May 23, 2018
Over 35 years ago, Dr John Bradley took up a teaching position at Borroloola in the Northern Territory, at a time when Yanyuwa children were flogged for speaking their own language at school. Defying policy, John encouraged his pupils to speak in their native tongue and he, in turn, gradually learned the Yanyuwa language from the Elders.
Don’t keep history a mystery - come with us and explore some of the real history of Australia as John talks about the commentary around songs and stories, and shares tantalising snippets of his vast knowledge about the timeless nature of songlines as taught to him by the Yanyuwa people.
For anyone even remotely interested in the complex but intriguing concept of Aboriginal songlines, “Singing Saltwater Country” written by John Bradley with the Yanyuwa families, is definitely a ‘must-read’.
Find a link to John’s work, including incredible 3D Dreaming and other animations created by the Monash Country Lines Archive project, on the website at www.songlinesaustralia.net.