A Deadly Partnership
Players on the field before kick-off at the 2025 Deadly Cup Rugby League Carnival. Source: Courtney Jane Media
Minum Barreng, the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at the University of Melbourne is pleased to enjoy an ongoing and valued partnership with the Deadly Vision Centre in Darwin and the founder principal of Deadly Enterprises, Shaun Tatipata.
Recent examples of shared adventures include the Deadly Cup Carnival, held on 6 July 2025 at TRL Stadium in Garramilla (Darwin). This much-loved rugby league community event, now in its sixth year, is held annually during NAIDOC Week and has become one of the biggest NAIDOC celebrations in the Northern Territory, bringing together footy, culture and community in a ‘deadly’ way!
Minum Barreng’s Milpa the Goanna mascot being friendly and kids colouring in Milpa eye health illustrations at our trade table at the 2025 Deadly Cup
Minum Barreng hosted a health information trade booth for the 3,000+ visitors visiting the carnival across the day and displayed eye health promotion resources encouraging healthy eyes and good vision. Right next door, the Deadly Vision Centre’s Eye Bus, was offering free eye screening and comprehensive eye exams to community. Milpa the Goanna made a few appearances throughout the day, posing for selfies, sharing eye health messages, enjoying close attention from the younger carnival attenders. There were only a few little ones who were a bit scared of the 6-foot goanna!
Lesley Martin, our Health Promotion and Community Engagement Officer, with former colleagues Nick Wilson and Waltern Bathern at the 2021 Deadly Cup
Minum Barreng is pleased to have supported the Deadly Cup since it began in 2020, with sharing various health promotion activities and resources, and it’s been a please to watch it grow bigger and deadlier each year! A highlight of our ongoing collaboration was the 2021 Deadly Cup, where referees wore bright blue shirts featuring the sightline artwork from Minum Barreng’s ‘Check Today, See Tomorrow’ diabetes eye health campaign. The shirts were designed to raise awareness about the importance of annual eye checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with diabetes.
Referee shirts at the 2021 Deadly Cup featuring Sightline artwork from ‘Check Today, See Tomorrow’, promoting diabetes eye care. Source: Mills Photography
We’re also delighted to support the Deadly Vision Centre with their new Eye Bus. With permission from Minum Barreng, the Deadly Vision Centre adapted the sightline artwork with colours appropriate for the Deadly Vision Centre’s branding. We think the Eye Bus looks fantastic and the artwork really adds to the distinctive and deadly appearance.
Deadly Vision Centre’s new Eye Bus at the 2025 Barunga Festival, featuring Sightline artwork from ‘Check Today, See Tomorrow’. Source: Deadly Vision Centre
The Eye Bus, generously supported by Lions Outback Vision, had its first community outing at the Barunga Festival, followed closely by a big presence at NAIDOC celebrations across the Greater Darwin region, including the 2025 Deadly Cup Carnival. It’s now gearing up to support the delivery of eye care to mob across the Top End. It will focus on providing care in locations that people feel safe, comfortable and culturally familiar, promoting access and uptake. Please enjoy the photos attached.
More information about the Deadly Cup is available through:
Deadly Cup Facebook Page
More information about Deadly Vision Centre, Deadly Enterprises and the Deadly Vision Centre’s Eye Bus can be found at: https://www.deadly.health
More information about the ‘Check Today, See Tomorrow’ resources can be found here
Previous News article: Referees’ Uniforms Turned Blue at ‘Deadly Cup’ Rugby League Carnival (2021)
Shaun Tatipata has been employed (part time) at Minum Barreng since 2021 and is Deputy Unit Head and leads Minum Barreng’s leadership and advocacy work.