Dharriwaa Elders Group - Aboriginal Australia, Walgett

47 Fox St Walgett NSW Australia

Latest news: Kevin Humphries MP (NSW Member for Barwon) launched the DEG's third cultural exhibition "Memories of Living Outside Walgett" on the 15 December 2011. He spoke of the importance of the Dharriwaa Elders Group, how it has been a constant force and that it is the "go to" organisation in Walgett. He also spoke of how important it is to pass on Aboriginal history in exhibitions like this for the benefit of Walgett's future generations and the wider NSW community. Elders Gladys Walford and Vera Dennis spoke about why they worked to create the exhibition's gems - a series of four mudmaps showing their early memories of where Aboriginal families lived in the tin camps at Montkeila Bend, Namoi Riverbank and Ginghi Aboriginal Reserve, and later in the new houses built by the Aboriginal Protection Board - "Walgett Aboriginal Station" in 1941. They spoke of their enjoyment remembering the past, and how they wanted their families to know how they lived back in those days. Exhibition producer Wendy Spencer spoke of how she felt priviledged to present the Elders' knowledge in this way and explained how the exhibition was "not just panels on the walls but living culture in the minds of the Elders today". She urged school and other groups to make appointments with the DEG to visit the exhibition so that Elders could explain the content to them - an added value the DEG provides to its cultural exhibitions.
Dharriwaa Elders Group presented its Walgett Aboriginal Women's Workshops Report to the Walgett Gamilaraay Aboriginal Community Working Party for endorsement 23 February 2011. The Report publishes the findings of four workshops the DEG held to capture the priorities of Walgett Aboriginal women for inclusion into the Local Implementation Plan for Walgett of COAG's "Closing the Gap" RSD project which the DEG hopes will succeed.
Dharriwaa Elders Group held its AGM 17 December 2010 at which its 2009/10 Annual Report was endorsed. Other recent DEG reports can be found here.

Check out information about the projects and activities of the Dharriwaa Elders Group

Make a donation to the Dharriwaa Elders Group premises purchase fundraising appeal, direct by credit card, or by other methods described here.

Other news: Previous headlines from our www site include: The Dharriwaa Elders Group ("DEG") unveiled in August 2010 an eternal flame and sign that states "The staff and members of the Dharriwaa Elders Group will always honour its founding Speaker George Rose OAM - respected leader and tireless worker for the Walgett community." The DEG's Thelma Thorne made a speech on behalf of the DEG.
The Commonwealth Government cut the DEG's Language Program completely on 30th June 2010, when it also reduced DEG's funding and activities under the Indigenous Heritage Program, extensively. One of the effects has been the necessity to stop publishing our monthly magazine Yundiboo which we have produced since 2000.
The DEG was granted a permit August 2010 by the NSW Government to take into its safekeeping a collection of culturally important items from a private property that were threatened by opal mining. The DEG made a presentation at the September 2010 Australian Rangelands Society Conference in Bourke. In November 2009 DEG completed an archaeology training survey to prepare reports for the NSW and Commonwealth governments about the extensive and previously unsurveyed extent of places of high Aboriginal cultural value in the area known as "OPA 4".

About the Dharriwaa Elders Group. The Dharriwaa Elders Group (DEG) was born 20 November 2000 after working together on projects since 1998. The Group took its name from one of its sacred sites - Narran Lakes - Dharriwaa (common meeting place) and its full members are Aboriginal people over 60 who live in Walgett. The DEG was auspiced by the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service until 1 July 2005, when it became autonomous. Projects of the Group aim to:

Support Aboriginal elders to resume leadership roles in the community, keeping active and healthy
promote local Aboriginal cultural knowledge and identity
develop the Walgett Aboriginal community

exhibition launch

Left: DEG Elders Councillors Vera Dennis and Gladys Walford with DEG Speaker Richard Lake at the launch of "Memories of Living OUtside Walgett" which both women contributed to extensively. Right: Visitors to the launch in December 2010 engrossed in the content.

DEG's
Above: Dharriwaa Elders Group launched its latest cultural exhibition "Memories of Living Outside Walgett" 15 December 2010.

DEG's Women's Report
Left: The DEG's Report for the Aboriginal Women's Workshops it convened in 2010 to inform COAG's "Closing the Gap" project. Right: Part of DEG's Wugan Gaay exhibition displaying wooden weapons made by Roy Barker.

If you wish to meet the Dharriwaa Elders Group write to
PO Box 174 Walgett NSW 2832, phone: 02 6828 2619
or email info@dharriwaaeldersgroup.org.au
All donations will be very gratefully received

Site Last Updated: 17 March 2011

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