Read some truly awesome stories in Walmajarri, English and Kriol online RIGHT NOW! 65 Books written and illustrated by kids and adults from Kadjina Aboriginal Community and now fully online at the State Library of WA.
http://catalogue.slwa.wa.gov.au/record=b3303747~S1
Head to the launch in the Cultural Centre tomorrow at 3pm – one of many events during “Revealed: Emerging Aboriginal Artists from Western Australia” http://www.perthculturalcentre.com.au/What’s-On/?eventid=19892
Visit our new site: Premier’s Book Awards – http://pba.slwa.wa.gov.au/.
Last night Premier Colin Barnett announced Fiona Skyring’s Justice: A History of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia as winner of the 2011 Premier’s Prize worth $25,000.
Highly acclaimed Western Australian author Tim Winton was inducted into our Hall of Fame.
2011 Western Australia’s Premier’s Book Awards Category Winners
Congratulations to all of the winners & publishers.
The Western Australian Indigenous Tourism Operators Council (WAITOC) and the State Library of Western Australia (SLWA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see the historical paper and digital records of WAITOC archived and maintained by the State Library of Western Australia.
The MOU prefaces the Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference (AITC) 2011 themed Aboriginal Dreaming, Become part of the Journey through Tourism. The MOU will ensure the records of the WAITOC journey will be preserved and made accessible to current and future generations.
WA remains the only State jurisdiction in Australia to have a dedicated Indigenous tourism industry association.
WAITOC CEO Johnny Edmonds said “WAITOC started as and remains a grass roots Indigenous owned and governed tourism industry organisation which has stood the test of time and is continuing to develop as an integral part of the tourism industry in WA”.
Mr Edmonds said “Internationally, WA’s approach to the organisational development of Indigenous tourism sits at the forefront of international best practise which seeks the empowerment of Indigenous tourism”. The MOU with SLWA reinforces the continuing empowerment of Indigenous tourism in WA.
SLWA CEO Margaret Allen said “the signing of the MOU is a significant step for the future of the WAITOC records, and their preservation captures a significant part of the WA story. Historians and researchers will be able to access this unique archive of the Indigenous Tourism Industry now and into the future”.
The State Library of Western Australia is located in the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre. It preserves and provides access to Western Australia’s published heritage and original historical records. The State Library also provides numerous online and e-resources, many of which are accessible from home using your public library membership or State Library card. To see what else the State Library has to offer you please check out the State Library’s web pages at http://slwa.wa.gov.au/
Contacts for Further Information:
Johnny Edmonds, CEO WAITOC, 0419 921 946
Doug George, Manager Public Programs, SLWA, 9427 3150, 0417 961 060
The West Australian newspaper reported today that “Students hold key to Nyoongar language revival”. Noongar is the one of the main languages spoken by the Aboriginal people of the south-west of Western Australia. It had a number of dialects, including one for Perth called Wadjuk. Noongar is an oral language ie it was never written down. There is a major push throughout Australia for the teaching of Indigenous languages in schools to ensure that the languages are not lost.
The State Library has a significant number of books, articles, teaching kits and film on the subject. A good starting point for information on Western Australian Aboriginal languages is the article entitled Aboriginal languages in Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia edited by Jenny Gregory and Jan Gothard. The encyclopedia is available in most public libraries. There are a number of dictionaries on the Noongar language including Noongar Dictionary: Noongar to English and English to Noongar compiled by Rose Whitehurst and published by the Noongar Language and Culture Centre. Another important dictionary is a Nyoongar Wordlist from the South West of Western Australia compiled by P Bindon and R Chadwick. There are some useful teaching kits available too at the State Library and public libraries eg Nyoongar warr-kin-ying bulup: we’re talking to you about teaching the past today, for tomorrow: course outline. For further assistance on these books and other resources, please visit the Battye Library on the third floor of the State Library.
How times change - sandwiched between UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA and PUBLIC GOLF COURSE in Places to See (p.155) of the Official guide to the VIIth British Empire and Commonwealth Games Perth 1962 we find:
KWINANA FREEWAY: Perth’s pride and joy. The Freeway is a 45-50 m.p.h.double-laned highway running from the Narrows Bridge over the Swan at the foot of King’s Park to Canning Bridge four miles to the south, and links the city with suburbs to the south of the river, and Fremantle. It is part of a master plan which will ultimately give Perth the finest access road system in Australia. The Freeway is barred to pedestrians, cycles, learner-drivers, agricultural or power machines, outsize vehicles and animals and you are requested not to drive on it unless you can maintain 45-50 m.p.h. in safety and confidence.
It is fenced off throughout its length, with strikingly designed footbridges to give pedestrians crossing places from the roads of South Perth to the river beaches. The roundabout system which controls traffic at each end of the Narrows Bridge — one of the most modern structures of its kind in the world — is on a semi-cloverleaf system wihch employs a give-way and weaving method to merge the traffic flows rather than the overway-underway method. It is simple to follow if care is taken to read the signposting.
Lights of Kwinana Freeway, 4.5.60 - Battye Library 133458PD
In 1829 , 1003 people came to an empty land [my emphaisis] to establish a colony of the British Empire
Note: This entry contains images/names of deceased people that may cause distress to some readers.
A memorial to Aboriginal leader Yagan was officially opened on Saturday 10 July 2010 beside the Swan River at Upper Swan.
Yagan lived in the Swan Valley when Governor Stirling established the Swan River Colony in 1829. In the early days of the settlement Yagan was friendly with the settlers. Unfortunately misunderstandings arose between the settlers and Nyoongah people, leading to the eventual murder of Yagan on 11 July 1833.
The head of Yagan was removed and placed in the wedge of a smoking tree to preserve it. The head was later sent to England and eventually buried in a cemetery in Liverpool. The Nyoongah community successfully returned Yagan’s head, or kaat, to Western Australia in 1997 but the location of his body is unknown.
Following a private traditional Nyoongah burial ceremony, Premier Colin Barnett dedicated the park as a memorial to Yagan. The reburial date was chosen as it was the anniversary of Yagan’s death and coincided with the end of NAIDOC Week.
Further information about Yagan can be found in the State Library of Western Australia (visit the online catalogue).
NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and there are many ways you can join us to get involved.
Come and visit the State Library’s stall at the NAIDOC Opening Ceremony at Wellington Square, East Perth from 11am onwards. There’ll be information about our collections, books by Aboriginal authors and illustrators to read and much more!
There will also be lots to see and do at The Place with free school holiday activities. Families can celebrate NAIDOC Week by decorating paper hands for the ‘Closing the Gap’ wall mural and see the new display which showcases Aboriginal authors and illustrators and highlights memorable partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
If you would like to know more about NAIDOC Week or find out what events are happening in your community, visit NAIDOC Perth at www.naidocperth.org
The NAIDOC Logo is Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia [2009].
Reproduced with permission of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
26th May – 3rd June 2010
Courtesy of Reconciliation Australia (www.reconciliation.org.au)
National Reconciliation Week 2010 will be held across Australia from 27 May to 3 June. This year marks the 14th anniversary of National Reconciliation Week with the theme ‘Reconciliation: Let’s see it through!’.
National Reconciliation Week coincides with two significant dates in Australia’s history, both of which provide strong symbols of the aspirations for reconciliation. The week begins on 27 May with the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum which removed clauses from the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Indigenous Australians.
The week ends with the anniversary of the High Court of Australia’s judgement in the Mabo case on 3 June 1992. The decision recognised the Native Title rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and overturned the myth of terra nullius – that the continent was empty of people and the land unowned before European settlement in 1788.
National Reconciliation Week follows National Sorry Day on May 26. It was on this day in 1997 that the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families was tabled in Federal Parliament. Titled the Bringing Them Home report, it acknowledged with unquestionable evidence the forced removal of thousands of Indigenous children from their families and communities.
National Reconciliation Week offers an opportunity for all Australians to look ahead to reconciliation and to celebrate together the culture and achievements of Indigenous Australians. If you would like to know more about the Bringing Them Home report, visit the National Sorry Day Committee’s website and pledge your support for the 54 recommendations. To get involved in reconciliation celebrations and events around Australia, visit Reconciliation Australia’s website for more information and to find out how you can get involved.
The State Library has a unique collection relating to all aspects of Western Australian history. If you would like to know more about our Indigenous collections and resources, please feel welcome to contact us at indigenous.spec@slwa.wa.gov.au or visit our subject guides on the State Library’s website.
6th & 7th October 2009 – Cinema Paradiso, Perth
Free Admission
One of Australia’s most popular film festivals invites you to view the world through the eyes of Australian Indigenous filmmakers.
Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival 2009, presented by the Australian Film Commission and Black Screen, is curated by renowned Indigenous filmmakers Rachel Perkins and Darren Dale. Showcasing the talents of Indigenous Australians in the film industry, the films tell the stories of Aboriginal life and experiences, reflecting traditional cultures, the affinity with the land, and the love and the struggles from the past to the present as they intimately share their worlds, their stories, and their humour.
Message Sticks is currently touring nationally and will be screening in WA in October on the following dates:
6 & 7 October, 2009 – Cinema Paradiso, Perth
19 & 20 October, 2009 – Orana Cinema, Geraldton
This is a free event. For film screenings and session times contact the venues or visit www.afc.gov.au/blackscreen to download a program.
If this gives you an apetite for Indigenous films, be sure to have a look at the many Western Australian Indigenous films in the State Library’s collections. These are a wonderful way to learn more about Aboriginal culture and to celebrate these unique stories. You can find films through our online catalogue. Enjoy!
Every year, NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia to commemorate the history and celebrate the culture and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australians from all works of life are invited to celebrate and continue to take steps towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
What does NAIDOC mean?
NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This acronym has gone on to become the name of the week itself. To learn more about the history of NAIDOC Week visit www.naidoc.org.au
The theme for 2009 is Honouring Our Elders, Nurturing Our Youth. The theme encourages communities to acknowledge the status of our Elders as leaders and role models for our youth.
Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC celebrations
There will be an official opening ceremony on Sunday 5th July in Wellington Square in East Perth from 12pm to 4pm. To find out what else is happening in your area and how to get involved, visit http://naidocperth.org/
The State Library of Western Australia will also be running free tours of the Western Australian Indigenous collections in the Battye Library throughout NAIDOC week from Monday 6th July to Friday 10th July 2009. Bookings are essential – to reserve your place contact us on 9427 3111.
If you can’t make it into the library, why not take a virtual tour of our digitised photographs through the State Library’s catalogue or at Picture Australia.
The State Library of Western Australia also offers specialised guided tours, educational programs and events to support our Indigenous information resources and we welcome your feedback and advice in regards to our Indigenous collections, services and programs. Contact indigenous.spec@slwa.wa.gov.au for more information.
