NEWSLETTER #37, March 2009 Saving Coranderrk (reported “If the guys weren’t there the fire in the Koori Mail, 25 February, would’ve burnt out the heritage 2009) buildings and that would have The historic homestead on been such a loss for the Coranderrk Station was saved community.” from the Healesville bushfires. Coranderrk is a living icon of Doreen Garvey-Wandin received Wurundjeri history. We appreciate word that the station was on fire. its importance to the Wandin Her sons, Tony and George with family; we value its preservation her brother Allan Wandin (who and acknowledge that it has a care-takes the property), and with significant meaning for the whole help from the CFA, brought the community. fires under control. WINDAMARA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION, HEYWOOD In early February a group of walkers from the MU Alumni when trading with neighbouring Aboriginal people. This Bushwalking Club stayed for 7 days at Cape Bridgewater. provided an economic basis for the development of a settled I organised for Damien Bell, society, and they built hundreds of circular stone huts manager of the Lake Condah clustered into villages. Sustainable Development Following European settlement in the areas in the Project and chairman of the 1830s they fought for their land for more than 20 Windamara Aboriginal years during the Eumerella wars. After finally being Corporation, to talk to us at displaced from their land the government set up a the Centre. After the mission station at Lake Condah. These mission lands introductory talk Damien and were returned in 1987. Unfortunately the wetlands Jason escorted us to their land had been drained in 1954 to make way for soldier near Tyrendarra, where we settler farms available only to returning white saw a sophisticated system of soldiers – Reg Saunders, who came back with a VC, eel traps and stone houses was denied land as were many other Aboriginal built centuries ago by the soldiers from the area. Gunditjmara people. The Budj Plans are currently in place to Bim National Heritage restore the wetlands to their landscape is home to the original state. A tender to do remains of Australia’s oldest this has been advertised to fill and largest aquaculture system – approximately 8000 600-700 acres of wetlands with years old. It was included in the National Heritage water from the Darlots Creek. list in 2004. (Darlots means “always flow- The story of the Gunditjmara people of western ing”.) This will bring back the Victoria is intimately related to the volcanic eruption eels and associated cultural of Mount Eccles around 30,000 years ago. The lava activity. flow changed the drainage pattern in the area, Damien also took us to a creating large wetlands. recently erected dry stone Beginning thousands of years ago the Gunditjmara sculpture which is a wonderful people developed this landscape through the representation of an eel trap. construction of an ingenious system of channels, fishtraps and This project was initiated by Regional Arts Victorian in weirs. They provided ideal conditions for growing and partnership with Lake Condah Sustainability Project, a part of harvesting eels, which the Gunditjmara used as their currency Winda Mara Aboriginal Corporation. Kay Pitts NRG correspondence to: PO Box 1017, Research VIC 3095 Website: www.vicnet.net.au/~nrgp Newsletter contributions to: [email protected] Note: Some articles, excerpts of articles or images in this Newsletter may be provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use” WHAT’S ON WHAT WAS ON IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY Sunday 15 March: GAWA Trail clean-up, 10am till Noon. The Liz Cavanagh Quintet Rakes, weeders, bags useful. at the Eltham Jazz & Blues Festival, Sunday Sunday 22 March: The Mullum Mullum Festival Indigenous 25th January, 2009 Day, Yarran Dheran Reserve, Mitcham Mel 49 B6 In our efforts to try something http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mulfest/mmf2009_program.htm different to bring the Sunday May 26: National Sorry Day followed by Reconciliation message to a Reconciliation Week. Events TBA. wider and different group in the community, we approached Friday and Saturday, May 29-30: The Past Matters Festival: the Eltham Jazz and Blues Indigenous Writers and Writing. An exciting and stimulating Festival organizers with a proposal to have an Indigenous line-up of books and authors; a celebration of Reconciliation. group represented at the festival, which NRG would sponsor. Programmes out soon. They accepted the idea with enthusiasm, and so did Liz and CLOSE THE GAP? her group of musicians. For two hours on Sunday afternoon her voice wafted out from the Town Square to a captivated What is happening for Aboriginal people in Victoria? audience. Liz sings in a variety of styles, not all jazz or blues. Friday March 20: 7.30pm Living and Learning Centre Her vivacious manner captured hearts, and between numbers Aboriginal leader, Vicki Clark (Catholic Aboriginal Ministry) she put across her own reconciliation message. and Tom Schauble, (Oxfam Victorian Campaigns Co- And while Liz sang we manned a stall in the space near the ordinator) will speak about Indigenous programmes closer to fountain that the organizers had allocated, selling tapes, bush home. This meeting is a partnership of NRG, Oxfam and foods, cards and other bits and pieces, as well as handing out Micah Social Justice Group. Bring yourselves, your friends, information about reconciliation and our group. For the whole your curiosity and your questions. festival our large banner hung behind the performance stage, as well as the Aboriginal and Australian flags, so no one could We are delighted that these two significant leaders in deny our presence. Indigenous programs have accepted our invitation, a most valuable opportunity to hear them in Eltham. Oxfam initially Thanks to all the volunteers who manned the stall and made coined the title ‘Close the Gap’ for their campaign to improve Liz and her group feel so welcome. I have seen Liz since and Indigenous health outcomes. It is now used by the Federal she said that they would love to do it again. Her group had all Government to refer to efforts to improve health, welfare, agreed it was one of the best festivals they had performed at, housing and employment for Indigenous people. and their first jazz festival. The festival organisers have also indicated that they would like to make an Indigenous group a After a cuppa, this part of the meeting will end by 9.30pm. permanent feature of the festival. Thank you Liz and your Oxfam members will remain for their business meeting. quintet – you have inspired us! Don Brown And when you have found out what is being done and what is Mythology and Reality: Contemporary Aboriginal Art needed, you will have an opportunity to meet with Jenny from the Gabrielle Pizzi Collection Macklin, Minister for Indigenous Affairs, in April if she is In 1978 Gabrielle Pizzi began to collect Aboriginal art from available – to be confirmed. At that meeting we also hope to locations in the Northern Territory, Arnhem Land and Bathurst raise issues surrounding the NT Intervention. Island. When she died the collection comprised 130 paintings _____________________________________ and 60 sculptures. Approximately half of this treasure has been on display at the WANGARATTA TarraWarra Museum of Art since November. The entire A plaque in the main street near the public park: gallery space radiates with the colour and energy of artists who not only find inspiration in their ancient land, but spiritually In memory of the Pangerang Aborigines who once owned this become their country as they sing their paintings into beautiful valley before the coming of white settlers. Mary existence. Milewa, the last of her tribe died 6 November 1888. From Maningrida come the slender, watchful Mimih and “She walked in her world all alone.” Yawkyawk spirit beings, towering over the gathering of timber This memorial erected by W.S.G. and donated by the Dowling sculptures that accompany the pictorial travels and ceremonies Family, Pangerang descendants. hanging on the walls. I read this and choked up – we can be so affected by the These canvases pulsate with passion, with movement and history of the Aboriginal people of this country! The story told mystery. We walk among them and wonder at expressions of on this plaque of remembrance is so poignant – the whole personal cultural experience that can make forces and history of Indigenous Australia is there: their demise from emotions visible with the stroke of a brush. In all the blaze of slaughter, disease and lost hope in their future, the utter colour organic shapes recede and approach, forms connect and aloneness of the last one left. disperse, geology reveals itself, astronomy arranges images, But here is the remembering and honouring which the biology glows in minute shapes; all is joined in the web of survivors give to their Elder and Ancestor. And the place it has creativity. in the town is important too. It is there, central to the business There is too much to absorb in one sighting. There is a strong of the town, passed and read by its citizens. Once reviled and desire to see more, again and again. Gabrielle Pizzi was ostracised, Mary Milewa has a plaque of her own and a town known for her integrity and keen social conscience. She with her name. And we have given an Apology, and more will encouraged indigenous artists, she protected their interests. follow. Reconciliation is slow work but something of essential They provided her with outstanding work.