The University of New England’s Oorala Aboriginal Centre will celebrate 40 years of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with a free community day on the Armidale campus, bringing together students, staff, alumni and the wider community for a day of culture, music and connection.
The celebrations will be held at Oorala and the surrounding lawns on Thursday, 17 September, running from 10am to 2pm. The program will begin with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.
The day will include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, live music, workshops, demonstrations, children’s activities, market stalls and food outlets, including a free sausage sizzle. Live music will come from Terra Firma, The Kelly Gang and UNE’s own Macey & the Dots.
Other attractions include a Paws Up/BackTrack dog jumping demonstration, a cooking demonstration with Nathan Lyons from Kooking with a Koori, Earth Art with Aunty Sharon, a language workshop with Callum Clayton-Dixon, artefact workshops with Steve Ahoy and weaving with Aunty Dolly. A range of business owners and service providers will also be on hand to share their products, services and expertise.
Director of the Oorala Aboriginal Centre Samantha Fowler said the anniversary was an opportunity to bring together the many people who had contributed to the centre over the past four decades.
“Oorala has always been a place where people can come together, whether that is to study, seek advice, share culture or simply connect with other people,” Ms Fowler said.
“This celebration is about recognising the generations of students, staff, Elders and community members who have made Oorala what it is today.
“We want people who have been part of Oorala’s story to come back and celebrate with us, but we also want people who may not know Oorala to come along, experience the day and find out more about what we do and who we are.”
Oorala Aboriginal Centre first opened on 14 April 1986, initially supporting a small number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at UNE. Since then, more than 1,500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have graduated from the university, with around 1,100 currently studying across UNE.
Ms Fowler said Oorala’s role had evolved as the number and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at UNE had grown.
“Over the years, we have seen students come through Oorala who are the first in their families to attend university, people returning to study later in life and students balancing study with work, family and community responsibilities,” she said.
“But our contribution goes beyond individual students. Oorala has also helped bring Aboriginal knowledge and perspectives into the wider university, ensuring those perspectives are part of the education of students across UNE.”
Oorala’s academic work includes courses and programs that develop understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contemporary issues.
“Forty years is a significant milestone, but we are not simply looking back,” Ms Fowler said.
“We are looking at what Oorala needs to be for the next generation of students and how we continue to build on what has been established over the past four decades.”
More information is available by emailing oorala@une.edu.au.
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