COASTAL CUSTODIANS
Volume 3, Issue 5
August/September /October 2007
John Mumbler Chairperson
Biamanga Board of Management
Mary Duroux Chairperson
Gulaga Board of Management
“I was surprised that I was asked to stand for the
Chairperson position, but I was happy to be
voted in. It will go down in history that the first
chairperson of Biamanga National Park Board
of Management is a Mumbler, this might not
happen again.
“I feel honoured to have been elected to the
position of Chairperson of the Gulaga National
Park Board of Management (BOM). Not just to
be elected but to know that people have faith in
my ability to do the job”.
When I met the other members of the board at
the very first meeting I could feel that this was a
board that could work together. I made a
commitment that I will do my best to do the job
and asked for everyone’s support. At the second
meeting I had confirmation of my belief as the
board did work well together. It was obvious to
me that the board members have the best interest
and the willingness to work together for the
benefit of the Mountain. So far, I can’t see any
great issues that will distract the board from our
goals”.
“At the second meeting I had the honour of
introducing the board to the mountain. It was a
good day, everybody wanted to learn more,
particularly our non-Aboriginal colleagues. The
meeting the following day flowed with an ease
due to the board having had the time on the
mountain”.
“Some of the issues we are looking at are
governance training, the use of the towers on
Mumbulla Mountain, cultural awareness training
Continued page 3
“Pastor Frank Roberts, Jacko Campbell and
Uncle Percy Mumbler used to visit me when I
lived in Kempsey; they travelled all around the
State encouraging Aboriginal people to join their
cause. They fought for the things that people
now take for granted such as housing, health,
education etc. Gulaga and Mumbulla Mountains
were a part of their fight as well. They would ask
me to come home; all they ever wanted was for
me to come back home so I could help them.
Them old fellas they fought for what they
believed in. They had non-Aboriginal supporters
such as Terry Fox, Con O’Clerkin and Fred
Moore. Con and Fred belonged to the Coal
Miners Union. Other unions also supported
them. I walked around and visited Aboriginal
sites with Uncle Percy. I didn’t have much to do
with the women; they were at home raising the
families. The men had much more opportunity
and freedom of movement in those days”.
“The two mountains being handed back was
their dream and we’ve made it a reality. You can
get caught up in the materialism of having the
Continued page 3
Coastal Custodians 1
Inside this Issue
Page
John Mumbler Biamanga Board of
management Chairperson and Mary Duroux
Gulaga Board of Management Chairperson
1&3
Inside this Issue & Letters to the Editor
2&3
Regional Managers Report & ESC
Aboriginal Heritage Study Update.
4&5
The Best Students – Eurobodalla Adult
Education Centre.
5&6
Cobowra LALC NAIDOC Open Day
6
Pigeon House/ Didthul receives Dual Name
7
Dhurga Aboriginal Language Program &
Katungal “Bringing them home” Counsellor
8
Living Knowledge ANU – Daphne Nash
9 & 10
Hey Trisha,
I would like to say many thanks for the
newsletter, which I have been receiving for some
time now. I’m certain there is a lot of hard work
from you, your team and the Aboriginal
communities and individuals, getting this
information together.
I find that the newsletter keeps me abreast of
“what’s happening” down the coast and I really
enjoy reading it. For a person like myself, an
Aboriginal Ranger with little “family”
knowledge given my background as a State
Ward, it helps me fill some gaps and learn more
about my culture.
The newsletter also provides an opportunity and
an informal network with Aboriginal people and
Service staff, which I may not work with.
Katungal Health Checks
10
Just wanted to say thanks!
Narrama Art Therapy
11
Calendar of Events & Subscription form
12
Wayne Williams
Ranger
Department of Environment and Climate
Change NSW
Parks and Wildlife Division
Phone: (02) 48878254
Fax: (02) 48877372
[email protected]
DISCLAIMER
Information provided in the Coastal Custodian is
not necessarily the views of the Department of
Environment & Climate Change (NPWS).
DECC takes no responsibility for errors or
omissions of fact based on information provided
by third parties.
WARNING
This newsletter contains photographs
and/or names of people who have passed
away.
Dear Trisha
It’s not everyday that a resource comes
into the library and when you see it,
you know as a librarian, that it is
important. That’s why I’m excited that I
have
just
discovered
Coastal
Custodians. The importance of this
magazine is two-fold. Whilst its primary
focus is to record history as it happens
(as in the national park hand-backs) it
also, due to the skill & understanding of
yourself, records some of the oral
history & genealogy of the Aboriginal
Elders on the South Coast.
It is fascinating reading to find out
about the family and lives of people and
their connection with this land. So
Coastal Custodians 2
many times Australian social history
has been left unrecorded, so I applaud
both you and the NPWS for providing
what
should
be
considered
an
important set of primary documents for
the history of the NSW South Coast and
its people.
answering some questions for us. Also I’d like to
thank Mike Williams (independent facilitator)
and Adam McLean (Barrister) for their support
so far”.
“I am looking forward to reporting to the
community in the following editions of the
Coastal Custodian”.
Congratulations
Rosemary Towers
Campus Librarian
Moruya Campus Library
Ph: 4474 1806
TAFENSW - Illawarra Institute
YOUR CHOICE YOUR FUTURE
Visit us at
www.illawarra.tafensw.edu.au
Dear Trisha
The last NAIDOC week celebrations at Cobowra
LALC were a great chance for a visitor like me
to sit down and yarn with people. I really
enjoyed the relaxed feeling of people from all
over, coming together and catching up on news
and learning what was happening around the
region. While the rain might have tried to
dampen people's spirits it didn't succeed.
The kids especially seemed to be happy cruising
around and chatting with everyone, enjoying the
music. As a non-Aboriginal visitor to the
community and Cobowra LALC, I felt really
welcomed and learned a lot about local activities,
history and people. Thanks to all the hard
working organisers, especially the cooks! I'm
looking forward to my next visit.
Kevin Keeffe, Canberra.
John Mumbler Chairperson Biamanga
Board of Management
continued from page 1.
for non-Aboriginal board members, who has
access to what areas and the roles of all
interested parties.
“Special thanks you to Phil Sullivan Chairperson
Mount Grenfell BOM, Elizabeth Hunter and
Maryann Hausia from Mutawintji BOM for
addressing the first meeting of the boards and
John Mumbler
Mary Duroux Chairperson Gulaga
Board of Management
continued from page 1.
mountains back, but the old people taught me the
spiritual significance. There were others who
were a part of the journey. Most of them were
Wallaga Lake people.
“Many indigenous visitors of other countries
come to our shores to visit our mountains. They
have an understanding of the mountains
significance to Aboriginal people”.
“I think the Gulaga NP Board will get along
okay. It will be a strong board, once we all get to
know each other better. Some of the members
are not sure of what their roles are yet, but we
are soon to do training in management and our
non-Aboriginal colleagues will also have
training to gain some understanding of
Aboriginal philosophies”.
“I would like to thank our visitors to the first
joint Biamanga/Gulaga meeting. Phil Sullivan of
the Mount Grenfell BOM, Elizabeth Hunter and
Maryanne Hausia of the Mutawintji BOM, their
words were very encouraging”.
“I would also like to thank Mike Williams,
Adam Mclean, Preston Cope, Tim Shepherd,
Susan Donaldson, Karen Lee, Lenore Fraser and
Trisha Ellis without who’s help we wouldn’t be
this far”.
“I would like to pay tribute to the many Yuin
people who made the trip home to celebrate the
Handback in May 2006 and a special thank you
to all the non-Aboriginal visitors and residents of
Tilba”.
Mary Duroux.
Coastal Custodians 3
the two parks, setting priorities for management
and developing the necessary budgets so they
can be put in to place.
For me, the boards have started in a really
positive way and I’m looking forward to 2008.
As you’ll see through this edition the Boards of
Management for Gulaga and Biamanga National
Parks are now up and running.
We started off with a joint meeting of both
boards in Narooma in late August at which over
65 people attended. I thought that it was a really
successful meeting and we started to work
through how the boards are going to work, what
the boards are responsible for and what we need
to do over the next year.
The Biamanga NP Board then met for two days
in late September, which included a one-day visit
to the Park to talk with each other, look at some
of the issues and learn about the mountain. On
the second day we had a meeting, which looked
at how the board might operate and started to
talk about some of the issues we need to deal
with, particularly licensing of communication
towers on the top of the mountain.
The Gulaga NP Board met in early October and
spent some time in looking at the way the board
might operate. Both boards are meeting again in
December.
I’d like to congratulate Mary Duroux (Gulaga)
and John Mumbler (Biamanga) who were voted
in as the first Chairpersons of the two Boards of
Management.
One of the first decisions that the boards made
was to jointly fund an administration trainee
position. The position will be filled by an
Aboriginal person and selected by a panel, which
will include a majority of Aboriginal Owners on
the BOM.
This decision shows one way in which Handback
can benefit Aboriginal Communities. Over the
years there’ll be many more and I’m looking
forward to working with the boards to help make
it happen.
Next year will be very busy as the two boards
get to work on important things such as
beginning to prepare the plan of management for
I wish all readers of Coastal Custodians a happy
and safe Christmas period.
Tim Shepherd
Regional Manager
During the course of the three stages of the
Eurobodalla Aboriginal Heritage Study, three
hundred and thirty six places within the
Eurobodalla Shire have been identified as
containing heritage value to the Aboriginal
community. The majority of places relate to
living / camping places, work places and places
where natural resources are collected. Further
research is required to ascertain the correlation
between the places identified and the known
archaeological data.
It has been recommended that a number of these
places require some form of management in
order to conserve the associated heritage values.
In the main, these places relate to seasonal
camping places where use has continued on and
off since pre-contact times; resource collection
places, places of conflict, burial places and
spiritual places. Aboriginal people’s custodial
rights and responsibilities through their direct
input and ongoing participation underpin
management options. Forms of management
suggested
include
Aboriginal
Heritage
Information System [AHIMS] registration, Local
Environment Plan listing, Development Control
Plans
considerations,
Aboriginal
Place
nomination, or some other form of
environmental zoning classification
It has also been recommended that a number of
heritage places be afforded some form of
acknowledgment in relation to local Aboriginal
culture and history. These places primarily
Coastal Custodians 4
include a variety of living [camping] places,
work places, places associated with early contact
with European explorers, birthplaces and
meeting places.
As a way of acknowledging Aboriginal people’s
presence in local history, a timeline has been
established. This spans the period between the
Dreamtime past and today, and showcases
Aboriginal people’s contribution to the cultural,
social, and economic fabric of the Eurobodalla
region. It is anticipated that this time line can be
used as an educational tool in public places.
Other ways to acknowledge places of heritage
value include the publication of a book. This is
currently occurring as part of a separate, but
interrelated project known as ‘Connecting with
Country’.
Identifying, mapping and managing the
intangible, spiritual attributes of the land and
waterways in the Eurobodalla are limited by
restrictions on the public availability of cultural
information. Because of this, intangible, spatially
irregular or indefinable places associated with
spiritual heritage values, are best understood and
managed under the direction of Aboriginal
custodians. Stage three of the Eurobodalla
Aboriginal Heritage Study has recommended
that developments with the potential to impact
on landscapes associated with spiritual heritage
values be undertaken in close consultation with
the Aboriginal custodians who hold the relevant
cultural knowledge.
possible for environmental scientists and
Aboriginal custodians to work collaboratively to
identify the primary breeding grounds of, for
instance, the Gunyung [Black Swan / Cygnus
atratus], the totemic species for the Bringa Yuin
tribe whose territory includes the Moruya area.
Currently operational mapping technology can
cater for environmental features, which in turn
would assist in the conservation [and
acknowledgement] of interrelated totemic
species.
The Eurobodalla Aboriginal Heritage Steering
Committee will be addressing /distributing the
recommendations from the study. The next stage
of the project involves planning for the future.
The next meeting for the steering committee will
be at 9.30am on the 2nd November at the
Eurobodalla Shire Council Chambers. If you
wish to attend the meeting or require further
information about the next stage of the project
please contact Ron Nye on 4474 1375 for further
information about the meeting and next stage of
the project.
By
implementing
the
recommendations
sustainable cultural heritage outcomes will be
possible for future generations. The funding
opportunities are out there – go get em. It has
been great working with you all on this project. I
have enjoyed it and hope you have too!
Susan Dale Donaldson
0405183751.
The BEST Students!
Eurobodalla Adult Education Centre was
very proud recently to be able to
congratulate 6 young Indigenous students
for completing a retail course they started a
few months ago. Since attending the retail
course three of the students have already
found employment locally.
Gunyung [Black Swans] on Wallaga Lake
In some instances, tangible links can be, and
have been drawn between spiritual phenomena
and landscape features; for instance, the various
natural habitats that sustain totemic species.
Although information pertaining to personal,
family and tribal totems is largely restricted, it is
With the support and encouragement from
the staff at Cobowra CDEP and tutors from
Adult Ed, the six graduates attained
modules from a Certificate II in Retail
Operations. The latest participants are from
Moruya’s local Indigenous community and
have been learning new skills and gaining a
better understanding about how the retail
industry works. The set up and running of
Coastal Custodians 5
‘Hungry Blacks’- the mock shop - has
provided students with the opportunity to
expand on their communication and
customer service skills in a caring and fun
environment. Now three of the students are
going on to participate in a ‘Managing Your
Career’ course to be run in Moruya later this
month.
Michelle Mongta
Dave Tout
Norman Parsons
Christine Lee
Margaret Harris
Patricia Ellis
Adult Ed’s Vocational & Educational
Training Co-ordinator, Julie Halicki, was
very happy with the outcome and said, “The
students were great. They learnt about
teamwork and project management in a fun
and motivational environment. They really
took ownership of the project.”
Moruya Ambulance Station
Sites Officer
Member
Co-ordinator
Treasurer
NAIDOC Co-ordinator
Chairperson
NSW Fire Brigade (Station 384-Moruya)
SEARMS
Christine Lee
Melissa Ellis
Erika Brunhuber
On the BBQ
Ron Nye
Iris White
Maryanne Nye
On the Grounds
Norman Russell
Aaron Brierley
Katungal Medical Service
Forests NSW
Paul Carriage
Congratulations to all the BEST Retail
students and Adult Ed looks forward to
partnering you all in lifelong learning!
Department of Environment & Climate
Change
Patricia Ellis
Department Of Community Services
Paul Mannion
Hal Butterfield
The Division of General Practicioners
Cobowra Local Aboriginal Land Council
NAIDOC Committee would like to thank the
following organisations and individuals for their
wonderful support at the 2007 Open Day held at
the Land Council grounds on Sunday the 12th of
August.
Cobowra Local Aboriginal Land Council
Staff and Members:
Loretta Brunhuber
Acting CEO
Karen Lee
Culture
&
Heritage
Officer
Michelle Davis
Sites Officer
On Catering
Raelene Spackman
Joanne Spackman
A special thank you to Iris White who
submitted for and acquired a marquee
for the Cobowra Local Aboriginal
Land Council NAIDOC events.
Without this support these events would not be
possible. A warm thank you also to everyone
who participated in the day.
The Committee
Coastal Custodians 6
Pigeon House / Didthul
Receives Dual Name
It’s time to celebrate! The Geographical Names
Board and the Minister for Lands, Tony Kelly
has approved the dual naming of Pigeon House
Mountain with the Aboriginal name Didthul.
The mountain stands proudly within Morton
National Park, west of Ulladulla.
We all appreciate the distinctively shaped peak
of Pigeon House/Didthul. But the mountain’s
high cultural significance for Aboriginal people
of the south coast was not being widely
recognised. Aboriginal representatives on the
South Coast Region Advisory Committee
recommended greater acknowledgement of those
values and of the mountain’s strong links to
other prominent landscape features through
Dreamtime stories. The National Parks and
Wildlife Service supported this request and
started on the lengthy journey of seeking dual
naming.
placed first, separated from the other name by a
slash.
The European part of the name was given by the
then Lieutenant James Cook as he sailed north
along the east coast of Australia in 1770. The
mountain is shaped like a European dove cote or
cage, hence the name “Pigeon House”. The
NPWS will be including both names on
directional and interpretive signs within the
national park and on future maps and brochures
relating to the area. We have advised Shoalhaven
City Council, RTA and Forests NSW of the dual
naming and have asked them to do the same.
The dual naming was supported by the Ulladulla
Elders, Ulladulla Local Aboriginal Land
Council, the NPWS South Coast Region
Advisory Committee, Shoalhaven City Council
and Council’s community consulting body for
the area. This support has been essential in
gaining dual naming.
Thank you to all who have supported the quest
for recognition of the Aboriginal cultural
significance of Pigeon House/Didthul.
Diane Garrood
NPWS Regional Manager, South Coast
Department of Environment and Climate
Change
Aboriginal people have had a long history of use
of Pigeon House/Didthul and surrounding areas.
Rock shelter deposits in the adjacent Budawang
Range have been dated back at least 19,000
years. There are a large number of recorded
Aboriginal sites on the mountain itself.
The purpose of dual names is to recognise
Aboriginal cultural heritage by registering
original place names given by Aboriginal people
so that they sit side by side with European
names. Once a dual name is given, signposts,
maps and directories relating to the area will
feature both names. The Geographic Names
Board is currently drafting a policy to guide use
of dual names and we have been told this will
require the more popularly known name to be
Coastal Custodians 7
Following the success of the Dhurga Djamanj
Language program at Broulee Primary School,
Cobowra Local Aboriginal Land Council
submitted for funding to run a similar program
within the local community. They were
successful in their application and the Dhurga
Buradja (Tomorrow) Language Program has
commenced.
The Land Council and Moruya TAFE are
working in partnership with this program and
each student will receive a Certificate 1 in
Aboriginal Language/s on successfully
completing the course.
As this was an initiative from Cobowra Local
Aboriginal Land Council the course was offered
firstly to Elders, then community members from
the Dhurga speaking language area and then
other Aboriginal community members.
We were inundated with applications and hope
to be able to offer the course again early next
year for those who missed out this time. There
are 18 students participating in the course whose
ages range from late 20s to mid 60s.
The Certificate 1 in Aboriginal Language/s is
an introduction to Dhurga and plans are also in
place to offer Certificates 2 and 3 in the near
future.
The Dhurga Buradja Program is running
every Saturday for eight weeks and the students
are thoroughly enjoying it. Students have
commented on how proud they are to be learning
their language, what a great program it is and
grateful that they will be able to teach the
language to their own children.
Kerry Boyenga Teacher
Coastal Custodians 8
Living Knowledge: Indigenous
Knowledge and Science Education
Over the last four years we have been working
on the Indigenous Knowledge and Science
Education project based at The Australian
Our project is almost complete!
Some of you have been involved in our project
and so you might like to know that it’s nearly
finished! In fact the launch of the website will
take place at Yirrkala in north-east Arnhem Land
on 23rd November and about twelve south coast
Koories will travel there for the occasion.
Djuwin Women’s Lore Council Culture Camp,
Potato Point, October 2005
Jimmy Scott makes a spear, Bega
Coastal Custodians 9
National University in Canberra. The research
has been supported by The Australian National
Maritime Museum, The NSW Department of
Education and Training and Yirrkala Community
Education Centre.
Our project team, Pip
Deveson, Katie Hayne and I have been learning
about your knowledge of the natural
environment.
Rod Wellington, Jodie Stewart, Lorraine Brown,
Phyllis
Stewart,
Steve
Russell,
Noel
Lonesborough, Anthony Moore and the other
artists of Boolarng Nangamai.
We very much appreciate your support. This
project has been a rewarding process for us
personally in getting to know you in a relatively
short time. Professionally we have been
fortunate to have such committed and
knowledgeable people to work with. The
resources which you have helped produce will be
most useful for teaching both Indigenous and
non-Indigenous students about the worldview
from the south coast of NSW.
Daphne Nash
Research School of the Humanities, ANU
[email protected]
Boolarng Nangamai artists visit ANU
Much of the information which you have
provided for the website “Living Knowledge”
will be linked to the science curriculum as well
as other curriculum areas including art and
history. There is also resource information on the
website relating to Indigenous knowledge in
other parts of NSW. Over the next few months
there will be further publications about education
and cultural traditions highlighting the wealth of
knowledge and creativity in the south coast
Indigenous community.
We would like to thank all those people who
have given their time for the project. We have
spoken to many people but particularly thank
Trisha Ellis, Mary Duroux, Sym Nye, Linda
Cruse, Margaret Dixon, Shirley Foster, Colleen
Dixon, Kerry Boyenga, Cheryl Davison, Don
Atkinson, Noelene Chapman, Jimmy Scott,
Annette Scott, Graham Moore, Ossie Cruse,
Beryl Cruse, Esme Timbery, Lynne Thomas,
Child Health Checks & Adult Health
Checks
Katungal.
Doctors Clinic
Thursdays & 2nd
and 4th Tuesday
9.00am to 5.00pm.
Alternate Tuesdays
2.00pm to 5.00pm
only.
Wallaga Clinics
Moruya Clinic
(Doctors available)
1st & 3rd Tuesday
of every month
10.00am to noon.
Monday
and
Wednesday for
appointments call
02 44 745 498
Coastal Custodians 10
.
This group was initiated through
NARRAMA Multi Service Aboriginal
Corporation and offers a friendly and
supportive atmosphere where service
users can get together on a regular basis
to explore their creative talents.
The Art Therapy group was set up as a
response to the closure of an Arts course
at TAFE in 2003, which left many people
at a loose end.
Pictured: Craig Connell, his artwork will also feature in
the ESC- SEAR exhibition.
Pictured: Loretta Parsley who paints under the name
DAWN (doing art with nature), her artwork will feature in
an upcoming ESC- SEAR exhibition in Moruya.
An exhibition, with over one hundred
entries was held in March 07. This proved
to be a most successful event, with
exhibits coming from afar. The outcome
was most positive for the artists who
received lots of favourable feedback.
Appreciation of their work was evident
through the many sales and works
commissioned. Several pieces have left
our shores for far away destinations.
All NARRAMA service users can partake
in this group i.e. people of frail aged or
with a disability or anyone who can offer
peer support.
Pictured: Heather Connell who has sold several of her
paintings also intends to enter her work in the exhibition.
Pictured: May Terare & Josie Williams hard at work with
their art.
We are looking forward to holding
another exhibition early 2008 and
encourage all Aboriginal Artists to take
part.
Kate Moran
Coastal Custodians 11
Calendar of Events
Please fill in the following details to receive
your copy of future quarterly newsletters and
forward them to:
October
Monday 1st
Labour Day
School Holidays
Start.
Friday 15th
Saturday 27th
Subscription Details
School Holidays
Finish.
2007 Eurobodalla
NAIDOC Awards.
Patricia Ellis
Joint Management Coordinator
Parks & Wildlife Group
Department of Environment & Climate
Change
PO Box 282
Narooma NSW 2546
Telephone:
02 44760846
Facsimile:
02 44761793
Mobile:
0428660432
Email: [email protected]
Name: ________________________
Address:
November
Sunday 11th
Remembrance Day
Friday 30th
St Andrew’s Day
Postcode:__________State:________
Telephone: _____________________
Facsimile: _____________________
Mobile: ________________________
Note: Copies of back issues are available on
the following website;
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/con
tent/coastal_custodian_newsletter
Coastal Custodians 12