The Mayor's Column
Last Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending a talk at Mosman Library by Anita Heiss, author of Not Meeting Mr Right and I’m Not Racist, But. Her engaging yet serious talk about her experience as a modern Koori woman, was the first Mosman event for the 2007 Northern Sydney Guringai Festival which will be held until 15 July 2007.
The Festival is a regional celebration of Aboriginal culture and heritage held across ten Northern Sydney local government areas, including Mosman. The theme ‘Corroboree, Culture, Community’ aptly describes the Festival’s aim of bringing the Northern Sydney region together as a community to celebrate one of the oldest living cultures in the world. This year more than 33 events are taking place across Northern Sydney and I am proud to say that we will have 8 of those events in Mosman. The Festival was recently commended at a state level at the Local Government Cultural Awards.
This month, young people will enjoy a film screening and discussion of Ten Canoes and our older residents will enjoy a bush food luncheon and performance by an indigenous dance group. The very popular exhibition of artworks by local school students will again be held during NAIDOC week in July in local businesses and Mosman Council facilities. Council gratefully acknowledges Mosman Reconciliation for organising the exhibition and the schools and businesses that participate in this wonderful display of creativity and learning.
The Festival brochure is available here or from Council’s Library and Art Gallery and Community Centre and I encourage everyone to get involved.
- Guringai Festival 2007 program (PDF 1MB)
- Guringai Festival 2007 - events in Mosman (PDF 109KB)
We are privileged to have a rich Aboriginal cultural heritage in Mosman, with 107 remaining recorded sites. The Aboriginal Heritage Study of the Mosman Local Government Area (Volume 4, 2005) is an excellent resource and is available from Mosman Library or can be downloaded from Council’s website.
To assist in educating our children on our Aboriginal heritage, Council is currently participating in a project by National Parks and Wildlife Service to produce a Teachers’ Resource Kit. Children participating in our vacation care program in July will also have the opportunity to learn about Animals of the Dreaming at Taronga Zoo. Through education we hope to foster learning and respect for Aboriginal heritage sites, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
