One year on: Reflections on the Referendum
On 12 October, 2024, we gathered for a powerful afternoon of reflection, marking one year since the Voice Referendum.
Hosted by Uncle Gerry Moore OAM, the event featured a thought-provoking conversation with Pat Anderson AO and Geoff Scott from the Uluru Dialogues, along with Cleone Wellington from the Chief Executive Leadership Team of Waminda, South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation. The conversation was expertly moderated by John-Paul Janke from NITV.
Presented by the Uluru Dialogues and Shoalhaven Walking Together Alliance, the panel engaged in a meaningful discussion on the outcomes of the 2023 referendum and explored the next steps for the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The event began with a Smoking Ceremony by Gadhungal Marring, followed by a performance by Mudjingaal Yangamba, the Koori women’s choir, who sang in Dhurga, one of the original languages of the South Coast.
It was a memorable day of sharing, learning, and looking ahead to the future. Thank you to everyone who joined us.
For more information about the event, click the Download Program button.
History Talk
On 28 April 2024, SWTA held its first event, a talk by local historian and archivist, Michael Organ. While at Wollongong University, in the 1990s Michael gathered together an extensive collection of original documents about the Aboriginal people of the Illawarra and South Coast from 1779 – 1900, which he published in 2 books.
Michael shared that information with the local community to help “fill in the gaps” about what happened in the Shoalhaven during the early period of first contact and colonisation.
There were two sessions: one for the local Aboriginal community, and another after lunch for the general community. Both were facilitated by Uncle Gerry Moore.
