Six Quick Chicks

Comedy Cabaret troupe, Six Quick Chicks, performed at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre on Saturday night to a full house.

Performances from Vashti and Christa Hughes, Celia Curtis, Kira Hu La , Leonie Cohen, Lucy Suze Taylor, Jude Bowler and Claire Anastopoulos.

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15 Years Too Long - TJ Hickey Petition Presented For Parliament

On Thursday, Gail Hickey, mother of T.J. Hickey, and her family and supporters, presented a petition with over 12,000 signatures to Greens MP, David Shoebridge, triggering a formal mention in the NSW Parliament. The petition seeks to reinstate the inquiry into T.J.’s death.

In 2004, T.J. Hickey, then 17, was killed during a police pursuit in Redfern. His family has always maintained a police cover up in the matter.

The signatures were collected over the past months and was supported by the Indigenous Social Justice Association (ISJA), Sydney.

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Another Roll of 35mm Film

An assortment of shots from a roll of Kodak Tri-X black and white film.

Shot on a Contax IIIa, 50mm f1.5

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Demolition of The Block Continues

The historic Aboriginal Flag mural at The Block has come down as the demolition of the area continues to make way for student housing.

The Block in the inner-Sydney suburb of Redfern, has served as an important site for Aboriginal communities since pre-Colonial times.

During the 1970s, it was the centre of an Aboriginal political and social renaissance that had influence across Australia and which still reverberates today.

In 2015, after much of the Aboriginal community was moved out and as the site was earmarked for redevelopment, an activist campaign led by Aunty Jenny Munro, set up the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy, occupying the site in a 16-month protest. As a result, 62 apartments within the development were promised as low-cost housing for Aboriginal families. Nevertheless, plans for the redevelopment proceeded.

Today, the last remnants of what was The Block were knocked down as excavation of the site forged ahead.

With the foundations soon to be sunk, construction of the massive 24-story student apartment complex will now begin in earnest.

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Climate Strikes and Beyond

In the wake of the recent Federal election, a panel convened at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to discuss and reconsider the future of social change and impact in Australia, with particular focus on Aboriginal issues, the climate and mining.

The student-led climate strikes were identified as a contemporary model to realise social change and ‘climate jobs’ as a key driver of economic and political change. It was argued that Aboriginal issues, perspectives and voices should lead such discussions and developments.

The Panel included:

• Chair: Jason De Santolo, Garrwa, Associate Prof. Indigenous Research, school of Design

• Gadrian Hoosan

• Nancy Yukuwal McDinny - Borroloola Elder

• Scott McDinny - Garrwa and Yanyuwa, SEED Indigenous Youth Climate Network

• Padraic Gibson - Activist at UTS, Jumbunna Researcher

• India Pardoel - School Strike 4 Climate

Further info from the organisers:

Call for a global climate strike September 20: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/23/greta-thunberg-young-people-climate-strikes-20-september

Scott and Nancy have been in Sydney with other family from Borroloola to premiere the film "Warburdar Bununu: Water Shield", documenting their struggle against destruction of waterways by mining and the impending threat of fracking:
http://www.watershield.com

An article about the Gamilaraay delegation to the last climate strike on March 15, supported by UTS staff
https://jumbunna.institute/2019/03/27/walgett-delegation-addresses-student-climate-strike-on-the-nsw-river-crisis/

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A Photo Shoot with Model and My Mum, Star

Playing around with some strobe lighting and my mother happened to be on hand as my model for the day.

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Shhhhh! 5 - The Final Performance

Photos from the 5th and final in a series of silent street theatre performances produced by Vashti Hughes, critiquing Sydney’s draconian lockout laws and policing regimes which have impacted on cultural expression, night life and quality of life.

Performed outside the Piccolo Bar in Kings Cross, Sydney.

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Reflections of Canberra

Some autumnal shots of Canberra.

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Message Stick Walker Arrives in Canberra, Ngunnawal

Alwyn Doolan, The Message Stick Walker, arrived in Canberra, Ngunnawal country, on the weekend, after a trek of over 8,500 kms from Bamaga in far north Queensland. His historic 12-month walk travelled through over 50 first nations, gathering and imparting knowledge along the way.

Alwyn is a Gooreng Gooreng Wakka Wakka man and Yunyiddee (Aboriginal Messenger), inspiring cultural connection and connection to land amongst his people, as well as healing for broader Australia. He carries with him three message sticks, “that represent the three stages of Australia’s story - creation, colonisation and healing”. A statement by Alwyn Doolan can be found here.

His arrival to the outskirts of Canberra on Saturday was met with a Ngunnawal Welcome to Country smoking ceremony and a group of family members and supporters, some of whom have accompanied part of the trek along the route and others who have followed Alwyn’s journey on Facebook. After the smoking, the contingent walked through Canberra’s CBD to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, located in front of Old Parliament House. The group was escorted over the last few kilometres by the Indigenous (motorcyle) Riders Club and cheered in to the Embassy by Aboriginal elders and other supporters.

The following day, after a yarning circle at the Embassy, Alwyn collapsed - a result of the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual toll of his epic journey. He was nursed back to health that day and recovered after a night’s sleep.

The next morning, Monday, Alwyn, his family and supporters marched from the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, up to the doors of Parliament House proper, to present a Statement of Intention to the Australian Government. The statement was read on the forecourt of Parliament House.

Alwyn plans to present the message sticks and tribal law notice to the new, incoming Australian Government, once sworn in, after which, his journey will continue.

Donations to the Message Stick Walk can be made here.

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