ABC Wednesdays - D for didgeridoo

The digeridoo is unique to our Australian aboriginal culture; originally from Arnhem Land, northern Australia. Digeridoos are made from limbs or tree trunks, eaten out by termites. They are cut to a length of about 1.3 metres and cleaned out by scraping or with hot coals.

I took this photo at last year's Come Out Festival; see related posts here and here.

The Didgeridoo is not normally played as a solo instrument; usually it is used to accompany a singer/dancer beating two sticks together.




The ABC Wednesday meme was initiated by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here.

Australia Day Concert - 1

After the Australia Day Parade there was a free concert at Elder Park. The first of three acts was performances of traditional and contemporary dance by two groups from the indigenous arts company 'Kurruru Performing Arts'.

Artist at Work

One of the art displays at the Spirit Festival was by Christopher Burthurmarr Crebbin. Christopher has been painting since he was a child; inspired by his mother and grandmother. He paints under his Aboriginal name, Burthurmarr, meaning Brolga and native companion.

Born in 1969 in Sydney, he has travelled throughout Australia and tells stories and expresses his views of the world through his art. He now lives in the Adelaide Hills.

2009 Spirit Festival

"Come and Expereience the Oldest Living Culture in the World" - the 2009 Spirit Festival is being held this weekend at Elder Park on the banks of the River Torrens. This is the second year the festival has been held; a free event due to sponsorships.

Besides the live musical entertainment on stage the festival includes visual arts, children's workshops, performing arts and sporting events.

The Pool of Tears

This is a monument erected at the site of Colebrook Home at Eden Hills. Many of the Stolen Generations' children lived here between 1943 and 1972.

ABC Wednesdays - S for Sorry Day

National Sorry Day has been held in Australia since 1998; a day of remembrance each year to commemorate the history of forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and its effects.

From the late 1800's until 1969 as many as 100,000 indigenous children were taken from their families in the name of assimilation. These children became known as the Stolen Generation.

Indigenous children were placed into government-run institutions, taken into church-run institutions and adopted or fostered by white families.

Yesterday a free community Sorry Day event was held in Victoria Square. This is a photo of one of the acts on stage; the lead singer Jarrad attended Warriappendi High School where I work in a computer support role. Students and staff from the school were there to support him.

The ABC Wednesday meme was created by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here

Marni Naabudni Tarndaganyangga

Marni Naabudni Tarndaganyangga - 'Welcome to the place of the red kangaroo" was the message given to students as they filed past the fountain. Two students from each school threw rocks into the fountain; equivalent to knocking on a door to seek permission to enter the space. This Aboriginal man explained the significance of the ritual and welcomed them as they filed past.

Come Out 2009

Come Out Festival, now in its 35th year, provides arts experiences specifically for the youth of SA. Schools across the state participate in a range of activities; music, dance, circus, theatre and cultural events.

The opening event was held in Victoria Square. The local Aboriginal Kaurna people regard this area as an important meeting place and call it Tarndaganyangga; the place of ‘red kangaroo and
rocks’.

Local Kaurna community and elders and members of Taikurtinna Dance group welcomed and entertained hundreds of students, their teachers and members of the public.

ABC Wednesdays - N for Nunga TV

Nunga TV was a series of television programmes produced by Indigenous Australian students at Warriapendi School. Nunga is a self-reference term used by local aboriginal people.

As with most radio and TV stations one must have a promotional vehicle, so the staff and students went about creating their own; learning and applying many useful skills along the way including mechanics and art.

Here is a link to a site that features 6 of the episodes produced in 2006.

The ABC Wednesday meme was created by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here

ABC Wednesdays - Y for Yourambulla Caves

About 360 kilometres north of Adelaide on the road to Hawker are three cave galleries in the Yallapa Hills. The Aboriginal rock paintings featured here are available for public viewing.

From the carpark just off the main road is a walking trail and a climb to the site high up the hillside. The location of the paintings was chosen carefully; sheltered from the elements.

The artwork is mainly done with black pigment; some with red ochre. It mainly relates to ceremonies associated with the site. There is sign nearby to help visitors interpret the paintings.

Click on the image for an enlarged view

As well as being able to view some art work of the Adnyamathanha people, the climb to the caves rewards you with a spectacular view.


To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' Anthology or to see direct links to their own sites go here using Mr Linky.

Warriparinga Bridge Mural

These aerosol can painted murals were produced by a group of young indigenous Australians as part of the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival. The design and planning work was done at the Kaurna Cultural Centre under the guidance of artist James Cochran.

The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre

This is very near to the Tjilbruke Gateway. The Living Kaurna Cultural Centre runs programs and activities to promote and preserve the Kaurna culture. It also has a heritage display. The Centre is open to the public on weekdays.

The Tjilbruke Gateway

This is yet another work of art representing the story of Tjilbruke. The forest of dead trees was created in 1995 near the Warraparinga Wetlands.

Circles around the tree trunks symbolise the fresh water springs formed from Tjilbruki's tear drops. The flow patterns on the ground refer to the gully winds for which the area is known, as well as the flow of the river and of life.

Kaurna landmark at Kingston Park

This sculpture is erected at Kingston Park, a southern beach suburb of Adelaide. Unveiled in 1972 by SA's governor, it is a reminder of the Kaurna people, the traditional Aboriginal inhabitants of the area.

It represents Tjilbruke and his nephew who, under tribal law, was slain for killing an emu. Click on the image below to read the full inscription.

Lie of the Land

These stone structures are a few of the 25 which can be seen adjacent to Sir Donald Bradman drive just west of the City. 'Lie of the Land' was created in 2004 by Aleks Danko and Jude Walton and was inspired by a drawing showing Indigenous Australians camped in the parklands when Adelaide was first settled by Europeans.

Amphitheate wall mural.

This mural is painted on the rear wall of Adelaide's Festival Theatre; at the rear of the Amphitheatre. It was painted by six local artists in 1992 from a design by Adelaide born Aboriginal artist Trevor Nickolls.

Yerrakartarta

Yerrakartarta is a contemporary Aboriginal art display in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel on North Terrace. The work was designed and directed by an Aboriginal artist, Darryl Pfitzner. It incorporates fossil-like animal forms and includes a large ceramic mural about the Tjilbruke Dreaming story.

The name Yerrakartarta means 'without design' or 'at random'.

We're sorry

Yesterday Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, made history by apologizing for the actions of past governments in relation to the treatment of indigenous Australians.

The historic event was telecast live, and in Adelaide it was shown on a big screen on the banks of the River Torrens to a large gathering of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

He tabled a motion in parliament apologizing to Australia's Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had 'inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.' The apology included a proposal for a policy commission to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in 'life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.' (Quote from http://www.acn.net.au/articles/sorry/)