First Nations festival gives a taste of an ancient culture
On a warm night in the town of Jabiru in the Northern Territory - locals and Traditional Owners are uncovering a ground oven, with food for hundreds of people. The cook-up is part of an annual food event named Taste of Kakadu, connecting visitors with people who live in Jabiru. It is an event though which First Nations' culture is shared and celebrated. Although buffalo is an animal that was introduced during colonisation - first on the Tiwi Islands around 1825 - today, this shared meal is opening conversations among people who have never been introduced to the delicacy. "It's my first time tasting buffalo and I really like it. This is my first time really connecting with Aboriginal culture, and I really love it" For 22-year-old Siah Miargu, it's also a time to grow her skills as a junior ranger and guide. Guests are sharing a meal of barramundi, bush potatoes and a sweet treat, with Siah showing how to eat "wunt wunt". "This is wunt wunt… we just open up, we normally just clean this out, or eat it like this. I tell them the story how our ancestors walked around this area to look for bush tuckers." Yellow Water and the surrounding floodplain is the heart of Kakadu and is an important food source for those living on Country, including up to a million Magpie geese, a bird that is special to Traditional Owners. Paul Iskov is a chef from Western Australia who is cooking at the Taste of Kakadu. His role involves not just preparing traditional cuisine, but understanding the origin of each ingredient. "It's really nice to hear those stories about ingredients that connect country up here. The water lily's are down where you catch the barramundi and this cheeky yam is pretty much on the side of the bank as well, so all those ingredients tie together." Paul is known among chefs as Yoda and has travelled to Kakadu many times to develop culinary dishes - and the Kakadu plum is one that has captured global attention. Queensland researchers in September last year, found the fruit has antioxidant properties. Scientific research, now reinforcing traditional knowledge that has been known for thousands of years. And it is knowledge like this that has enriched the experience of visitors, experiencing the First Nations event. "There definitely needs to be more stuff like this, if this was more frequent, you'd definitely get more people looking into it." Creating opportunities to listen and learn.
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"This is one of the most significant and highly valuable public collections of art outside of a state or national institution," he said. "The expansion will enable the gallery to be fit for purpose to host our $145 million collection alongside touring exhibitions from across Australia and around the world, creating a significant cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter," he said. The more than $50 million rebuild will deliver an extra 1,600 square metres of space, more than doubling what was previously on offer. A new cafe and retail shop, multi-purpose and educational spaces and a secure international standard loading dock are included in the project. Construction of the building's shell is set to be completed in the second quarter of 2025, with the aim of reopening the doors this year in time for the New Annual festival at the end of September. 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IT'S the largest gift of artwork investment banker Simon Mordant and his theatre costume designer and art director wife Catriona have ever given to one institution, and it's set "tongues wagging" across Newcastle. The Mordants, who are among the country's leading arts philanthropists, have passed on 25 works from their private collection to Newcastle Art Gallery mere months before the new expansion opens to the public. The donation includes works on paper by Ngarrindjeri artist Ian Abdulla, a collage of digital print and oil by John Young and sculptures by Novocastrian artist Jamie North. Mr Mordant said Newcastle was an obvious choice. "Catriona and I believe that art should be seen and enjoyed by the widest possible audience," he said. "In considering Australian and international organisations to be recipients of part of our collection, built over almost 40 years, we looked for organisations where we believed in their leadership and their ambition. "We very much look forward to seeing these works enjoying a new life in Newcastle Art Gallery." The works from the Mordants' collection will feature in a special exhibition next year and be housed among one of the most valuable public art collections in the country outside a capital city. A recent valuation put Newcastle's collection at a staggering $145 million, an increase of $19 million, or about 15 per cent, since key works were last reviewed in 2022. Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation chair Suzie Galwey said the valuation confirms what those in the local scene have long known, that the city has an "outstanding" collection that deserves to be on show. "For the community to be able to go in, access and engage with these incredible icons, they're Australian icons, some of these pieces, is just really going to be something for the community to be so proud of," she said. "I think it will boost visitation, the community will have the opportunity to embrace the gallery and just realise what a significant milestone this is for the arts in Newcastle. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime project." The donation, combined with the long-awaited expansion of the gallery, marks a turning point for the institution, which has only been able to display about one per cent of its collection each year due to space constraints. Once complete, iconic works by artists like Brett Whiteley, John Olsen, William Dobell and Joseph Lycett will be permanently on show, alongside a First Nations collection which has skyrocketed in value, up nearly 80 per cent, and works by female artists which have increased in value across the board. City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath said the upgraded gallery will be a fitting home for one of the council's most valuable assets. "This is one of the most significant and highly valuable public collections of art outside of a state or national institution," he said. "The expansion will enable the gallery to be fit for purpose to host our $145 million collection alongside touring exhibitions from across Australia and around the world, creating a significant cultural tourism opportunity for Newcastle and the Hunter," he said. The more than $50 million rebuild will deliver an extra 1,600 square metres of space, more than doubling what was previously on offer. A new cafe and retail shop, multi-purpose and educational spaces and a secure international standard loading dock are included in the project. Construction of the building's shell is set to be completed in the second quarter of 2025, with the aim of reopening the doors this year in time for the New Annual festival at the end of September. 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Newcastle independent lord mayor Ross Kerridge said the new valuation not only gives the city "bragging rights" but also demonstrates what an important and prestigious collection the gallery has. Cr Kerridge hopes the expansion will bring more visitors to Newcastle, but more importantly, that locals benefit, given their efforts to make the project happen with the help of generous benefactors over the years. "The recent donation from Simon and Catriona Mordant, that's really set tongues wagging," he said. "They recognise that this is an important gallery, they want their works to be seen, so it builds on success. "This builds on a whole sensibility about the city, it changes the profile of the city, changes the feel of the city and gets us noticed." The expansion project has been made possible with $10 million in state and federal government funding and more than $12 million from the Newcastle Art Gallery foundation through the Valerie and John Ryan bequest and community fundraising efforts. Ms Galwey said the foundation is about $500,000 away from its $13 million goal. "The foundation has been advocating and fundraising for the expansion of the gallery for more than 20 years. We're still looking to get to our target of $13 million, and we're almost there," she said. "It would be wonderful for us to get to our target, so we're calling on the community to dig deep. "Every donation makes a huge difference, and it's just wonderful to be part of this incredible story for the arts in Newcastle." To make a donation, visit the foundation's website.
ABC News
3 hours ago
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