Latest news with #AboriginalCulture
ABC News
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
New 'soul of Port Adelaide' Aboriginal culture centre opens
"I'll play it, then I'll come back and show you how I did it." The deep, hypnotic sound of one of the oldest instruments in the world fills the room as Otis Carter teaches a group of young boys and teenagers how to circular breathe when playing what's commonly known as the didgeridoo. "See my cheek with that bubble there, it's pushing a bit of air through," Mr Carter explained. The lesson is being held as part of a NAIDOC family day at the newly-opened Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre on the banks of Adelaide's Port River. It's a wet and wintry day outside, but inside the place is teeming with hundreds of excited children, dashing between drawing and painting, weaving, play areas and workshops. A place for Kaurna people to gather and share culture and stories in Adelaide is a dream come true for elders like 95-year-old Lewis O'Brien. "It started really probably 30 years ago when the old people got together and they said we should have a centre," Uncle Lewis explained. "Yitpi Yartapuultiku means soul of Port Adelaide and it's turned out to be exactly that … everyone comes here now. "It's a community centre that everyone feels happy about, a place of wellbeing and reflection, and you can walk the dog and the kids can play on the playgrounds … you've got the sea at the back, you got a dance ground outside, you got places inside." Yitpi Yartapuultiku Aboriginal Cultural Centre opened on June 1 with a showcase of Kaurna dance, music and culture, alongside a self-guided trail, exhibitions and art and craft stalls. It is estimated more than 11,000 people flocked to the event, something the centre's CEO Lee-Ann Buckskin said she won't forget. "I was in-between the two buildings, the breezeway, and I turned around and I just saw this tsunami of people walking towards me, and I just, at that moment, went, 'goodness me the people have spoken'," she explained. The Port Adelaide Enfield council built the $35.2 million state-of-the-art centre, with the federal government contributing $2.3 million toward a living shoreline at the river bank. The work includes regenerating the entire area with native plants, including replanting mangroves and reeds endemic to the area. The are also plans for a bush food garden. The council's Aboriginal Advisory group and Kaurna elders and community were the driving force behind the centre's design and development. "This place was really chatting for a few years, like five years, I think," Uncle Lewis said. "We met with the colleges, we met with architects, we met with the council members. "You don't waste your time by yarning, you make a very productive design when you do a lot of people, discussing with a lot of different people, and bringing those thoughts together and you become unified and develop place like this." The co-design approach also involved hands-on workshops. "The architects got kinetic sand and the elders sat around a table and had a sense of this place as flat, but with the kinetic sand built the landscape to how they wanted it to be used," Ms Buckskin added. "So, what we see are undulating spaces throughout and that is almost wrapped up with beautiful native plants." Ongoing plans include training in hospitality and tourism, from running conferences at the centre to regular guided tours, along with attracting visitors from the cruise ships that dock in the Port. "Our hope is that our kids get the opportunity to be able to get some employment through the kitchen, out into the conference space and café," Ms Buckskin said. "We're really wanting to have a learning environment for people. "So we'll be looking at offering language classes … a range of different things in terms of artefact making and activities which people are looking for … people booking in classes to learn about native foods." Ms Buckskin explains Yitpi, as it is affectionately known, is a place for everyone to enjoy while reflecting and supporting Kaurna people and community. "It's really a place not only for the broader community to be curious and learn around Kaurna culture and broader Aboriginal culture, but it's a place for cultural maintenance," she said. "And that's really important to our future generations, as in terms of their identity and their cultural practices into the future." For organisers of the NAIDOC family day, events like these make that vision a reality. As the winter winds and heavy rain beat against windows that offer a scape to the cultural dance ground, walking paths and the river bank, a young teenager brings the didgeridoo to life — sparking a smile from his teacher. "I'm just looking around and seeing these kids connected to everything that's happening," organiser Kahlia Miller-Koncz said. "It makes them stronger in their identity; it makes them feel proud." For Uncle Lewis, it is a sign of the times. "We've thought about that for a long time, that we should exchange knowledge," he explained. "We think people are ready to for change, to think in a different way. "How did we last 65,000 years? We didn't do it by aimless wandering. "We did it by beautiful thinking and learning with each other and not be envious of anyone else, just love your own country. "And I think that's the way we should live in the rest of the world."
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Science
- BBC News
World's oldest boomerang doesn't actually come back
Boomerangs are generally associated with Aboriginal culture in Australia. However, rare finds in the historical record outside Australia suggest they were used across different continents. The oldest known boomerang from Australia dates to about 10,500 years ago, made from wood. But the oldest images of boomerangs in Australia are rock art paintings 20,000 years old, according to National Museum Australia. A wooden boomerang dating back 7,000 years has been found in Jutland, a peninsula between Denmark and Germany, while fragments of a 2,000-year-old oak boomerang – which does come back – has been found in The Netherlands. The research by a team of scientists from Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK is published in the journal PLOS One.
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- The Guardian
Unmissable Aboriginal experiences in and around Perth
If you're planning a trip to Perth (Boorloo), signing up for an immersive Aboriginal cultural experience while you're there can enrich your travels and deepen your appreciation of this beautiful city. These tours, led by traditional custodians, offer authentic insights into Whadjuk and Noongar cultures, and invite you to see some of the area's most scenic locations through a completely different lens. Here are two standout Aboriginal-owned operators offering cultural tours in and around Perth. Aboriginal Cultural Tours of Kings Park, Nyungar Tours. Photo credit Tourism Western Australia. In Culture Tours offers a memorable way to experience Whadjuk Noongar boodjar (Whadjuk Noongar country) through guided walking tours that blend truth-telling with traditional knowledge, sensory immersion and stunning landscapes. Led by Noongar guides, these tours are designed to connect you to place while sharing stories and perspectives often omitted from history. In the heart of Perth, the Kaarta Gar-Up Kings Park Cultural Tour offers sweeping views over the city skyline and Swan River (Derbarl Yerrigan) while your guide shares the Dreaming stories tied to this sacred place. You'll smell and touch native plants once used as bush medicine, hear stories of life before colonisation, and gain a new understanding of Kings Park's cultural significance. The 90-minute tour is wheelchair- and pram-accessible and suitable for all ages. Down the coast, the Walyalup Fremantle Cultural Tour takes you on a 90-minute journey through key sites such as Bathers Beach, the Whalers Tunnel and the Round House lookout. You'll experience a welcome to country and a sand ceremony, learn about the opening of the Swan River from a Noongar perspective, and explore truths behind colonial history that are rarely told. This gentle, all-ages walk is both scenic and thought-provoking, and finishes at the WA Maritime Museum (or the nearby Gage Roads brewery if you're thirsting for a cold drink). Whadjuk guide Steven Jacobs on the Boya Kaarla Walking Tour with In Culture Tours. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia. For those looking to explore further afield, the Boya Kaarla Cape Peron Cultural Tour, about an hour south of the Perth CBD, offers dramatic coastal vistas and cultural storytelling. Your Whadjuk guide will share the significance of Point Peron in Noongar lore, how the area was used for important ceremonies and the ways the surrounding bushland and shoreline continue to play a vital role in spiritual and everyday life for Aboriginal people. The tour's ceremonies and teachings about local flora will have you reflecting on the past and seeing the landscape differently, as you walk by rocky outcrops with ocean views stretching out to the horizon. Yalgorup National Park. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia In Mandurah, just over an hour south of Perth, Goolamwiin invites travellers to experience culture on country in Yalgorup National Park. Meaning 'winds blowing from the south-west', Goolamwiin is more than a tour company – it was created to provide a space to share stories, and forge understanding and connection between cultures, no matter where in the world you come from. The Goolamwiin Day Tour is a three-hour cultural journey that begins with a Nyungar welcome to country before heading into the bush. Your guides will share personal stories of growing up on an Aboriginal reserve, introduce you to bush tucker and medicinal plants, and invite you to try your hand at using traditional tools. Over a campfire morning or afternoon tea, guests learn more about Nyungar life, language and lore. Dance and storytelling form a key part of the experience, bringing traditions to life in a way that's engaging, respectful and inclusive. The tour finishes with the chance to view and buy Aboriginal artworks by the local artist Kerry Stack. For visitors wanting to deepen their experience further, the Goolamwiin Overnight Camping Tour offers an extended stay on country from 4pm to 9am. This experience includes everything in the day tour, plus a cultural healing ceremony, campfire dinner and an overnight stay in the bush. It's an opportunity to slow down, switch off from the everyday and connect to the land and stories that have shaped it for generations. Coastal Trail, Mandurah. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia. You'll learn about the importance of freshwater sites, try bush foods, participate in traditional dances, and wake to a bush breakfast and billy tea. It's an intimate way to experience living culture in a welcoming, hands-on setting that encourages shared learning and storytelling. Whether you're fine-tuning your itinerary for an upcoming trip or already on the road, Aboriginal-led tours are easy to book and will be memorable highlights of your trip. And whether you're interested in walking the city's most iconic parks, tracing coastal songlines in Fremantle or sitting by the fire in Yalgorup National Park, these tours encourage more than sightseeing – they're about shifting perspective. Through storytelling, ceremony and connection, each tour invites you to engage with Whadjuk and Noongar culture in a meaningful and respectful way. They will both lift and deepen your travel experience, and you'll carry their lessons with you long after your journey ends. Discover more at
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Students across Illawarra walk for Reconciliation Week
Hundreds of school students from across the Illawarra region of the New South Wales south coast have walked on Dharawal country to show their support for reconciliation — 25 years on from the landmark walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. More than 35 schools participated in the walk to mark National Reconciliation Week, bringing to life this year's theme: Bridging Now to Next. "It's a brilliant opportunity to bring all the community together, and more importantly, we're teaching young kids — both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal — about Aboriginal culture," Uncle Darrell Brown told the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Team. Students and teachers made their way from the Warilla Surf Club to Reddall Parade where they took part in a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country. "When we do a Welcome to Country, we're speaking to the ancestors who protect the country, saying, look we're here, we're visiting, please protect us," said Yuin woman Maiquilla Brown. Ms Brown, the Aboriginal community planner at Shellharbour City Council, said the recent discussion around winding back Welcome to Country ceremonies shows a lack of understanding of First Nations people and culture. "We're not talking about welcoming people to Australia or a nation or a country as a whole. "It's welcoming people into that small area of land or physical country, and all the cultural and spiritual connections to that area." After the Welcome, the group held a minute's silence to pay homage to elders who have passed. They celebrated the spirit of reconciliation with a flag exchange between students and local elders. "It's amazing to me, seeing all the kids willing to put on the ochre and coming out here today," said Koorin Campbell, who played didgeridoo for the Gumaraa dancers who performed on the day. "We get to walk with our culture and our religion," one young student told the ABC. "[It's] learning about your culture, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous people [coming together]," another said. Lake Illawarra High has been participating in the local reconciliation walk since its inception 18 years ago. Behind the scenes is Aunty Denise Willis, an Aboriginal liaison officer who has worked at the school for over 25 years. It's an event she looks forward to each year. "We can walk the walk and be strong, powerful and not afraid. It makes us very proud of our community," she said. The long fight for Indigenous rights hasn't been easy, and it's something Aunty Denise doesn't shy away from. "I'm one of the older girls that experienced difficult times," she reflected. "To talk about reconciliation … means recognising our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and looking at the injustices that they have faced and where we are today. "We're heading in the right direction, but we've got heaps more to do." Lake Illawarra High's commitment to reconciliation is displayed in the Aboriginal murals in the playground and the growth in First Nations enrolment rates, led by Aunty Denise's work. "Seeing the younger generations, non-Indigenous people walking together and supporting our people, I feel emotional because it's a wonderful thing to see that progress happening," she said. Shellharbour City Council has been organising the reconciliation walk for almost two decades. For the council's Ms Brown, reconciliation "starts with empathy and understanding". "We need young people to understand the impacts of truth-telling and learning about Aboriginal history," she said. "Reconciliation for me, it really means reflection, thinking about what's happened in the past, all those atrocities, all the barriers and inequalities, and thinking about how we can make the future a better place for everyone." Ms Brown noted that the walk draws First Nations people with cultural connections across the east coast. "Our guests also have European or international family members … so it's important we share our culture so they can participate in it, learn it and embrace it," she said. "As long as we want to keep moving together and making Australia better for everybody, right now, reconciliation is the best strategy we've got. "If we step back from that, then we don't have anything to help us advance an Australia where Aboriginal people feel equal." Respected Yuin Elder Uncle Gerald Brown — known affectionately as Uncle Gee — has been involved in many of the previous years' walks, including performing the Welcome to Country for over a decade. "I get a lot of satisfaction out of it," he said. Reflecting on Australia's progress to reconciliation, including his disappointment at the outcome of the Voice referendum, Uncle Gee said the event gives him hope. "It's different now to when we went to school, we were never allowed to go to anything like this, so we're making a change for the better, I believe, anyway," he said.
ABC News
31-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- ABC News
First Nations children learn culture at Murray River's Robinvale camp
There's a bend along the Murray River at Robinvale in north-west Victoria that arouses conflicting emotions in multi-clan nation elder Aunty Thelma Chilly. It's where, as a girl, she ran and played on the riverbank and learnt the traditions of ancestors, passed down through generations. But it's also where the harsh realities of the White Australia Policy played out. Aunty Thelma's family was forced to move from their home on the banks of the Murray River, at a site known locally as Punt Bend, to the old Manatunga mission close by. Decades after her family was relocated, Aunty Thelma is working to reclaim the site through an annual cultural gathering of Aboriginal families from across Australia's east coast. During the 1956 flood, Aboriginal families relocated from Punt Bend to an industrial area in Robinvale. "They formed a welfare board, which was connected to the assimilation policies of those days, and they built Manatunga mission." Families were forced onto the mission, to live in concrete buildings with a door and a pot-belly stove. Still, Aunty Thelma's family and others kept returning to the banks of the Murray every year, sometimes for months at a time. "They actually return here to … commemorate the fact that this was where their people come from. "We have turned this into a place of learning and passing on knowledge of our culture." Every year, families come from across Australia's east coast to Robinvale on Tati Tati Country to take part in a four-day camp. "Every year, we try to do something different here at the Easter camp to pass along the culture and knowledge to other people in the community, but particularly our children," Aunty Thelma said. Robinvale is close to the lands of Latje Latje, Wadi Wadi and Mutti Mutti clans, and their traditional owners can be found among the families who set up a campsite every year. Over the four days, older generations teach their children, grandchildren and others how to fish, weave, and make cultural art and costumes, and to hold ceremonies such as Welcome Baby to Country. It's a way for those who didn't grow up with a connection to family and culture to find that connection and sense of belonging. "Matt [Chilly] does his emu feathers and he's weaving, and he's telling his story with the importance of technique, and art and creativity," Aunty Thelma said. "He's a creative young man, and it's so important to be able to provide that art. The stories of assimilation and the threat of the welfare board would never be forgotten by those who lived through that period, Aunty Thelma said. But by holding the camp, elders hoped to reinforce their pride in their culture and share their customs and skills with their most important asset — their children. "I'm just so grateful to be able to continue this tradition of being in this place, and it does mean a lot to me," Aunty Thelma said. National Reconciliation Week runs from May 27 to June 3. This year's theme is Bridging Now to Next, which reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future, and how Australia can move forward by learning from past lessons.
