Latest news with #LimestoneCoast
ABC News
4 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Voices of our Elders captures Indigenous history from Limestone Coast
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."
ABC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Cast in Blue sculpture arrives in Mount Gambier
A sculpture widely criticised for its unusual design and cost has received a positive welcome in Mount Gambier at an unveiling kept quiet until it was complete. The sculpture, Cast in Blue, represents a kind of mythical megafauna, like those found in the nearby Naracoorte Caves, in the colour of Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake. The City of Mount Gambier council paid $136,000 for the sculpture, while also raising its rates by 10 per cent last year and 8 per cent this year. The cost and the design received backlash online, and Cast in Blue was nicknamed "the blue blob". But during the unveiling on Wednesday afternoon, Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin said the price was worth it to bring people into the city's CBD and to introduce them to stories about the Limestone Coast's natural history. "But art, like all great things, is meant to challenge us, delight us, and stay with us long after we have seen it." Social media posts about the sculpture's unveiling attracted hundreds of negative comments within hours. But negative comments were harder to find among those at the unveiling and people walking past. Stella, 10, and her friend Bethany, 11, both liked the colour of the sculpture. "I like that it's dark blue," Stella said. "I think it's very big and blue," Bethany said. Melbourne tourist Sarah Smail said it was "quite striking" and had an interesting backstory about local history, but she understood why people might baulk at the cost. "Well, that's a lot of money, and I can understand that people are probably a bit undecided on whether money could be better spent," she said. "Art is in the eye of the beholder — not everyone is going to appreciate it." Melbourne architects Tom Proctor and Mitch Walker designed the sculpture, which Sculpture Co then fabricated. Despite its nickname, Mr Proctor said Cast in Blue was not very blob-like and instead represented a real thing that was identifiable as an imagined piece of megafauna. "I think that's a pretty unfair characterisation of what it is, I would say," he said. In answer to critics of the cost, Mr Walker said it would be more of a waste of money if the project "faded into the fabric of the city". "We're not trying to be incendiary or reactionary, but I think this project has had a very high impact," he said. "[It] has gotten a lot of people talking about … what the identity of Mount Gambier is to them, what public art should look like to them and whether they agree with this piece or not, they've been forced to really solidify their position on that." University of South Australia associate professor of contemporary art Gretchen Coombs said Cast in Blue looked fun, reflected the local history and location, and had a sense of "come to me". "I think it will be great for the local economy and reflecting the local identity, which is often what public art should do," she said. Dr Coombs said people usually warmed to contemporary public art over time, even if it was controversial when first installed, especially if visitors appreciated it. "Then people become quite, 'Wow, well, it's not as bad as I thought. My cousin from wherever came and they really thought it was interesting. Maybe it's not so bad,'" she said.
ABC News
25-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
King tides, wild winds destroy jetties, cause flooding on SA coast
King tides, rain and strong winds have battered South Australia's coast, destroying three historic jetties and flooding properties with seawater. Wind gusts of 91 kilometres per hour were recorded at Cape Jaffa yesterday and gust of 78kph were recorded at Robe. At Kingston South East on the Limestone Coast the tide and wind completely split the 161-year-old jetty in two. "We do understand part of it has certainly collapsed and it's detached from one end to the other," Kingston District Council chief executive Ian Hart said. "It's probably not salvageable for a repair. The tide, waves and wind also forced water up the Maria Creek and led to flooding in low-lying areas. Roads were closed and power was cut to the Rosetown area for safety reasons. Thirty-six homes are still without electricity. Tony Bryant's home is near the creek and said the flooding turned his home into "an island". "We live over the back of Maria Creek, which has burst its bank with the king tide and the wind surge and flooded all of Rosetown again," he said. Mr Hart said the flooding was significant. "People who lived in the area a lot longer than I have say they've never seen anything like it for 50 years or more," he said. The busy tourist town of Robe's jetty – already closed due to damage from a storm a month ago – was also split in two and one home was inundated as the Lake Butler Marina flooded. Robe District Council chief executive Nat Traeger said the jetty was estimated to be worth $250,000. "There's some long-time locals there that have said they've not seen the coast or the sea as violent as it has been," she said. Part of the esplanade road at Fox Beach was washed away when waves crashed through and over sand dunes. "We've done some emergency work late last night … but we are now in a situation where we have road and foreshore side by side," Ms Traeger said. "There is no stop-gap with a sand dune there at all, so that is going to be a major problem for us and that road will be closed indefinitely." To the north, Normanville's 157-year-old jetty was also destroyed. Kiosk owner Rhett Day said the wind and waves slowly tore the jetty apart over the course of about five hours. "Now, there's just a couple of pylons sitting out on their own with a couple of twisted and buckled hand rails," he said.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Ghost mushroom season off to slow start under dry conditions in SA's south east
Drought conditions have slowed mushroom growth in South Australia's south-east, including the glowing fungi that has become a popular tourist attraction. Walk the Limestone Coast owner Natasha Dawson has been running ghost mushroom tours in the lower Limestone Coast for the past five years. She said that while the bioluminescent species Omphalotus nidiformis was found across Australia, the Limestone Coast, particularly its forested areas, was the hotspot for them. ForestrySA set up the Ghost Mushroom Lane tourist attraction in 2017, but a poor season in 2023 led to visits to Glencoe confined to tours run by Ms Dawson. So far this year, even she has yet to find enough of the mushrooms to take groups through. "I've found small patches [but] not enough that I would normally like to run a tour," Ms Dawson said. "The key thing is they're just not glowing." Local photographer Steve Chapple said he had also noticed a slow start to the mushroom season. "There's been a fairly significant lack of rain for everybody," he said. Ms Dawson said the ghost fungi species was sensitive to changes to the microclimate. "Of course they need rain, but we also think that they might have needed those really cold nights that we start getting in May to help as well," she said. Flinders University mycologist Michael Taylor said a lack of moisture in the soil meant the fungi had a harder time forming mushrooms. "A really good winter season is normally preceded by a good wet summer," Dr Taylor said. "So the longer it is dry for, the less likely it is that we're going to see a whole lot of mushrooms pop out." Dr Taylor said while no surveying had been undertaken, his observations were that it had "not been a great year for mushrooms so far". "We might see what we call a flush [of mushrooms] towards the end of winter, or into spring, if conditions stay a little bit wet and a little bit more moderate in temperature," he said. "Or we might just have a crumby season all round. Hopefully, we get some better rains next year." He said the lack of glowing could be an indicator that the fungi were not well-fed or were stressed. Ms Dawson said that with recent rain and cooler temperatures, she was hopeful the mushrooms would appear soon. Mr Chapple said he had recently started taking groups out on photography tours as mushrooms have begun to appear, including ghost mushrooms. "It's always cyclical," he said. "But I was panicking about some of the rarer ones that people come from interstate to see. It was a bit difficult to find them this year." In the long term, Dr Taylor said climate change could also change the distribution of different species. "There's probably going to be a mixture of introduced fungi, temperature, rainfall, and a few things that may well change what fungi we see and where we see them over the next 10 to 20 years," he said.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Mount Gambier's queer art trail celebrates regional creators during Pride Month
Chelsea Dynan has only been in Mount Gambier a short time, but reconnecting with art has helped her find her place in her new home. To start Pride Month, a queer art trail has been established to promote LGBTQIA+ visibility in common community spaces. Dynan has entered art competitions and exhibitions before, including winning the Packer Prize at the Penola Art Show. But putting her work in the first local queer art trail as a bisexual woman has been one of her most vulnerable experiences. "When I was back home, I didn't feel safe to be myself. "Having this opportunity and showcasing that we can put ourselves out there and be seen and heard and feel safe in doing so, that's been the biggest impact for me." Dynan's art captured a group she felt a strong connection with — medical students who had just moved from home to Mount Gambier to study. "I wanted to celebrate other people as well as being able to showcase myself in some form of anonymity, so that it's not me in the image," she said. "I get to celebrate women and other people who are living in this township." The queer art trail includes work from LGBTQIA+ artists throughout the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. The exhibition is on display in public places throughout SA's second-largest city, including the Riddoch Art Gallery, shopping centres and cafes. Artworks are on display from people aged nine to 50. Kit Cooper helped organise the event and also entered their own pyrography work, something they started after being diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). "These particular pieces were created from a point of calm and zen, just a chance to centre myself amidst the chaos. "I have four children and obviously a lot of organisation going on, so my art is my safe space for myself." Cooper said having the exhibition in busy places in Mount Gambier was important. "I'm incredibly proud of what has been pulled together," they said. "The artists have come together, the community is taking notice and appreciating queer artists. "It's been wonderful seeing it be so successful, more successful than I admit I even estimated that it might." Patrick Smith has been a long-term advocate for queer representation in Mount Gambier and is working on a set of artworks for a full solo exhibition in his home town. He said visibility for the local LGBTQIA+ community was important to create lasting change. "The incidental appearance of queer iconography, queer motifs, and themes is also to show that you are going to bump into a queer person regardless of the space you're going to be in," he said. Smith said his art focused on subverting the normalised way of looking at the human body. "You can then get a very homogeneous and very staid look on the world," he said. "But to be able to bring in different ways, different angles, to interpret and understand the world around us, it will only make it better and richer."
