Funding for Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned chocolate company

Chocolate On Purpose, Australia’s pioneering Aboriginal-owned chocolate company, has been awarded funding through the NSW Government’s Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Program.

The grant will fund “Ngunggilanha Cultural Sensory Garden & Chocolate Nexus,” a project combining chocolate production scaling with Cultural knowledge preservation.

Founded by Wiradyuri woman Fiona Harrison, Chocolate On Purpose combines Belgian couverture chocolate with native botanicals, emphasising ethical sourcing, cultural storytelling, and sustainable practices.

As a certified Social Enterprise, the company reinvests at least 50 per cent of profits into Supplier communities.

“Our Cultural knowledge never disappeared – it went ‘inside’ during times when it wasn’t safe to practice our traditions,” Ms Harrison said.

“Through ‘waynha’ – the Wiradyuri word for transformation – we’re creating spaces where this wisdom can re-emerge through working with native plants and sharing our stories through chocolate.”

The project includes:

• Creation of a dedicated chocolate production facility.
• Development of a native sensory garden in collaboration with Indigigrow, an Aboriginal owned and managed Australian native plant nursery specialising in critically endangered bushfood plants and employment of disadvantaged youth.
• Implementation of an integrated employment strategy for local Aboriginal women aged 45+
  Establishment of an immersive visitor experience.
• The enhanced production infrastructure will enable Chocolate On Purpose to scale operations while maintaining Cultural integrity.
• Visitors will experience a complete sensory journey – touching, smelling, and learning about native botanicals before tasting their transformation through chocolate.

“This isn’t just about scaling production,” Ms Harrison said.

“Research shows that when Aboriginal people engage in ancestral activities, it triggers healing responses.

“By combining chocolate-making with native botanicals, we’re creating meaningful employment that connects with Culture while addressing the significant underrepresentation of women in the native bushfood industry.”

The funding supports Chocolate On Purpose’s commitment to maintaining 100 per cent Aboriginal ownership while scaling operations to create sustainable employment opportunities, particularly for Aboriginal women aged 45-plus, a demographic of all Australian women facing increased risks of social isolation and homelessness.

Operating on Gundungurra Country, this Wiradyuri woman-owned business will establish a dedicated chocolate production facility alongside a native botanical garden.

The project addresses a critical industry inequity: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent less than two per cent of Australia’s native bush food and botanical supply chain.

This disparity is even more pronounced for women, who are traditionally the matriarchal keepers of these plant-knowledge systems.