Voices of our Elders captures Indigenous history from Limestone Coast

Australia Broadcast Center

19-07-2025

Uncle Doug Nicholls takes a lot of pride in being known as an elder.
Born in Swan Hill on the Murray River, he now lives on South Australia's Limestone Coast, the country of his mother.
"We grew up on the riverbanks and those were the days when Aboriginal people weren't allowed in the hospitals when they had children, so we were born under the verandahs," he said.
"I didn't mind because it was outside.
"But it's quite imperative we tell the truth and honour the truth of what happened to us."
Uncle Nicholls now works telling stories and sharing culture with the next generation.
His story, and the stories of more than 20 other Indigenous elders from the region, has now been captured in a soon-to-be-published book, The Voices of our Elders.
"It gets all our elders together and tells our stories together so we're in strength," he said.
"Our knowledge from our stories gives our community strength back to our young ones, and allows all our community to understand the issues our elders did go through during their times.
Author Charlotte Lovett is a journalist at the Mount Gambier-based Border Watch newspaper and has worked with First Nations communities in the region on history projects.
Ms Lovett is non-Indigenous, but her husband and daughter are both Indigenous people.
She said being approached to lead the project was an honour, but she was also "terrified".
"Being non-Indigenous and then telling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, there's a taboo around that," she said.
"There's a lack of trust, because in the past, those stories have had a white voice put over them.
Ms Lovett spent 18 months interviewing, researching and writing the stories of more than 20 elders from across the Limestone Coast.
She said the project brought her closer to her husband and daughter's culture.
"It was a priority for us that the elders were people we would see in the supermarket or down the street and at community events," she said.
"We made sure they were prominent people you'd see in your day-to-day lives, so that after seeing their stories and their portraits, it helps them feel seen after years of being shunned or shamed just for being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander."
Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation director of language and education and Meintangk and Narrungga woman Tara Bonney applied for the Fay Fuller Grant and approached Ms Lovett to start work on the book.
She said giving the next generation a chance to learn from elders was important.
"We have elders and they have these amazing stories and these amazing perspectives on life and culture and community," Ms Bonney said.
"It's our job, my generation, to capture those stories and make sure that not only do I get to benefit, and people my age get to benefit, from hearing those stories, but the next generation as well.
"One of the things that is so important to First Nations culture and community is the transmission of information."
Ms Bonney hoped the book would spark conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and bring generations closer together.
"When young blackfellas can see the photos and words of their elders and their family in a printed book, there's a sense of pride in their culture and belonging in this community.
"That's one of the benefits I'm hoping comes about as well."