Gathering Stories
Gathering Stories
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield holds a deep respect for the Aboriginal people in our community and their continued passion to educate us about their long standing, sustainable culture and the traditions of learning and respect that will be important to our shared future.
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield, with joint funding from the Indigenous Programs Unit of the Department of Premier and Cabinet proposed developing a trail around the Port Adelaide and Lefevre Peninsula area that would provide a visual and accessible means of communicating Aboriginal heritage and culture. Through this the level of awareness and appreciation of this culture would be increased within the wider community.
The Port Adelaide Enfield area has one of the highest proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the metropolitan area with approximately 2,730 residents. This number is increased by a large itinerant population meaning that at any given time there may be 5,000 – 6,000 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people in the region.
Dr Kristine Peters from KPPM was commissioned to facilitate the consultation and design components of the project.
One of the key aspects of this project right from the start was that we felt a commitment to recording and presenting the stories that were shared in the manner in which they were given, ie the project as a whole comprises quotes from the storytellers as they were told. They have not been altered or re-interpreted.
As we listened to the stories it became apparent that the significant memories of those interviewed revolved around their experiences living in the region. Often these were linked with traditional culture but in many instances they were more about what it was like to be an Aboriginal person. The honesty with which these stories were shared is rare and greatly appreciated.
The Story Tellers
Karl Telfer
Karl was employed by KPPM, the consultant, as the Cultural Designer/Artist for the project providing the images of the shield, snake and emu prints.
Pat Waria-Read
Pat was employed on a contract basis by Council to provide advice on cultural aspects of the project.
Uncle Lewis ‘Yerloburka” O’Brien
Uncle Lewis is a much respected Kaurna Elder living in Ethelton. He was recognised in 2014 with an AO in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Uncle Vincent Copley
Uncle Vince was a resident at the St Francis Boys' Home and is committed to ensuring that the history of the Home and it’s residents is recorded. Uncle Vince was awarded an AM in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Auntie Josie Agius
Auntie Josie is a much loved Elder within the local community and nationally. Josie is a Narrunga, Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Ngadjuri woman. She has worked in Aboriginal health services, at Taperoo primary school as an Aboriginal Education Worker and also as a consultant cultural instructor in Aboriginal culture and has been a key member of Kurruru since its inception.
Auntie Georgina Williams
Yambo Kartanya Ngangkiburka Kaumayerta Georgina was born in a country hospital in the Narrunga country of my Grandfather Joe Edwards, a senior man and a wise Elder of the Narrunga tribal clans of what is today called the Yorke Peninsula in the state of South Australia.
Tauto Sansbury
Tauto is a proud Narungga man who originally came to the Port from Pt Pearce in the 1950’s
Josephine Judge Rigney
Josephine was born in the Port with an Aboriginal mother and an English father. Her family are from the South East area next to the Ngarrindjeri mob, only about 17 km from the border.
Margaret Brodie
Margaret is a daughter of Auntie Veronica Brodie, and great-great-granddaughter of Lartelare. She and Kathy have lived in the Port Adelaide area most of their lives.
Kathy Brodie
Kathy is a daughter of Auntie Veronica Brodie and great-great-granddaughter of Lartelare. Kathy was very involved in the development of Lartelare, a park which was constructed to recognise the birthplace of Lartelare.
Mary Williams
Mary’s people were from here and Point Pearce, Adams and Edwards. Her family moved from Point Pearce to Gawler, then to the city, Salisbury, South Kilkerran and then to Taperoo.
Sharon Chester
Sharon is proud to say she was born and bred in the Port. She has ridden and broken horses all her life being one of the first, and at the time the only black girl to do rodeo.
Sonia Waters
Sonia is the great granddaughter of Ettie Blueskin, one of the Stolen Generation. It took about 15 years for Sonia to track down her family story which she shares as a way of honouring Ettie, Ettie’s mother Lucy and their off-spring.
Donna Akselsen
Donna shared with us her stories from Kura Yerlo where she has been involved for many years as a member of the Board, a staff member and as a user of the services.
