In 2007, Gillian Kennedy had been single for a few years and had just returned from volunteering in Bangladesh. Six months after arriving home in Sydney, she decided to take up a teaching job in Mulan, an Aboriginal community in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, with a population of just 120.
A Challenging Start
The first term was difficult. Gillian got along well with her housemate, Kylie, and they had met friendly nurses and people from surrounding communities. However, without access to a vehicle, they spent their weekends working. Gillian felt lonely and isolated.
She had heard about Wade Freeman, the coordinator of a nearby Indigenous protected area program. Some women in the community mentioned he was working with the Paruku rangers, but he was not around during her first term.
A Serendipitous Meeting
Gillian returned to Sydney for school holidays and was unsure about going back to the desert. But she had committed to the job for two years. A few days into term two, she bumped into Wade at the community store. He had wild red hair and seemed friendly and kind. He invited her and Kylie for afternoon tea at his place on a Saturday afternoon.
When they arrived, several things clicked. Wade had his own vegetable garden and was playing the Cat Empire and French music – exactly Gillian's kind of playlist. He told her he had volunteered in Timor-Leste and studied community development. And he was baking banana bread. "The bread was terrible but the wholesome act of baking and sharing it, along with everything else I’d seen and heard, made me start to fall for him," Gillian says.
Shared Passions
Gillian realized then that Wade was capable and independent, and they had so much in common. After that, he offered to take her and Kylie to a nearby lake with his Troopy and a kayak. They had a picnic and watched the sunset over the lake. The lake system there almost completely dries up in some years, but that year it was full and teeming with bird life. It was absolutely beautiful. They kayaked to magical spots to camp out and have sundowners.
One night, Gillian told Wade there was a documentary on TV she wanted to watch. He invited her over, made chai, and they watched it together. He invited her again the next day to watch videos, then a blackout occurred. He lit candles, and that was the first time they kissed.
A Life Built Together
Gillian was not expecting to find a partner at that time or place in her life, but Wade was living a lifestyle she wanted to share. One of the things she came to love about him is how he creates beautiful experiences for other people. In Mulan, he set up film nights where they would go camping at the lake, setting up a big screen with a generator. "He’s a bit of an introvert but doing these sorts of things is his love language," she says. Gillian ended up staying in the desert for two more years because of how beautiful he made life there.
In 2009, Wade got a job in a remote part of Timor-Leste called Oecusse. That was where Gillian became pregnant, so they moved to Broome to raise their son, Bertie. They lived there for 12 years before moving to Fremantle, where they live now.
Wade is an amazing dad. He built a massive jungle playground with swings and rope bridges across the bamboo in their back yard. He is hands-on and very fun. "It never ceases to amaze me how resourceful he is. He can fix things and make something out of nothing. He’s a bit like MacGyver," Gillian says.
20 Years Together
Soon they will celebrate 20 years together. They share the same commitment to social justice and environmental sustainability, and both are passionate about creating a sense of community. They have always supported each other to do what they want to do. Gillian has always felt very trusting of Wade and secure in their relationship.
"We were never going to find each other in a bar in the city. The fact that we found each other in a community of 120 people feels as though it was meant to be," she reflects.
