BEAUDESERT will celebrate keeping culture alive and community connected and thriving at the 2024 Mununjali NAIDOC Gala.
Honouring connections
STORIES of community connections that run deep on Mununjali Country light up the faces of local Elders as they anticipate the upcoming Mununjali NAIDOC Gala.
The July 13 gala at The Centre, Beaudesert will honour the people and organisations who keep the culture alive, and the community connected and thriving.
It will be a night for the whole community to connect, reflect and celebrate the Mununjali culture that makes Beaudesert such a special place.
These Elders did not grow up with widespread annual NAIDOC celebrations like we see today, and they love seeing their culture shared.
“We would like everyone to come celebrate – it’s for Mununjali people and for the broader community to catch up and enjoy each other’s company,” Aunty Janis Page said.
She said the 2024 NAIDOC theme, ‘Keep the Fire burning, Blak, Loud and Proud’ was timely.
“After the referendum, for it to be a unanimous ‘no’, people were disheartened. I think ‘keep the fire burning’ is saying, ‘don’t give up, be proud to be black’,” she said.
Aunty Sue Blanco, who was born in 1941, said the future felt bright.
“The past sometimes teaches us, we reflect on what we missed out on. We’ve got little kids, grandkids and great grandkids growing up, we don’t want them to be miss out on knowing their black culture like we did, we want them to be brought up with it,” she said.
“Even the little white kids today, they love it, learning with all the Murri kids about culture.”
Aunty Janis said connections were growing stronger.
“Bit by bit over the years, you break down barriers. There’s a lot of shame about the past, people used to hate talking about it, especially non-Indigenous people because they would feel bad but it’s not about making anyone feel bad – this is the history of Australia,” she said.
For every story of shame, there is a story of unity.
The Elders love sharing about their positive connections dating back to the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Uncle Derek Fogarty said Mununjali culture had always been integral to Beaudesert’s identity as a town.
“Beaudesert wouldn’t be the place it is if we weren’t here,” he said.
“There’s a lot of beautiful people in this town. As kids, there were people we didn’t even know who were there with us. They weren’t racial, they were just good, beautiful people.
“One of the statesmen of Beaudesert, a beautiful man, a white man, was Syd Callanan, he owned the shop, he played football with Uncle (Arthur) Stokel Currie, he was a JP, he was everything.
“There’s a lot of respect for those families – like the Browns, Dyers, Shays, Plunketts, Platells.”
Needless to say, there will be plenty to celebrate a the Mununjali NAIDOC Gala.
Guest will dance the night away with entertainment from Quandamooka, Kabikabi, Meriam vocalist Rochelle Pitt and legacy band, Unity (inspired by Mop and the Drop Outs).
There will be a three-course dinner and drink on arrival.
Tickets are available at www.creativescenicrim.com
