Latest news with #Larrakia
SBS Australia
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'This was Larrakia country first': Fil-Larrakia academic on the continuous fight for tradition and family
Dr Bilawara Lee is the Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and an Order of Australia medal recipient. Lee has authored children's books and created a podcast series around Larrakia culture and language. Known as 'the velvet steamroller' by those who are close to her, Lee shared that she doesn't mince words, especially when it comes to racism and bigotry. (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island readers are advised that the following article may contain images of people who have died.) "I'm a little brown-skinned old lady with a disability [from a stroke] now, but I will keep fighting to make things better for my children and grandchildren." Admittedly quick-witted, sharp-tongued and rebellious, Dr Bilawara Lee, also fondly known as Aunty B and Lola ['grandmother' in Filipino] B, has been at the forefront of keeping the Larrakia language, culture and tradition alive. Dr Bilawara Lee has been at the forefront of keeping the Larrakia language and culture alive and thriving. Credit: Dr Bilawara Lee The Larrakia is a group of Indigenous Australians from and around Darwin in the Northern Territory. They have the longest running land claim in the Northern Territory. A tragic love story Lee, the Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University (CDU) and an Order of Australia medal recipient, is part of the prominent Aboriginal-Filipino kin and the largest Larrakia clan, the Cubillo family. Some members of the prominent Cubillo family Credit: Dr Bilawara Lee "My Filipino great-grandfather Juan Cubillo came over for pearling. He married my great-grandmother, Lily. She was beautiful!" Lee shared that while the couple had children and were building their lives in Australia, Juan was homesick and wanted to visit his native Bohol. He went to the Philippines and then World War II broke out. He couldn't come back. He died not being able to come back to Australia. Dr Bilawara Lee, Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University "It was a really sad love story." Lee shared that all of Juan and Lily's children grew up well and had families of their own, and although the Cubillo children had very little time with their father, they continued to cultivate the Filipino traditions handed down to them. "We didn't learn the Filipino language — none of us did because great-grandfather left; but we've lived the culture and traditions." The Cubillo boys started the first ever Rondalla [Spanish stringed instruments that took hold in the Philippines] group. They did that really well. Dr Bilawara Lee, Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University "And as a child, I didn't learn Larrakia or Irish dancing. I learned stick dancing [tinikling] and the fan dance. Lee and her mother, Mary Credit: Dr Bilawara Lee "Of course, I grew up loving Filipino food - the adobo, lechon! Many young Filipinos [cringe] at dinuguan [pork blood stew], but it's yummy!" Ancient wisdom for modern times In as much as the Cubillo family continues to value their Filipino roots, Lee says that her life's work revolves around making sure that the Larrakia language and culture persist. "For many years, I've travelled and spoken at festivals and conferences, but you can only speak to so many people at one time. I'm 75 now and it's exhausting, so I thought ' What's the best way to get across to bigger audiences? '" Wanting to reach a bigger audience, Lee wrote colourful picture books for children and did a podcast series around the Larrakia culture and language. "I've gotten into more modern media with the help of my nephews, nieces and grandchildren. The mode may be modern, but I believe in ancient wisdom that helps young ones live better lives. It's all about living a life of kindness, respect, hard work, and commitment. Dr Bilawara Lee, Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University When it comes to commitment, Lee is dedicated to upholding Larrakia tradition on campus and developing a Larrakia master plan for the NT government. Lee, an Order of Australia awardee, is dedicated to upholding Larrakia tradition on campus and developing a Larrakia master plan for the NT government. Credit: Dr Bilawara Lee "My master plan for the NT government includes seeing street names, suburbs, and buildings with Larrakia names. "As a full-time Larrakia person on campus in CDU ... they see me as an ambassador. I'm involved with the curriculum. "I'm a Gurdimin-ba Bali as well ... so when the medical centre here opens, I'm going to be teaching about traditional healing." Gurdimin-ba Bali is the Larrakia term for 'Spirit Doctor'. Aside from being a healer, a Gurdimin-ba Bali is also a teacher of Aboriginal spirituality. "I'd like to think I've made an impact and change in the health and education in the NT for the benefit of First Nations people and the multicultural community," Lee shared. The Velvet Steamroller Achievements aside, what Lee has become known for is her "persuasiveness" and "straightforwardness". "People call me the 'velvet steamroller'. I'm very transparent. People know I say it how it is. I don't mince words when I'm not happy about something, especially when it comes to racism and bigotry. Lee is known for her "persuasiveness" and "straightforwardness". Credit: Dr Bilawara Lee "Many people come from a Western eco-centric point of view and believe things should be a certain way. No, they don't have to be. In the end, this was Larrakia country first. You came later, so don't tell me your way is better than mine. Dr Bilawara Lee, Larrakia academic-in-residence at Charles Darwin University "I'm proud of who I am, of raising children and grandchildren who are close and proud of their heritage — Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, and Larrakia."
The Advertiser
17-06-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Land clearing for defence housing remains on hold
Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation. Further land-clearing work for defence housing at a sensitive Indigenous site is on hold following a ruling that a legal challenge must be resolved first. Eighteen hectares of land at Lee Point, north of Darwin, has already been cleared by Defence Housing Australia to make way for an 800-home development. The area - known as Binybara to its traditional owners - is home to endangered birds including the Gouldian finch and has heritage significance for the Larrakia people. Advocacy group Environmental Justice Australia said the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal had ruled site work cannot continue until a legal challenge from Larrakia Elder Tibby Quall was heard. "This significant decision provides vital interim protection for a place of great cultural and ecological importance to the Larrakia people," EJA said in a statement on Tuesday. EJA, the Environment Centre NT and Mr Quall allege the necessary plans and approvals had not been produced for the project under the NT Planning Act. Defence Housing voluntarily stopped work at Lee Point in August 2023 to allow a cultural heritage application to be assessed after members of the Larrakia nation described the area as culturally significant and asked that it be preserved. The application was rejected in March 2024, despite pleas to then federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to act to protect threatened species in the area. But the EJA said the tribunal had found the NT Heritage Council's process of consultation was flawed because it failed to consult Mr Quall. It also found the council failed to consider its heritage significance. "An acknowledgement like this from the tribunal is really strong. Our culture and this case will remain, for our children in the future, their children, they will have something," Mr Quall said in a statement. EJA lawyer Kip Frawley said Mr Quall had been clear since he first objected to the development in 2017 that "this is Larrakia Country and the sacred sites and cultural objects on Larrakia Country belong to them, and to the land". The tribunal ruled Defence Housing must stop work at Lee Point until the tribunal's proceedings were finally determined. In May, Defence Housing was fined $18,780 for illegally clearing land at the site. The EJA said a community blockade of the site in 2023 drew national attention to the issue but risks to the land remained. "The injunction marks a critical moment, ensuring no further damage can occur while the tribunal matter proceeds." Defence Housing said in a statement to AAP it was considering the tribunal's decision. "The Lee Point development is a significant project not just for Defence families but for its contribution to the NT economy and its assistance in addressing Darwin's critical housing shortage." Defence Housing said out of the site's 132 hectares more than 33 hectares would be set aside for conservation purposes, while more than 22 hectares would transfer to the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security to expand the Casuarina Coastal Reserve. It said that following an archaeological survey, artefacts from the site were relocated with the participation of traditional owners and were now securely held by the Larrakia Development Corporation.
Los Angeles Times
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Distilling seven Australian seasons in a bottle ... with ants
Ants in gin, Australia's rule-breaking chefs, Adam Leonti's date-night pasta, curbing L.A.'s cream-top enthusiasm, Chin Chin's endangered Chinese chicken salad and more. I'm Laurie Ochoa, general manager of L.A. Times Food, with this week's Tasting Notes. For Daniel Motlop and his fellow Larrakia people in the Darwin region of northern Australia, there are not four seasons but seven. Some seem intuitive for outsiders to grasp — the rainy season (balnba), monsoon season (dalay), heavy dew time (dinidjanggama) and big wind season (gurrulwa). Others are named not only for weather changes but animal and plant patterns as well as harvest traditions, such as barramundi and bush fruit time (damibila), build-up time (dalirrgang) and the speargrass, magpie goose egg and 'knock 'em down' season (mayilema). These seasonal variations are different from ones observed by other indigenous societies in the country. 'In Australia,' said Motlop, who built on his fame as an Australian rules football star to become a native foods entrepreneur, 'we've got over 500 different aboriginal groups.' For instance, the Woiwurrung, of the Yarra River Valley in the country's southern reaches, observe eel (iuk) season and kangaroo-apple (garrawang) season. A sense of place, ancestry and the rhythms of nature are important for Motlop. Which is why he named his distillery company Seven Seasons — to honor the heritage, he says, 'of my grandmother's country up in Darwin.' Last week, Motlop was in Southern California pouring samples of some of his distilled spirits at the Great Australian Bite, an L.A. Times food event held at chef Curtis Stone's Four Stones Farm in Agoura Hills. 'Different signs in nature tell us when a season's starting,' Motlop said during the welcome drink hour. 'A lot of these native ingredients represents a certain season.' One of his most popular distilled spirits is a kind of vodka made, Motlop said, with 'yams harvested by aboriginal people up at the top end of Australia' during the rainy season. In the build-up season, just before the rains hit, he said, 'you can't really find that yam.' But with the rains' arrival, little bell flowers pop up from the yams in the ground, a sign that the tubers, which come in multiple varieties, can be harvested. One of the yams Motlop's team uses in Seven Seasons spirits is 'quite creamy,' he said, 'and another one is a bit like horseradish.' These are blended together, evoking, Motlop said, 'the flavor of the earth.' His most unusual and sought-after spirit might be green ant gin, made with boobialla, which is a native flowering juniper; strawberry gum, a kind of eucalyptus with a bell-shaped fruit; lemon myrtle; pepper berry, and, floating in the liquid if you give the bottle a shake like a snow globe, green bush ants, which Motlop says adds a pop of citrus flavor. (He points out that only the worker ants are used for the gin and the harvest never happens during the ants' breeding season.) Seven Seasons' spirits aren't easy to find at this moment in Southern California, but gin from another Australian small craft distillery pouring at last week's event, Four Pillars, based in the Yarra Valley, is sold in many L.A.-area stores, including Total Wine and Woodland Hills Wine. 'Australia went from about eight distilleries to about 600 distilleries in a period of about 20 years,' wine and spirits writer Mike Bennie said at the event. 'There's been a massive interest in the utilization of native ingredients in Australia ... and tasting Australia through the native things that don't grow anywhere else.' Native ingredients are just one aspect of Australian culture that make its cuisine distinct from other places and hard to define. In some respects, it's like California, both for its climate, openness to new flavors and the multiplicity of international influences that appear on the plate. Last week, restaurant critic Bill Addison wrote about eating at Jung Eun Chae and Yoora Yoon's Korean restaurant Chae outside of Melbourne, where the food, he said, 'expressed another side of the culinary Korean diaspora unlike anything I've experienced.' Clare Falzon, who traveled from her Barossa Valley restaurant Staġuni to join Stone as co-chef for the Great Australian Bite, brings her family's Maltese heritage into her cooking. 'I'm utilizing memories from my childhood experiences from when I was overseas, as well as produce from Australia,' she said after serving guests freshly baked flatbread topped with smoked tomato cream, amaranth, sumac and basil. 'Malta has Italy to the north and North Africa to the south so that's quite a lot of cultures smashed together.' 'You know, your background is Maltese, mine are convicts,' Stone said to Falzon, taking a break from the grill where he was serving spiced lamb ribs to the crowd. 'The truth is, we're rule breakers in Australia. We're a little anti-authoritarian. And I think you see that in the cuisine. You see lots of different multicultural influences and you also see a real spirit.' Date-night pasta: Watch Alba chef Adam Leonti make his lightly smoky spaghetti with lemon, which may be the perfect dish to make for a date. Find the recipe here.
ABC News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Wild One: Drifting Clouds - Bawuypawuy
Conceived in the homelands of Bunhungura, ancient landscapes combine with ancestral Songlines for this week's transcendent Wild One from Yolngu artist Drifting Clouds, 'Bawuypawuy'. Drifting Clouds is the solo project of Terry Guyula, who draws upon an eclectic mix of musical genres, ancestral Songlines, Dreamtime stories, indigenous culture and life in community to create an inspired vision of First Nations artistry. Terry explains that his debut single 'Bawuypawuy', sung in his first language; Liyawulma'mirr-Djambarrpuyngu, a language of Yolngu Matha, 'is about the sea becoming rough and tough and also it is on the Songlines we dance and sing". The music video is directed by rage favourite Matt Sav, who skillfully captures the gorgeous natural beauty of Larrakia Country in all its dreamy 16mm glory. "It is a huge privilege to work on a project that is a songline from Terry's country' says Matt. 'I need to thank Zac who asked if I could help out and who collaborated on it from the start, and Terry for trusting me with his song. Also I want to Acknowledge and pay my respect to the Larrakia people whos country we shot the video on. 'This was my first time shooting on 16mm by myself with a super 16 bolex that my star dp Lewis Potts' dad jimmied with a lightswitch so we can power it with a V-Lock [battery]. Ghetto but functional setup'. Matt's ghetto/functional setup also translated into the set design for 'Bawuypawuy', with the whole team coming together to ensure that every piece of equipment was right where it needed to be. He explains 'we needed to prop the speakers up with something, and Zac (producer) said 'what about bricks? I have heaps of bricks at home'. I said 'I don't think we should use bricks, we need to carry them 500m across sand while the tide is moving fast. Have you carried any bricks before Zac?'. The next morning at sunrise, I ask Zac, what did you bring to prop the speakers up. He looks at me with a sheepish grin, ' Well if you look at the bts closely you can see us all happily carrying bricks across a croc infested creek as the tide is rising." "The funniest is about making this video, my director put me in the lake when it's cold season' says Terry. He also adds 'the BTS Crew makes me feel more confident by talking to me what to do and how to look at the camera."
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Defence Housing Australia fined for unlawful land clearing at Darwin's Lee Point
A Commonwealth-owned defence housing company has been fined more than $18,000 for unlawfully clearing land at a popular birdwatching area on the outskirts of Darwin. Defence Housing Australia (DHA) is planning to build a residential housing complex for military personnel and their families at the site at Lee Point, to support an expanding defence presence in the Northern Territory. The project has long faced opposition from environmentalists and some Larrakia people due to the risks posed to cultural heritage and threatened species, including the Gouldian finch. DHA resumed bulldozing trees at the site in April last year following a tense showdown with protesters that led to multiple arrests and sparked claims of unlawful land clearing. After a year-long investigation into the claims, the federal environment department has now issued DHA an infringement notice of $18,780 for clearing land at Lee Point in breach of its environmental approvals. The breach relates to clearing land outside of the approved stage of development. In a statement, DHA said it "takes compliance matters seriously and is committed to ensuring strict adherence with approvals across all development projects". "The infringement was issued following DHA clearing a small area between 30 April and 2 May 2024 that was not in compliance with its Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 conditions at the time," a DHA spokesperson said. "This infringement notice does not affect the validity of DHA's environmental approvals." Australian Conservation Foundation lead investigator Annica Schoo said she was pleased DHA had been fined, but frustrated the land was unlawfully cleared in the first place. "And yet they were still able to breach their environmental approval doing something that destroyed habitat — this exact habitat that everyone cares so much about." Environment Centre NT executive director Kirsty Howey said the fine was "little more than a slap on the wrist" and "shows how profoundly broken our environmental laws are". The controversial housing development has faced significant delays in recent years. DHA paused works for about 12 months in 2022 while then-environment minister Tanya Plibersek assessed the project's impact on the endangered Gouldian Finch. In August 2023, works were again paused for eight months after Larrakia elders made an emergency application to Ms Plibersek. Larrakia Danggalaba community leader Lorraine Williams is now calling on federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to revoke DHA's approval "to stop any further cultural and ecological destruction at Lee Point". Mr Watt has been contacted for comment.
