Oorala 40th Celebration Program

Robbie Griffiths: Proud Anaiwan man and Cultural and Heritage Sites Officer with Anewan Aboriginal Corporation. He holds cultural knowledge and has a long standing family connection to Armidale and Walcha.

10:00 - 10:30: Welcome to Country, Official speeches , Aboriginal Dance Group with Sharnae, and Anaiwan and Kamilaroi community member and Newara Language Facilitator.

Sharon Cutmore is a local Anaiwan woman who will be creating a stunning artwork in one of UNE’s open spaces between Oorala and Boolominbah to celebrate our 40 years.  Sharon’s work has a deep connection to Country, uses natural earth and sand materials to tell a story that reflects culture, identity and the environment. Sharon’s Earth Art is inspired from the cultural connections she has within, using the different colours of earth to create an Aboriginal design that connects to the local area and brings a different vision to Aboriginal Art.

Sharon will create a unique artwork inspired by the Oorala Aboriginal Centre and the many people how have been part of the Oorala journey for many years.

A family dance group based in Tamworth, NSW, proudly showcasing traditional Torres Strait Islander dances originating from the Dauareb Tribe of Murray (Mer) Island. Our name, Kebi Deo, honours Deo Village on Murray Island, reflecting our family's connection to Country, culture and community. Through dance, we aim to celebrate, share and keep our Torres Strait Islander culture and traditions strong for future generations.

Kamilaroi artist, Dolly Jerome from nearby Tenterfield is a master weaver and will be joining us to share her love of the ancient art of weaving and giving you the opportunity to learn the traditional techniques. Dolly will demonstrate the traditional uses of natural plant materials.  Some of the demonstrations will be making string, making a bracelet/necklace and basket weaving.

Join Angela from Whimsy Paints who will be sparking joy with our young visitors by transforming faces into creative canvases.  With a range of fun, creative designs, children can choose their favourite artwork, relax and let Angela create a masterpiece on their face!

“Rola (Stone)”  (2022, 31mins)
Rola is the Anaiwan word for “stone”. This film explores the inseparable connection between geology, landscapes and culture on Anaiwan Country (Northern Tablelands area of NSW). All places have parallel narratives—the scientific and spiritual, that govern our relationship with them. Woven together, these perspectives invite us to rethink the ways we understand the deep and recent past, present and future of the world around us.

Our UNE Archaeology team will lead demonstrations and hands-on activities (not for the under 10s) in stone tool making, stripping bark

A local acoustic duo and live music act who regularly perform across the Armidale area, including at the St Kilda Hotel. Their family-friendly acoustic sets feature popular hits spanning the 1970s through to the 2000s, offering a great mix of familiar favourites for audiences of all ages to enjoy.

Callum Clayton-Dixon is a leading Anaiwan language revivalist, historian and researcher who works to reclaim and teach the ancestral Indigenous language of the New England Tableland in NSW.  Callum will take attendees through a short language session to introduce language to anyone attending the event who is interested in exploring this ancestral language.

Nathan Lyons (#madfeedz)

Nathan Lyons is “Kooking with a Koori”. A proud Wiradjuri man, Nathan, through his popular #madfeedz videos,has built a massive following of more than 127,000 people and racked up over 1.4 million likes on TikTok, sharing affordable, hearty meals that the whole family can enjoy.

Nathan’s message is simple; you don’t need to spend big or rely on fast food to put a good meal on the table. With a little creativity and a little time in the kitchen, you can create delicious, satisfying food without breaking the bank.

Come along, watch Nathan in action, meet him face-to-face, and get your very own copy of Kooking with a Koori cookbook signed!

Join Emma and the Oorala team to create some cultural craft

Come along, get comfy and listen to some wonderful stories for little imaginations!

BackTrack is a local enterprise helping young people learn to connect, do life, read and write.  BackTrack’s mission is to keep kids alive, out of jail, and chasing their hopes and dreams. The BackTrack core program helps young people develop literacy, numeracy, life skills and employability skills. Designed for 11-18 year olds giving them practical, immersive, and supported environments to learn. PawsUp is one of BackTrack’s programs to engage youth. It has developed into a highly successful dog high jumping team.  Through the dogs, young people connect with others and build trust, learn self-discipline while disciplining the dogs and learn self-confidence and communication skills from public performance.

(2024, 38mins)

In 2019 and again in 2023, the unprecedented deaths of millions of fish along the Barka near Menindee, in far western NSW, signalled the river's devastating decline.

More than a Fish Kill traces how, in the wake of the Menindee fish kills, artists, scientists and First Nations custodians came together to form a remarkable collaboration. Over four years, regional artist-run organisation, The Cad Factory, worked with NSW Fisheries managers and the Barkindji and Wiradjuri communities to explore what it means when our rivers are sick. This surprising group of people collectively created a series of spectacular art events that bridged cultural and geographical boundaries to demonstrate how celebrating the values of waterways helps heal communities living with ecological catastrophe.

More than a Fish Kill doesn't pull any punches about the sad state of the Barka, but it is uplifting rather than depressing, suggesting how Australians can come together for a better future.

Aboriginal Dance Group with Sharnae, and Anaiwan and Kamilaroi community member and Newara Language Facilitator.

Are an Australian folk and country-style musical act known for their lively performances at regional festivals, community events and local venues. They have performed as part of a number of Armidale’s community arts and music celebrations, including events at Black Gully. Their distinctive blend of folk and country sounds will add a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere to the day.

Come along, get comfy and listen to some wonderful stories for little imaginations!

(2004, 25 mins)

YELLOW FELLA is a portrait of the late Balang Tom E. Lewis who as a young man in 1978 was chosen by director Fred Schepisi to star in THE CHANT OF JIMMY BLACKSMITH. The life of the character he played was hauntingly close to his own – a restless young man of mixed heritage, struggling between two cultures to find his own identity.

Tom's mother is an Indigenous woman from southern Arnhem Land who was working as a station hand and cook when she met Tom's father, a Welsh stockman named Hurtle Lewis. Tom's mother refused to marry Hurtle and raised Tom with little knowledge of his real father.

In this beautifully shot and moving film, Balang Tom E. Lewis embarks with his mother on a journey into the outback of the Northern Territory to try to find his father's grave. The journey into his past brings painful memories to Tom and challenges his sense of his own identity, ultimately finding strength in his love for both his white father and his Aboriginal step-father.

Note:  Tom E. Lewis passed away in May 2018, 14 years after this film was made.

Callum Clayton-Dixon is a leading Anaiwan language revivalist, historian and researcher who works to reclaim and teach the ancestral Indigenous language of the New England Tableland in NSW.  Callum will take attendees through a short language session to introduce language to anyone attending the event who is interested in exploring this ancestral language.

Nathan Lyons (#madfeedz)

Nathan Lyons is “Kooking with a Koori”. A proud Wiradjuri man, Nathan, through his popular #madfeedz videos,has built a massive following of more than 127,000 people and racked up over 1.4 million likes on TikTok, sharing affordable, hearty meals that the whole family can enjoy.

Nathan’s message is simple; you don’t need to spend big or rely on fast food to put a good meal on the table. With a little creativity and a little time in the kitchen, you can create delicious, satisfying food without breaking the bank.

Come along, watch Nathan in action, meet him face-to-face, and get your very own copy of Kooking with a Koori cookbook signed!

Come along, get comfy and listen to some wonderful stories for little imaginations!

(2011, 27 mins)
Ochre and Ink tells the extraordinary story of artist Zhou Xiaoping and his inspiring 23 year collaboration with Aboriginal artists in the Maningrida area in the heart of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Trained as a traditional Chinese brush painter in Anhui Province, Xiaoping arrived in Australia in 1988 knowing almost nothing about the country. On a whim, he travelled to the heart of the outback, where he was surprised to see Aboriginal people for the first time. He became fascinated by their art and culture, and they welcomed him into their communities where the artists showed him their techniques of painting with ochre on bark.

Now Xiaoping is visiting the famous artist Johnny Bulunbulun and his family, working on paintings for a major exhibition to be held in Beijing, on the theme of the 300 year trade in Trepang (sea cucumber) from the Aboriginal people of northern Australia via Macassan traders to China. Johnny is keen to travel to China for the exhibition; but tragically, he dies before he can make the journey. Instead, Johnny's wife and son attend the exhibition opening at the imposing Capital Museum in Beijing and perform an emotional ceremony in his honour. Later Xiaoping shows his Aboriginal friends some of the fascinating sights of Beijing.

A much-loved New England High Country band with a distinctive sound that blends country, rock, reggae and blues. Regular performers at regional festivals, community events and local venues, they’ve entertained audiences at events including the Armidale Community Ball, A Day in the Dale, A Day on the Green and the National NAIDOC Awards. A firm favourite with local audiences, Terra Firma are sure to get the crowd up and dancing!

Come along, get comfy and listen to some wonderful stories for little imaginations!

Our UNE Archaeology team will lead demonstrations and hands-on activities (not for the under 10s) in stone tool making, stripping bark

“Rola (Stone)”  (2022, 31mins)
Rola is the Anaiwan word for “stone”. This film explores the inseparable connection between geology, landscapes and culture on Anaiwan Country (Northern Tablelands area of NSW). All places have parallel narratives—the scientific and spiritual, that govern our relationship with them. Woven together, these perspectives invite us to rethink the ways we understand the deep and recent past, present and future of the world around us.