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Our Place: learning about Aboriginal culture in your suburb

08 July 2015
Culture and Capability
Krystal with arm around Aunty Edna

Residents of the Hornsby Shire in north-west Sydney can now learn about the Aboriginal history and culture of the area they live in just by searching online.

Residents of the Hornsby Shire in North-West Sydney can now learn about the Aboriginal history and culture of the area they live in just by searching online.

The local Hornsby Shire Council’s website features useful community information and resources like the ‘Our Place’ videos—a collection of three inspiring short films about traditional Aboriginal stories in the Hornsby area, titled Spiritual Connections, Rainbow Serpent’s Cave and Devil’s Rock.

The ‘Our Place’ videos were produced by the Australian Research Institute for Environment and Sustainability (ARIES) with the project recently receiving an award at the 2015 National Trust Heritage Awards ceremony, winning in the ‘Heritage Tours & Multimedia, Government & Corporations’ category.

As well as working with the supportive Hornsby Shire Council, ARIES worked closely with elders from the Darug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation and the Guringai Tribal Link Aboriginal Corporation to research the stories.

ARIES Director, Jessica North, managed the project.

“I live in the Hornsby area myself and I had no idea there was so much rich traditional heritage connected with it,” Jessica said.

“Now, when I drive around near my home, I think of the stories that relate to where I live, and the landscape has extra meaning for me. I feel more aware of, and connected to, the surrounding environment.”

The three films were recently screened at Hornsby Event Cinemas to invited guests including Members of Parliament, mayors, councillors, teachers, media, church representatives, historians, and officers from National Parks & Wildlife.

ARIES conducted a follow-up survey of those who attended the screening and found that 91 per cent of non-Aboriginal respondents reported a greater understanding of Aboriginal culture and heritage. Most Aboriginal respondents said the films made them feel proud of their culture and heritage and 94 per cent of respondents reported an increased sense of connection and understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people living or working in the Hornsby Shire.

The three films are available on the council website at Aboriginal Projects and Services.

Find out more

ARIES was funded to deliver this project by the Australian Government through the former Indigenous Heritage Programme.

Indigenous heritage projects are now funded under the Indigenous Advancement Strategy’s Culture and Capability programme. Supporting Indigenous Australians to maintain their culture and participate in the economic and social life of the nation will help to achieve real results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.