Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this page contains the images and names of Elders who have passed away. Images and names have been used with permission.
ART ON THE MOVE and Community Arts Network (CAN) are thrilled to commence the regional tour of Ngaluk Waangkiny (Us Talking), an extraordinary multi-media exhibition celebrating the legacy of ten respected Elders from Boorloo (Perth).
The tour will officially launch at the Museum of the Goldfields in Kalgoorlie-Boulder on February 21, continuing until April 28, 2025.
Ngaluk Waangkiny follows the life journeys of Uncle Ben Taylor Cuiermara, Aunty Theresa Walley, Uncle Farley Garlett, Aunty Doolann Leisha Eatts, Uncle Walter Eatts, Aunty Irene and Uncle Albert McNamara, Aunty Muriel Bowie, Aunty Margaret Culbong and Uncle Noel Nannup.
The exhibition highlights each Elder’s triumphs over adversity, fights for human rights and advocacy for respect and recognition. Featuring photography, recorded oral histories, and a short documentary, Ngaluk Waangkiny is a deeply moving exploration of identity, resilience, and connection.
Pictured: 1. The ten Elders featured in Ngaluk Waangkiny. Image by Hugh Sando, courtesy of ABC Perth | 2. Uncle Ben Taylor Cuiermara | 3. Aunty Irene McNamara | 4. Uncle Noel Nannup. Photography by Cole Baxter.
“Every time I get the opportunity now, I’m always talking to young people and saying – look, you have your old people at home and they are your library. Go and talk to them and find out as much as you can about your family line and hang onto that.”
Uncle Noel Nannup
The partnership between ART ON THE MOVE and CAN underscores a shared commitment to amplifying First Nations voices and bringing culturally significant works to regional audiences. The exhibition’s regional tour ensures that diverse communities across Western Australia can experience these powerful stories firsthand.
“We are honoured to bring Ngaluk Waangkiny to the Museum of the Goldfields,” said Ricky Arnold, ART ON THE MOVE Executive Director.
“We hope that this exhibition helps open up conversations in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and creates a space for understanding, healing, and connection.”
The Ngaluk Waangkiny tour to Kalgoorlie-Boulder will act as a catalyst for Community Arts Network’s new project, Legacies. Inspired by Ngaluk Waangkiny, Legacies will celebrate the unique personal histories of trailblazing Elders from the Goldfields region.
“This Legacies project is vitally important, because we’re not only recording the life stories of First Nations Elders, we’re preserving these often untold histories for future generations” said Danielle Antaki, Community Arts Network CEO.
“Now, more than ever, the First Nations perspective of our nation’s history needs to be shared and heard, because without that understanding and acknowledgement, reconciliation will be hard to achieve.”
The regional tour of Ngaluk Waangkiny is made possible thanks to the State Government’s Regional Exhibition Touring Boost.
For more information, and to access the podcast, book and documentary, visit the Community Arts Network website: https://www.can.org.au/ngaluk-waangkiny