Celebrate and learn about the Cooks River and its Aboriginal stories from the past and present at a free community event on Friday 16 June. The Cooks River Alliance is hosting the Cooks River Culture and Country event at Addison Road Community Centre in Marrickville.
Dr Paul Irish, a renowned historian specialising in the history and heritage of Aboriginal Australia, will be presenting a recently completed comprehensive ‘Aboriginal History of the Cooks River’. This project compiles and reviews previous research and records to create a comprehensive narrative of the Aboriginal history of the Cooks River catchment spanning from 10,000 years ago to the present day. As part of the project, oral histories from local Aboriginal people living on the Cooks River were captured and will be showcased at the event in an audio-visual exhibition.
The event will also launch a new virtual simulation of the Cooks River as it appeared in 1770, which will allow users to learn about the traditional ecological knowledge of the Cooks River by experiencing the flora and fauna pre-colonisation.
The keynote speaker will be Bradley Moggridge, an Aboriginal Water Expert who will be sharing knowledge on applying traditional Aboriginal waterway management, practice and values.
The event will also feature a panel discussion with key speakers, oral history participants and will be facilitated by Lola Forrester from Koori Radio.
Other highlights of the day will include performances from the Jannawi Dance Clan and Nardi Simpson, bush tucker, and tours to learn about the area’s heritage.
The event aims to share these projects with local catchment communities to increase understanding and appreciation for the Cooks River and its cultural heritage. It will also provide a networking opportunity with the aim of strengthening the relationship between councils, local Aboriginal communities and wider networks.
For more information on the program and to register for the event, please visit: culture_country.eventbrite.com.au
Event Details:
Friday 16 June, 2017
9.00am to 4.00pm
Addison Street Community Centre
142 Addison Street, Marrickville
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Cooks River catchment, together with other Aboriginal people who have made it their home.
This project is supported by the Cooks River Alliance and Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, through funding from the Australian Government.