NAIDOC celebrated at Bangalow Museum

A collection of artefacts from the Bundjalung and Arakwal people of Byron Bay has been loaned to the Bangalow Historical Society for the duration of its latest exhibition, ‘Learning from the Past’ to celebrate NAIDOC week.

It will open July 4 at the museum, which is located at the corner of Ashton and Deacon Streets, Bangalow.

Organisers say traditional custodian and Byron Shire councillor, Delta Kay, dropped off several bags to the team at the Bangalow Museum, to ‘get the ball rolling’.

Exhibition curator, Heather West, has gathered decades of NAIDOC week posters, tracing the history of the event over many years.

Bringing life to NAIDOC posters

‘Delta’s artefacts bring life to the posters,’ she said. ‘From painted turtle shells and woven bags, from throwing sticks and boomerangs to a magnificent emerald blue emu egg tucked away in a basket lined with emu feathers, plus possum skin furs and coolamons – there is an abundance of authentic items on display to discover.’

The museum has also incorporated pieces from Living Lab Northern Rivers’ recent exhibition ‘Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future’.

The exhibition explored how Indigenous knowledge and cultural land management can guide our path towards a more sustainable future, highlighting different approaches to seeing and managing land and allowing visitors to see how our physical environment has transformed from pre-colonial times to now.

Heather added, ‘We’re also really excited to have images on display which show how many native plants sustain our local ecosystems, have deep cultural ties, and have shaped Bundjalung Country’s past, present and future.’

The Learning from the Past exhibition runs for a month. The museum is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10am till 2pm, and Saturdays from 9am till 12pm.