Local film promotes cultural awareness to Close the Gap in Mount Gambier

Discover more about the Indigenous community of Mount Gambier, South Australia in this month’s Indigenous.gov.au Closing the Gap community profile.

The traditional lands of the Bunganditj (Boandik) people, Mt Gambier is home to a growing Indigenous population that has travelled from various parts of Australia to settle in the city renowned for its volcanic crater lakes.

The people of Mount Gambier are working together to Close the Gap, helping to deliver government services in health, education and employment that will provide better opportunities for local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

A major focus of Mount Gambier’s commitment to Closing the Gap is to create a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture within the region.

The community recently worked together to develop two short films that showcase Bunganditj (Boandik) dreaming stories, which are screened every day in the city centre.

Ngarrindjeri elder Elaine Kropinyeri, who has lived in Mount Gambier for more than 30 years, believes sharing these stories brings the wider community together and is an important step in Closing the Gap.

“It brings acknowledgment to the local Bunganditj (Boandik) people,” she said.

“It brings acknowledgement about their Dreamtime stories and a curiosity. So with that curiosity, it breaks down the barriers, because instead of being ignorant to Aboriginal people and their Dreaming stories, now they ask.”

Listen to the audio below to hear Elaine talking about how the films are contributing to Closing the Gap in Mount Gambier.