong and belonging to Culture.
A Gift That Keeps Giving
When delegates unwrap their Birrang Bar, they're not just tasting premium chocolate infused with native Gulalung. They're experiencing:
💜 A story of resilience and transformation (waynha)
🤝 A commitment to reciprocity (ngunggilanha)
🌿 A celebration of matriarchal plant knowledge and Indigenous innovation (marramarra)
🌏 A connection to global Indigenous communities through ethical cacao sourcing (yambuwan)
And when they visit Chocolate On Purpose, they'll discover a business built on the same values that underpin SNAICC's work: Culture, Community, and positive change.
Mandaang Guwu (Thank You), SNAICC
To SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle and the entire SNAICC team—mandaang guwu for choosing the Birrang Bar as part of the SNAICC'25 delegate experience.
It's an honour to support this vital gathering and to share a taste of Culture, connection, and Country with every delegate.
To all the delegates gathering this week: Yiradhu marang (good day) and may your journey be filled with learning, connection, and inspiration.
Let this Birrang Bar be your companion as you gather to share, learn, and grow together—celebrating our Culture and strengthening our belonging.
🌟 OUR CULTURE. KEEP IT STRONG. WE BELONG. 🌟
About Chocolate On Purpose®
Chocolate On Purpose® is Australia's first 100% Indigenous-owned chocolate business, founded by Wiradjuri woman Fiona Harrison. We create premium Belgian couverture chocolate infused with native botanicals, honouring Culture, protecting Country, and creating positive change for Indigenous growers and world cacao farmers.
Learn more: www.ChocolateOnPurpose.com.au
Follow us: #ChocolateOnPurpose #ChocolateForGood™ #SocialEnterprise
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